History of Bows and Arrows
Posted on: August 31, 2010
Bow and Arrows
Bow and arrows are one of the earliest projectile weapons invented by man. From ancient civilizations in the Middle East to Europe to Asia, it was used as a tool for hunting and war. Before the invention of gunpowder, it was the most powerful long-range weapon available. Now, bows and arrows are primarily used recreationally, by sport hunters and competitive archers.
The most common bow type used by hunters is the compound bow which relies on a pulley system of strings to reduce the force required to hold a bow back in the taut position. This allows the archer to maintain the drawn position for longer and focus better on aiming the shot. Compound bows are characterized by wheels located at the top and bottom that act to provide leverage to the bow string.
Target archers typically rely on specially designed bows called Recurve Bows, usually made of a lightweight, flexible composite material, which have upper and lower tips that curve away from the archer. The curve allows for better storage of energy when it is held in the loaded position.
Arrows consist of a shaft with a point in the front, and in the back are fletchings and a notch – called a ‘nock’ – where the arrow is attached to the bow string. The fletchings – usually three are used – help stabilize the arrow in flight by adding a bit of drag to the rear part of the arrow while in flight. This tends to ‘back-weight’ the arrow in motion and keeps it from tumbling over. Sometimes fletchings are attached at a slight angle to give the arrow a small amount of spin while in motion. The spinning also helps to stabilize the motion and keep the flight path straight.
The most common type of competitive archery is Target Archery, which simply refers to the sport of shooting arrows at targets placed at fixed distances from the archer. This sport, also featured in the Olympics, is governed by the International National Archery Federation (‘FITA’ from its French name). Competitive distances range from 18 meters to 90 meters, the latter being close to the full length of a football field! Much more information on the sport can be found at FITA’s website:
Bow and arrows are one of the earliest projectile weapons invented by man. From ancient civilizations in the Middle East to Europe to Asia, it was used as a tool for hunting and war. Before the invention of gunpowder, it was the most powerful long-range weapon available. Now, bows and arrows are primarily used recreationally, by sport hunters and competitive archers.
The most common bow type used by hunters is the compound bow which relies on a pulley system of strings to reduce the force required to hold a bow back in the taut position. This allows the archer to maintain the drawn position for longer and focus better on aiming the shot. Compound bows are characterized by wheels located at the top and bottom that act to provide leverage to the bow string.
Target archers typically rely on specially designed bows called Recurve Bows, usually made of a lightweight, flexible composite material, which have upper and lower tips that curve away from the archer. The curve allows for better storage of energy when it is held in the loaded position.
Arrows consist of a shaft with a point in the front, and in the back are fletchings and a notch – called a ‘nock’ – where the arrow is attached to the bow string. The fletchings – usually three are used – help stabilize the arrow in flight by adding a bit of drag to the rear part of the arrow while in flight. This tends to ‘back-weight’ the arrow in motion and keeps it from tumbling over. Sometimes fletchings are attached at a slight angle to give the arrow a small amount of spin while in motion. The spinning also helps to stabilize the motion and keep the flight path straight.
The most common type of competitive archery is Target Archery, which simply refers to the sport of shooting arrows at targets placed at fixed distances from the archer. This sport, also featured in the Olympics, is governed by the International National Archery Federation (‘FITA’ from its French name). Competitive distances range from 18 meters to 90 meters, the latter being close to the full length of a football field! Much more information on the sport can be found at FITA’s website: