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Certain sources have dated the origins of archery to 25,000 years ago. The earliest
recorded people to have used a bow and arrow were the ancient Egyptians over 5,000
years ago, both in hunting and warfare. From Egypt, archery soon spread throughout the
ancient world and is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. From about 1570 B.C.
the ancient Chinese had archers within the ranks of their armies, using both the bow
and crossbow from war chariots.
In classical times, the Roman legionary armies held contingents of archers, among the most prized being Syrian archers, who served on battlefields and outposts throughout the ancient Roman Empire and it's boarders. The Roman world was eventually overrun by armies of the Huns, Goths and Vandals, groups of nomadic peoples famed for their skill in archery, the Huns shooting their Asiatic recurve bows from horseback. Made from wood, animal bone and sinew glued and bound together, the recurve bows used by the Huns were particularly feared by later Roman armies.
By the Middle Ages (1066 A.D. to 1485 A.D.) the most proficient archers in Europe were the English who, shooting the English Longbow, won many notable battles against the armies or France during the Hundred Years War (1338 A.D. to 1453 A.D.). The Longbow figures large in the legends and folklore surrounding the outlaw Robin Hood and his merry men which dates from this period.
With the discovery of the New World by explorers such as Columbus at the beginning of the Renaissance, accounts came back to Europe that showed the bow and arrow to be possibly the most important tool for hunting and warfare used in East Asia, the Americas, Central Africa and the Arctic Regions.
By the middle of the 16th Century, with the large scale introduction into European armies of gunpowder, the bow and crossbow became virtually obsolete in war. Since that time, the bow and crossbow has still found use in various conflicts around the globe.
Steve Crabtree 2004
In classical times, the Roman legionary armies held contingents of archers, among the most prized being Syrian archers, who served on battlefields and outposts throughout the ancient Roman Empire and it's boarders. The Roman world was eventually overrun by armies of the Huns, Goths and Vandals, groups of nomadic peoples famed for their skill in archery, the Huns shooting their Asiatic recurve bows from horseback. Made from wood, animal bone and sinew glued and bound together, the recurve bows used by the Huns were particularly feared by later Roman armies.
By the Middle Ages (1066 A.D. to 1485 A.D.) the most proficient archers in Europe were the English who, shooting the English Longbow, won many notable battles against the armies or France during the Hundred Years War (1338 A.D. to 1453 A.D.). The Longbow figures large in the legends and folklore surrounding the outlaw Robin Hood and his merry men which dates from this period.
With the discovery of the New World by explorers such as Columbus at the beginning of the Renaissance, accounts came back to Europe that showed the bow and arrow to be possibly the most important tool for hunting and warfare used in East Asia, the Americas, Central Africa and the Arctic Regions.
By the middle of the 16th Century, with the large scale introduction into European armies of gunpowder, the bow and crossbow became virtually obsolete in war. Since that time, the bow and crossbow has still found use in various conflicts around the globe.
Steve Crabtree 2004
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General Info : Types of Archery : Competitions : Archery in Sport
History Of Archery : Archery Games : Club Offers : Links : Site Map
