Archery in history

The history of archery is an interesting one, by following the evolution of archery we also follow the history of mankind which is so closely linked.

All over the planet we have evidence of ancient archery, even recovered from regions whereupon formerly it has been accepted that the bow and arrow was never made use of, such as Australia.

It is thought that archery most likely dates back to around 20,000 BC which is in the Stone Age, but the ancient Egyptians are credited as being the oldest known people to have used the bow and arrow. Archery was adopted by the ancient Egyptians at least 5000 years ago for the purpose of both hunting and warfare.

Around 1200 BC the Hittites, a primeval race who occupied what in the present day is known as Turkey and northern Syria, used the bow and arrow from quick, light chariots that enabled them to rise to be feared adversaries in Middle Eastern hostilities.

Their neighbours known as the Assyrians, who originated in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria also used archery extensively. They reshaped the bow to a recurve shape that was shorter and much more powerful enabling them to be handled at lot easier by an archer on horseback. They also used several different types of material to build bows including horn, tendon and wood.

Inside China archery may be traced as far back as the Shang dynasty which took place between 1766 and 1027 BC when war chariots three people the driver, lancer and bowman.

During the following Zhou dynasty 1027-256 BC the Chinese nobles at court enjoyed seeing archery sporting contests that were played out along with music and a considerable amount of fanfare.

The Chinese introduced civil archery to Japan around the six century and it had an overriding influence on later techniques and etiquette. One of Japan�s martial arts now known as kyudo (way of the bow) continues to be taught in Japan in the traditional manner. A bow over 2 metres long and made of bamboo, wood and laminated strips is used for shooting a target set in a roofed over bank of sand.

In the Geco-Roman age, the bow was utilized more for individual ventures or hunting than it was for warfare, Archery is often depicted on earthenware dating to that time.

The Romans are not believed to have been very good archers, more than likely because up until the 5th century the bows they used were shot by drawing the string back to the chest rather than the face which gives the arrow far more accuracy.

Foes like the Parthians possessed far better expertise; they were accomplished horseback riders who were skilled at shooting rearwards by spinning in the saddle frequently at a full gallop.

The superiority of the archery equipment and techniques used by the people of the Middle East continued for centuries. Attila the Hun and his Mongols, using Bows similar to those of the Parthians and Assyrians, conquered much of Asia and Europe and the Crusaders were thrown back by Turkish archers.

The bow was a means of survival during the days of English and later American colonization and still is in some countries on the African continent

The popularity of archery has also been communicated in numerous songs and folklore, in all probability the most famous being Robin Hood, what is more archery is also repeatably mentioned in Greek mythology.

The first recognised archery competition included 3000 participants and was held at Finsbury, England in 1583.

By the time of the European 30 Years War between 1618 and 1648 because of the introduction of the gun, it had become clear that the bow and arrow as a weapon belonged in the past.

Since that point, archery has become highly popular as a recreational sport.

Article Source: http://articles-collections.com

About the Author

Linda is webmaster of http:Discount Archery Shop where you can get all your discount archery needs from bows,arrows and accessories to targets. We have a full range of bows and arrows. Check our prices!