Missouri hunter who took a deer with an atlatl.

Ancient, unusual and a tongue-twister — just a few words lawmakers are using to describe a prehistoric weapon that’s made its way onto the pages of proposed legislation at the state capitol.

A three-member panel of senators took up a bill this week that would let people use what’s essentially a spear-thrower to hunt deer in Iowa. The name of this weapon is a little weird. Pronouncing it properly is a challenge.

“No, we don’t seem to have an agreement on that,” Senator Tom Shipley said.

Shipley admitted there was a good bit of laughter as senators in a subcommittee took at shot at it.

“Everybody seems to know what we’re talking about when we mumble through it,” Shipley added.

It’s called an atlatl. The preferred pronunciation from hunters who’ve posted videos about the weapon online seems…