Atupat and åcho’ atupat, sling and slingstone, were one of the weapons developed and used with deadly accuracy by ancient CHamorus during the CHamoru-Spanish Wars in the late 17th century.

Pedro Coomans, a Jesuit priest who served in the early colonization of the Marianas wrote the following description about the stones:

“Their offensive weapons include the sling, which they aim very skillfully at the head. Out of small ropes they weave a sort of net-bag, in which to carry stones with an oblong shape, some formed out of a marble stone, and others of clay, hardened in either the sun or fire. They whirl and shoot those so violently. Should it make an impact upon a more delicate part, like the heart, or the head, the man is flattened on the spot.”

In recent years there has been a revival of the art of the åcho’ atupat in the Marianas, with local competitions being organized and groups being sent off island to participate in international competitions for the sport.