The bow is one of the oldest weapons in the world, certainly it predates recorded history. The bow may have been developed independently in separate parts of the world, Australia being the only continent where it was not. The oldest bow to have been discovered dates from 6,000 B.C. with arrow shafts discovered dating from 9,000 B.C.
Ancient bows tended to be short with a weak pull, they were not particularly accurate and the archer would have to have got as close to the target as possible. The Crossbow first appears in China around 1,500 B.C., The Romans also used crossbows and a huge siege crossbow called the aroabalista.
As weapons of warfare the shortbow was never considered very effective although it was used to a limited extent. Far more effective was the crossbow with its greater accuracy and power. Eventually the crossbow was supplanted on the battlefield by the longbow.
The Longbow is generally attributed to the Welsh, although long bows had been used long before then by the Irish and Romans among others. A Longbow is generally between 5'10" to 6' in length although early examples may have been as short as 5'. The Welsh Longbow dates from the 11th Century. A law that absolved any archer if he killed a man whilst practicing archery was passed by Henry I (1100-1135). The Longbows status as an important english weapon of war was cemented at battles like Crecy (1346) and Agincourt (1415).
During the 16th and 17th Centuries bows were replaced on the battlefield by muskets and rifles. The last battle where the english used bowmen was in 1644 at Tipper Muir. Archery was still practiced as a pastime and social event.
Modern Archery
Modern Archery is practiced as a pastime or a sport. The two main types of archery practices in the uk are Target Archery and Field Archery.
Target Archery is practiced in most clubs, Straw butts with target faces attached are placed at standard distances and the Archer attempts to hit the gold ring at the centre of the target face.
Field Archery takes place in a large area of wooded or open land, the targets are placed at various distances and are usually animal pictures or 3D models. The Archer will move around the area and shoot at various targets, adding up the points scored at the end of the shoot.
There are three main types of bow used in British Archery today: The Recurve, the compound and the Longbow.
Recurve bows are by far the most common bows used. A recurve bow curves forwards when unstrung, which provides more acceleration when firing an arrow. Often a modern recurve is made in 3 parts, a handle (or riser) and 2 limbs which can be taken apart for backing the bow away.
Compound bows are a relatively new arrival to the world of Archery. They were invented in America in the 1960's for hunting. A compound bow uses a system of pulleys and cams to make the string easier to hold at full draw. Compounds are shorter than recurve bows and generally more powerful.
Longbows are the traditional British bow, used for centuries by the English and Welsh to great effect. These bows are traditionally shot with wooden arrows without the aid of a sight.