# The Archery Bow By Mike Eggert



## Bob Hubbard (Mar 11, 2007)

*The Archery Bow
By Mike Eggert*

The history of the archery bow is a long and storied one. Evidence suggests that it was used in ancient history in every part of the world with the exception of Australia.

The early designs were usually constructed from saplings or small branches, with the string generally made of animal hide. The arrows were normally nothing more than sharpened sticks with a notch in the end for the string. Specimens dating more than 50,000 years old have been found, as well as cave painting depicting hunters using them.

The archery bow was utilized for many other things throughout history as well. During the Middle Ages the construction improved, using a composite of bone, wood and animal tendons for the string, much more powerful and accurate instruments came to be known. It was only a matter of time before it was incorporated into warfare. Its use as a military weapon reached its peak near this time, eventually being refined into what is now known as the English Long Bow.

Fast forward to today. Modern, compound archery bows are the most sophisticated pieces of technology ever seen, with power and accuracy rivaling that of some firearms, not to mention the unsurpassed stealth no other weapon of equal power can lay claim to.

If you have never shot one you owe it to yourself to give it a try. These modern marvels will take only moments to learn, but a lifetime to master. Steady hands, great eyesight, controlled breathing, and a bit of natural born ability are required to truly become a master. However, with a few basic instructions you can begin to enjoy a target shooting experience that is very exciting. There is something about that first time you are able to place your arrow in the bulls-eye that is not easily explained. You must experience it for yourself to truly understand.

If you are a hunter, the archery bow will add an element of difficulty, and a challenge to your hunting experience. Even with your modern equipment, you will get a feeling of what it must have been like knowing that all that stood between you and starvation was that next shot.

And for the fisherman, you can utilize the archery bow in your favorite sport as well. You will need to check your local regulations, but many areas do allow sport fishing with them during certain times of the year and occasionally only for certain species of fish. You may have heard the old saying, as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Well believe me, unless you are actually using a barrel, shooting fish with one is not nearly as easy as it might first sound.

Ever evolving through history we have reached the pinnacle of its existence today. But, even with the use of our space age materials implemented in the construction of the modern archery bow, the fundamentals have never changed. The same basic principles apply today as they did centuries ago. I find it absolutely amazing that this weapon, used for sport, war, and recreation has so gracefully withstood the test of time.

For even more archery information please visit our site http://archery.factslink.com.

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## Tames D (Mar 11, 2007)

Interesting. Thanks for posting.


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## tellner (Mar 13, 2007)

Interesting. But short-sighted and wrong, I fear.

The English Long Bow was *not* the zenith of military archery. It was quite effective as a footman's bow. Not even close. It worked well from a prepared static position. The range and rate of fire were better than the more easily learned and more powerful crossbow. You could even make a case that it was the best projectile weapon in Europe until the invention of reliable firearms.

To see where the bow reigned supreme you have to go further East. 

The style of warfare pioneered by the horse nomads of Central Asia like the Parthians, Scythians, Huns, Seljuks, Tuvans, Kipchaks and most notably the Mongols was the apogee of the bowman as a soldier. Their bows had range as good as anyone else's. What's more, they were mobile. The English held a position and hoped they could slow the steamroller down enough to reduce the ranks before the cavalry arrived and slaughtered the archers. The Mongols could gallop, retreat (the famed "Parthian shot") wheel, envelop and do it all while cutting down the enemy. When it was time for closer combat they had the lance and the sword. 

The Eastern style of horse archery transformed the way warfare was practiced pretty much everywhere it arrived. It was that much better. The great battle where the Mongols were defeated by Christian and Muslim armies  (can't remember the name just now) was mostly a result of their enemies using their own tactics better and choosing the ground. The Crusaders came up against such equipment and tactics against the Arabs and Turks and found they were second best on a good day.

That's one reason why firearms weren't adopted as early in many Eastern lands as they were in Europe. It was quite a while before they were technically superior to what they already had.

_Side note: I once read about a battle that never took place. The Crusaders tended to ride big, beefy stallions to carry the weight of them, their armor and the force of the charge. The Arabs think that stud horses are violent, unpredictable, and often dangerously insane. They are not incorrect. They don't ride geldings, so their cavalry was mostly mounted on mares. 

As you know, horses are like humans in certain ways. If they are together for a long time the cycles of the females will entrain, usually to the dominant one. 

I bet you can see the punchline coming....

At this particular battle the mares, every single one of them, were in heat at the same time. 

Oh yes, there was fighting. The horses were completely unmanageable. The stallions kicked the crap out of each other and their riders and then got down to the serious business of doing some mounting of their own.

It went on for days.

Eventually, the horses were exhausted. The battle plans were wrecked. The opposing sides pretty much agreed to pretend the whole thing had never happened and got the herds sorted out. I'll bet the grooms drank for years back home on the strength of the story. And I suppose you'd have to say the Muslims won that battle. After all, they walked away with dozens if not hundreds of expensive stud services.
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