First-ever biomechanics study of Indigenous weapons shows what made them so deadly 

Griffith University researchers have used state-of-the-art biomechanics technology in a world-first study to determine the deadliest weapons made by Indigenous Australians, while highlighting the skill and craftmanship that made these weapons fearsome in conflict.   

In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers including Associate Professor Michelle Langley from the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution and Associate Professor Laura Diamond from the Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering/Australian Centre for Precision Health and Technology analysed how humans delivered a deadly strike using two iconic and widespread Aboriginal Australian weapons: the kodj and the leangle with parrying shield.  

The kodj was part hammer, part axe, and part poker. Its design was likely tens of thousands of years old, though determining exactly when this tool form was invented was difficult as only the stone parts can survive the archaeological record long term. 

The leangle was a fighting club with a hooked striking head used with a parrying shield and both were typically carved from hardwood. 

Both weapons were used to strike at an opponent, and while the warriors who wield them were well aware of their lethality, the team was approached by the creators of documentary series First Weapons which aired on ABC this year to use modern biomechanic technology to determine exactly where their striking power comes from and just what makes their ancient designs so deadly. 

“There were no previous studies describing human and weapon efficiency when striking with a hand-held weapon, so we were starting from scratch,” Associate Professor Laura Diamond said.  

“For this study, the show’s host, Phil Breslin, acted as the warrior putting the weapons through their paces.” 

Using wearable instruments, the team tracked the human and weapon kinetic energies and velocities during kodj and leangle strikes. Biomechanical analyses provided insights into shoulder, elbow, and wrist motions, and the powers reached during each strike motion.  

The results demonstrated the leangle as far more effective at delivering devastating blows to the human body, while the kodj – a multi-functional tool – was more efficient for a human to manoeuvre but still capable of delivering severe blows that could cause death.   

“The results from this study provide the beginnings of an in-depth understanding of how hand-held weaponry has impacted the human body throughout the deep past,” Associate Professor Michelle Langley said. 

“Although the design is critical for weapon efficiency, it is the human who must deliver the deadly strike.  

Associate Professor Laura Diamond explained, “Our biomechanical evaluation of the kodj and leangle strikes provides the first understanding of the coordinated movement and energy expenditure required to use these weapons effectively.  

The kodj used in the team’s experiment was made by Larry Blight, a Menang Noongar man from Western Australia. Its handle was carved from wattle wood with a sharpened boya (stone) blade attached to one side and a blunt boya edge on the other with balga (Xanthorrhoea or grass tree) resin.  

The leangle and parrying shield the team studied were made by expert weapon-makers Brendan Kennedy and Trevor Kirby on Wadi Wadi Country. Each was carved from hardwood and are traditionally used together in one-on-one, close quarters combat. 

The study ‘Aboriginal Australian weapons and human efficiency’ has been published in Scientific Reports. 

UN Sustainable Development Goals 15: Life on Land