History Of Archery

The earliest bow and arrows were likely used for hunting. The history of archery can be determined as old as time itself, at least the recorded version, that is! There have been arrowheads found in Africa and Asia that date back over 40,000 years or more. From feeding a family to the battlefield to competition, the history of archery is as colorful as it is long.

The Short History Of Archery

Many of the ancient civilizations used bows and arrows for hunting purposes as well as for warfare. In fact, there have been records of the Egyptians using them. Attila the Hun used them as did the indigenous Indians, ancient Chinese dynasties and more. Archery history for warfare dwindled about the time that guns and gunpowder started being used because of their accuracy and because they were more lethal.

In regards to the history of medieval archery, many archers were viewed as low men on the proverbial totem pole, peasants really. The focus was more on armor and swords than shooting bows and arrows. However, later on in the Middle Ages, the crossbow struck fear in many places because of its deadly accuracy and the fact that the arrows shot from the crossbow could pierce soldier’s armour.

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The history of archery is vast and you could literally spend days researching all the nuances of the sport that has seen its way from the livelihood of a tribe and ancient people to warfare to modern day competition. There are some interesting archery history facts that can shed light as to the transition from one era to another:

• The history of archery could be somewhat seen through the various mythologies of different cultures. The most famous archers in history stem from these mythologies like the Greek Apollo and the Chinese Yi.
  
• Two of the oldest known bows were found in Denmark and dated back to the Bronze Age, several thousand years before the birth of Christ. This particular bit of history of archery bows is quite significant.
  
• Another part of archery history and facts deals with how archery was revived in America. After the American Civil War, two ex-confederate soldiers were banned from using firearms so they started using a bow and arrow to hunt with. They wrote a book about archery that was highly regarded and rekindled the flame into a sport and means for game hunting.

The history of archery is as vast as the history of civilization. And as such, there were many famous people whose became that way because of the sport. In regards to the history of archers, one of the most notable didn’t start using a bow and arrow until he was about 30 years of age. Fred Bear was a legend in the bow hunting community and created his own company which is still in operation today. Geena Davis, the Oscar-winning actress competed successfully in the Olympic trials and sparked an interest in many young ladies. Today, it is a sport that is both seen in competition as well as big game hunting and fishing.