History of Archery Bows

Throughout history, the bow and arrow has been important to man's survival. The record of its use both as a tool for hunting and as a weapon to wage war dates thousands of years. Though it has largely been replaced by modern weapons, it remains widely used in sport and recreational hunting.

  1. Ancient Beginnings

    • The oldest stone arrowhead was discovered in Africa and, according to Centenary Archers Club, is estimated to have been used near 50,000 B.C. It would have been used with a short bow to hunt in wooded areas where the use of a spear would have been impossible. Between 25,000 and 18,000 B.C., flint arrowheads were hardened by fire and tied to a shaft that had feathers attached, making the bow more effective. In Sicily, a skeleton dated to around 11,000 B.C. was found with an arrow fragment embedded in it--evidence the tool was used as a weapon of war. The bow and arrow is depicted in rock paintings as far back as 8,000 B.C.

    Compound Bows

    • The first composite bow, which dates to around 2,800 B.C. was made of wood and tipped with animal horn. The bow had to be unstrung when not in use, and would curve forward into a C shape. Pulling the bow back, forcing it to curve in the opposite direction, and stringing it with sheep intestine, required the efforts of two people. The result of this curvature was a dramatically greater draw weight and target range. It could have shot an arrow 400 yards and pierced contemporary armor. A compound bow with a 70-pound draw weight was used by Mongol soldiers around 1208 A.D. The Mongolians added a thumb ring to the design which was used to improve bowstring release.

    The Crossbow

    • One of the earliest recorded uses of the crossbow was in 1307 when, at least according to legend, William Tell shot an apple of his son's head with the crossbow. In 1346, the French army fielded companies of crossbowmen. Bows, especially the crossbow, were the most effective weapon of war in use throughout Europe until the introduction of the musket during the 1500s.

    Modern history

    • The last time bows were used in combat in England was 1644. Following the demise of the bow as a weapon of war, archery fetes were staged as competitions of skill in the late 1600s. A U.S. patent for a wooden bow with steel limbs was granted in 1872. Archery was included in the summer Olympics beginning in 1904, but was removed in 1920. It reappeared as an Olympic sport in 1972. Bow sights were added to bows used in competition in 1937. In 1953, the first fully functional recurve bow made.

    Hunting

    • With the exception of Native American hunting practices, modern bows were largely unused in the United States until 1934 when Wisconsin authorized the nation's first bow hunting season. The design of modern bows has changed some to accommodate the modern hunter. This includes the addition of Cam wheels, and the incorporation of aluminum.