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The Bow And Arrow In Early Western Civilization

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Frank Krause May 4, 2015
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The History of the Bow and Arrow in Early Western Civilization Early prehistoric humans hunted with ancient spears. The bow and arrow is one of man’s most ancient technologies in prehistoric hunting and war weaponry. The development of the bow and arrow allowed early western civilization to evolve by providing a more effective weapon than the spear, which was used for hunting, protection, and war. Stone Age humans were the first to use the bow and arrow, in which there is no argument this ancient weapon helped save many lives by providing safety during hunting and war. Spears were used for hunting and protection prior to the invention of the bow and arrow. The arrow, essentially is a specialized …show more content…
On each end of the bow there are usually groves notched out allowing the string to stay secured. When the string is pulled backwards there is comprehensive force on the section of the bow called the belly. When the string is released it sets the arrow into flight. The favored woods for bow making seem to be elm and yew. Arrow shafts are made out of a variety of woods, in which the length depends on the size of the bow, the person, and/or culture. Otzi the iceman was discovered in 1991 by two German hikers in the Alps – his shafts were made of the wayfaring tree. Arrowheads and projectile points are made from stone, wood, bone, antler, copper, and iron. Arrowheads are the most easily identified artifact of the bow and arrow. During the Stone Age years arrows were “V” shaped stone that was deliberately chipped to a point on one end. Not all arrowheads are “V” shaped, and there were many sharp points at that end of projectiles, not just arrows. Early bowstrings were usually made out of animal guts and sinew. The first bows to come about were called self-bows, which depended on the elasticity of the wood, unlike the composite …show more content…
The combining of these material helped produce a bow of tremendous strength. The thrust force of a composite bow is significantly increased in comparison to the simple wooden bow, and they are much smaller and lighter, making them perfect for horseback archery. The composite bow was a big technical advancement for the Akkadian empire which was ruled under Sargon in 2350 BCE. After the Assyrians attacked Egyptian armies with their composite bows, it was within years the Egyptian armies came up with their own interpretations of composite bows. The short length of these bows made them lighter and easier to maneuver, which make them suited for chariot archers. Furthermore, composite bows spread through Europe over the centuries and brought a new meaning to warfare. One of the downfalls with composite bows was moisture, therefore making them susceptible to weather conditions. Once composite bows were exposed to damp conditions for a length of time—they needed to be reconditioned with heat—either fire or sunlight was used. The self-bow, crossbow, and English longbow were not as susceptible by damp weather conditions, although the crossbow did have issues with its cord during rainy

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