History of Archery

The invention of the bow and arrow were created by men of the Palaeolithic ages when it was just used for weapons for hunting food and the basic needs of survival.

Bows and arrows of the Stone Age

Archery was once a valued weapon of war used in the military for long-range shots as well as a hunting skill to target fast moving animals for example elk and deer. It was even at one point the chosen weapon of Japanese samurai's, before the rise of the katana and wakizashi.

 

Later in the years, the weapon lost its popularity with the birth and widespread of efficient firearms such as guns, cannons which had a more damaging effect and long-lasting position in the military.

Men of war of the old times wore no body armour which made the arrow a destructive weapon as the men had no protection against the flying projectiles thus proving the effectiveness of archers, including mounted archers which used horses for the increased of speed and mobility to perform their martial duties with efficiency.

In Greek mythology, several Greek gods prefer the bow and arrow as their weapon of choice, including Apollo and Artemis.

Apollo, a Greek God who chose the bow and arrow

Stone Age

The origins of archery were found in Hungary, Germany once used by the men of the Palaeolithic or Mesolithic era. The arrows were made by pine, while the arrowheads were made of flint or bone.

 

In Egypt, bows and arrows made their mark with the “Nine Bows” which symbolize several people who were ruled over by the pharaoh since the unity of Egypt.

The hieroglyphics which described "Nine Bows" 

Ancient Asia

Japanese, Persians, Koreans, Chinese are several classical civilization of ancient times who used a large number of archers in their armies.

 

In Japanese culture the bow was also used to ward off evil spirits, by shooting an arrow into the Kanji symbol for Oni (demon).

 

Shooting arrows in large quantities caused a destructive effect against mass formations causing many armies to withdraw from battle from such a loss, thus the use of an archer was proved efficient.

Archers in Action

Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, the use for archers as well as the practice decline with the birth of modern weapons such as guns powered by gun powder and cannons which projects round-shaped projectiles with had a much greater damaging effect compared to the wooden bows and arrows.