Archery - History

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow. Archery is present in human race from ancient times. Earliest arrows date back 64,000 years from Sibudu Cave, South Africa. Projectile points are known from early in prehistory. The earlier examples were used on spears or on atlatl darts. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant means for launching sharp projectiles on all continents except Australia.

Archery figured prominently in the mythologies of many cultures. Classical civilizations fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. Archery was an important military and hunting skill before the use of gunpowder. Arrows were especially destructive against unarmoured masses and the use of archers often proved decisive. Mounted archers combined range with speed and mobility in warfare.

Bow and Arrows

The bow seems to have been invented in the late Paleolithic or early Mesolithic periods. The oldest indication for its use in Europe comes from the Stellmoor in the Ahrensburg valley north of Hamburg, Germany and date from the late Paleolithic, about 10,000–9000 BC. The arrows were made of pine and consisted of a mainshaft and a 15–20 centimetre (6–8 inches) long fore shaft with a flint point. The oldest bows known so far come from the Holmegård swamp in Denmark.

Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian culture since its pre-dynastic origins. Classical civilizations, notably the Assyrians, Persians, Parthians, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese and Turks fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. Archery was highly developed in Asia and in the Islamic world. In East Asia, ancient Korean civilizations, such as the Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo were well known for their regiments of exceptionally skilled archers. Central Asian tribesmen (after the domestication of the horse) and American Plains Indians (after gaining access to horses) were extremely adept at archery on horseback.