ABSTRACT
Spear throwing, in its various forms, must be one of the oldest sporting events in history. The obvious association of javelin throwing with war and hunting is no coincidence. Early forms of the sport included both throwing for accuracy at a target and throwing for optimum range; either unaided as with the modern day event, thrown while riding a charging horse or with the help of a sling-shot chord mechanism attached to the spear, this latter equipment being known as a mesagkylon.
