Biomechanics Study of Indigenous Australian Weapons Shows What Made Them So Deadly

Michelle Langley & Laura Diamond/The Conversation

For the first time, state-of-the-art biomechanics technology has allowed us to scientifically measure just how deadly are two iconic Aboriginal weapons.

In First Weapons, an ABC TV series aired last year, host Phil Breslin tested out a range of Indigenous Australian weapons. Amongst these were two striking weapons – the paired leangle and parrying shield, and the kodj.

Both weapons are used to strike at an opponent. While the warriors who wield them are well aware of the weapons’ lethality, our team was approached by the show’s creators, Blackfella Films, to use modern biomechanic tools and methods to assess them.

Our goal was to determine exactly where their striking power comes from and just what makes their ancient designs so deadly. Our study is now published in Scientific Reports.

Deadly Weapons

We studied the kodj made by Nyoongar peoples of the southwest of the Australian continent and the leangle and parrying shield from the southeast.