ABSTRACT

The original “darts” were probably weapons used in close combat during the medieval era, presumably as a convenient alternative to spears and arrows. A form of dart was used as a weapon by Roman armies. It is thought that the Pilgrims actually shipped some type of darts with them on their Mayflower voyage. A smaller variety came into use during the nineteenth century; these were blown through a pipe rather than thrown. The blowpipe is, of course, a weapon favored by some Amazonian tribes.