History of archery

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Scythian bowmen on gold plaque from Kul oba kurgan, in Crimea, 4th century BC.
Scythian bowmen on gold plaque from Kul oba kurgan, in Crimea, 4th century BC.

Some scholars trace the origins of archery to the Aurignacian era, roughly 25,000 years prior to the modern times.[1] The bow probably originated for use in hunting and was then adopted as a tool of warfare. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant means for launching projectiles.

Classical civilizations fielded large numbers of archers in their armies; archery was important military and hunting skill before the use of gunpowder. Arrows proved destructive against enemy formations and the use of archers often proved decisive. Mounted horse archer combined range with speed and mobility. Archery also figured prominently in the mythologies of many cultures.

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[edit] Egypt

The ancient Egyptian people took to archery as early as 5000 years ago. Archery was widespread by the time of the earliest pharaohs and was practiced both for hunting and use in warfare. The Egyptians used the bow and arrow against the ancient Persians, who were equipped by with spears and slingshot at the time.[1]

Lancers, detail from the archers' frieze in Darius' palace in Susa. Silicious glazed bricks, c. 510 BC.
Lancers, detail from the archers' frieze in Darius' palace in Susa. Silicious glazed bricks, c. 510 BC.

Legendary figures from the tombs of Thebes are depicted giving lessons in archery;[2] Some Egyptian deities are also connected to archery.[3]

[edit] Mesopotamia

The Assyrians and Babylonians extensively used the bow and arrow; the Old Testament has multiple references to archery as a skill identified with the ancient Hebrews.[1]

The Chariot warriors of the Kassites relied heavily on the bow. The Nuzi texts detail the bows and the number of arrows assigned to the chariot crew. Archery was essential to the role of the light horse drawn chariot as a vehicle of warfare.[4]

[edit] Indian Subcontinent

The bow and arrow constituted the classical Indian weapon of warfare, from the Vedic period, until the advent of Islam.[5] The Aryans used bows and arrows, often on war chariots.[6] Some Rigvedic hymns lay emphasis on the use of the bow and arrow.[7] Detailed accounts of training methodologies in early India concern archery, considered to be an essential martial skill in early India.[8]

Legendary figures like Drona, are shown to be masters in the art of archery.[9] Mythological figures such as Arjun, Eklavya, Karna, Rama, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan are also associated with archery.

[edit] China

Chinese use of archery dates back to the Shang dynasty. The Chinese used war chariots with archers. The following Zhou dynasty saw contests of archery being held in the presence of nobility.[1] By the end of the Zhou period, works on history, music, ritual, archery, and other topics were recorded on bamboo or wood.[10]

Shang army officer categories included the ya and shi (commanders), ma (chariot officers), and she (archery officers).[11]

[edit] North America

The hoop was often netted, like this.
The hoop was often netted, like this.

Use of bow and arrow was widely known among the indigenous peoples of North America, from pre-Columbian times. An archery game was widely practiced among the tribes north of Mexico which involved shooting at a hoop rolled with a forked stick. Points were scored based on how the arrow landed. The competition was popularly related to notions of fertility. [12]

[edit] Europe

[edit] Early History

Polychrome small-scale model of the archer XI of the west pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, ca. 505–500 BC.
Polychrome small-scale model of the archer XI of the west pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, ca. 505–500 BC.

The people of Crete practiced archery and Cretan mercenary archers were in great demand.[13] Crete was known for its unbroken tradition of archery.[14]

The Greek god Apollo is the god of medicine, music, archery, prophecy, and light; Odysseus and other mythological figures are often depicted with a bow.

The early Romans had very few archers, if any. As their empire grew, they recruited auxiliary archers from other nations. By the 300s, archers with powerful composite bows were a regular part of Roman armies throughout the empire. After the fall of the western empire, the Romans came under severe pressure from the highly skilled horse archers belonging to the Hun invaders, and later Eastern Roman armies relied heavily on mounted archery.[15]

During the invasion of India, Alexander the Great personally took command of the shield-bearing guards, foot-companions, archers, Agrianians and horse-javelin-men and led them against the Kamboja clans—the Aspasios of Kunar valleys, the Guraeans of the Guraeus (Panjkora) valley, and the Assakenois of the Swat and Buner valleys.[16]

[edit] Middle ages

During the Middle Ages, archery in warfare was not as prevalent and dominant, in Western Europe, as popular myth dictates. Archers were quite often the lowest paid soldiers in an army or were conscripted from the peasantry. This was due to the cheap nature of the bow and arrow, as compared to the expense needed to equip a professional man-at-arms with good Armour and a sword. The bow was seldom used to decide battles and viewed as a "lower class weapon" or as a toy, by the nobility. However, among the Vikings, even royalty such as Magnus Barelegs used archery effectively,[1] and the Muslims used archery, presumably also in their numerous raiding expeditions all over the Western European seaboard, in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Apollo and Artemis. Tondo of an Attic red-figure cup, ca. 470 BC.
Apollo and Artemis. Tondo of an Attic red-figure cup, ca. 470 BC.

By the time of the Hundred Years' War, the English had learned how to employ massed archery as an instrument of tactical dominance, with their English longbows. Tournaments were sponsored, to encourage archery and proficiency with many great and lavish prizes for winners of the tournaments. There was therefore much motivation and incentive to become an expert with the longbow and the various English kings were able to recruit thousands of archers per year with this efficient system.

The advent of the bodkin point also gave arrows better penetrative power.

The crossbow became quite popular during the Middle Ages. However, the renowned armour-piercing power of the crossbow caused fear amongst the well-armoured nobility and it was banned by the Second Council of the Lateran, although to little avail.


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Archery," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007 © 1997–2007 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
  2. ^ Wilson, John (1956). The Culture of Ancient Egypt pg 186. University of Chicago Press
  3. ^ Traunecker, Claude (2001). The Gods of Egypt pg 29. Cornell University Press
  4. ^ Drews, Roberts (1993). The End of the Bronze Age: Changes in Warfare and the Catastrophe Ca. 1200 B.C. pg 119. Princeton University Press
  5. ^ Zimmer, Heinrich and Campbell, Joseph (1969). Philosophies of India pg 140. Princeton University Press.
  6. ^ Drews, Robert (1993). The End of the Bronze Age: Changes in Warfare and the Catastrophe Ca. 1200 B.C. pg 119. Princeton University Press
  7. ^ With the bow let us win cows, with the bow let us win the contest and violent battles with the bow. The bow ruins the enemy's pleasure; with the bow let us conquer all corners of the world. -- Drews, Roberts (1993). The End of the Bronze Age: Changes in Warfare and the Catastrophe Ca. 1200 B.C. pg 125. Princeton University Press
  8. ^ Scharfe, Hartmut (2002). Education in Ancient India pg 271. Brill Academic Publishers
  9. ^ Van Buitenen, J. A. B. (1980). The Mahabharata: The Book of the Beginning pg 153. University of Chicago Press
  10. ^ M. Lewis, Charlton, Scott Morton, W. China: Its History and Culture pg 24. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 0071412794
  11. ^ Trigger, Bruce G. (2003). Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative Study pg 254. Cambridge University Press
  12. ^ Hodge, Frederick Webb (1907). Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, Vol 1 pg 485. Government Printing Office
  13. ^ Cambridge University Press (2000). Cambridge Ancient History pg 174.
  14. ^ Kirk, Geoffrey etc (1993). The Iliad: a commentary pg 136. Cambridge University Press
  15. ^ Greece and Rome at War, Peter Connolly, Adrian Keith Goldsworthy. Greenhill Books 1998 ISBN-10: 185367303X ISBN-13: 978-1853673030
  16. ^ The Ashvayanas living on river Guraeus (modern river Panjkora), which are the Gauri of Mahabharata, were also known as Gorys or Guraios, modern Ghori or Gori, a wide spread tribe, branches of which are still to be found on the Panjkora and on both sides of the Kabul at the point of its confluence with Landai (See: History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p 227, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala (Editors) Dr L. M. joshi, Dr Fauja Singh). The clan name Gore or Gaure is also found among the modern Kamboj people of Punjab and it is stated that the Punjab Kamboj Gaure/Gore came from the Kunar valley to Punjab at some point in time in the past (Ref: These Kamboja People, 1979, 122; Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, p 131, Kirpal Singh).

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