The Origin of Archery
The history of archery goes back thousands upon thousands of years. There have been stone arrowheads discovered dating from as far back as over 25,000 years go. As time progressed, discoveries show feathers attached to arrows, the shafts of arrows and the bows themselves, still at least over ten thousand years old. Bows and arrows were first used solely for hunting purposes but as time went on they became a deadly and dominating force in warfare.
Archery was practiced in many different emerging civilizations. Notably, the ancient Egyptians were known to have practiced archery for both hunting and battle. The Egyptians widely practiced archery dating back over 5,000 years. The Egyptians are also believed to be the first known people to have made composite bows, although it is now believed that they came upon this technology through the nomadic tribes who used the bows on horseback.
The use of bows while on horseback would be a powerful military tactic. The Huns, led by Attila, famously used archers on horseback to run rampant through the Roman armies who were themselves short on archers. This is regardless of the fact that Alexander the Great had at other times used archers to success and famous mythological characters such as Odysseus were believe to have used a bow.
Other cultures and armies throughout the land also used archery, including the Chinese, the Japanese, the Indians and the Persians. Some of the famous Terracotta soldiers are archers. Additionally, the Native American tribes were also very proficient in archery and used bows and arrows both for hunting and battles.
While archery remained a powerful tool in eastern cultures, during the Middle Ages in Western Europe, archery was not as popular as is often described. At least not at first, at the start of the Middle Ages when archery as a means for warfare was downgraded and viewed as low class or insignificant. Archers were very cheap to train and install into a battle group, because of the relatively inexpensive cost of the weaponry and the lack of armor needed for the archers at the rear of the battlefield.
One of the turning points in this view was the development of the English longbow which wrecked havoc upon the French armies at the Battle of Agincourt. The crossbow, which has actually been known to have existed for at least 2,500 years, was also used in Medieval warfare as well as by the Eastern cultures, specifically and most prevalently, the Chinese. The crossbow was more forceful and was superior for shorter ranges, while the longbow provided a huge advantage in the distance you could strike with.
As archery became a powerful military weapon, the art of archery was also practiced and celebrated in Medieval culture. However, by the end of the Middle Ages the importance of archery clearly fell off. This is because of the development and implementation of gun powder and more advanced and stronger weaponry.
Today, archery is an Olympic sport still practiced by quite a bit of people. Additionally, many people who hunt opt to use bows and arrows as a way to be involved in a more natural and fair hunt, as opposed to the super weaponry that’s available so easily.
Archery is an art not mastered by many. It takes precision, steadiness, and focus. Whether it’s out in the woods stalking deer or on the field taking aim at a target, archery, for all it’s advancements, is still primitive in nature and there’s something alluring about that.
Add on top of that the invention of the compound bow and you have a great arsenal of weaponry to choose from. Many cultures used compound bows for hunting as well as competition as the years went by.