The Bow and Arrow

By: Joseph Aquino

The Geniuses Behind the Arrow (and Possibly the Bow)

The Ahrensburgian culture, located north of Hamburg,
Germany, is the earliest known culture in Europe to use
archery. This culture existed during the Paleolithic
(11,000- 9,000 BP). BP means Before Present.

The Ahrensburgian Arrow

The first definite arrow consisted of the following:

Pine
A mainshaft
A 6-8 inch foreshaft
Topped with a flint point
We currently havent found a bow from that time period. However,
there are grooves found in the Ahrensburgian arrows that suggest
that a bow was used.

The Creators of the First Definite Bow

The oldest definite bow we have discovered so far was found in the
Holmegaard area in Denmark. The Holmegaard area held the first
and oldest specimens and bows found to date. The bows discovered
were dated back to 8,000 BP.
The Holmegaard bow consisted of:
Elm
Flat arms
D-shaped midsection

Why Make A Bow and Arrow?

The bow and arrow, when created, was seen as a complementary

tool set.
The set was complete with interchangeable arrows working in
tandem with the controlling element, or the bow.
It gave the users the ability to kill from a safe distance to avoid
hand-to-hand combat.
The bow and arrow was known for its deadly accuracy and stability
on the battlefield. So, as time progressed, we see that this
composition was used as a weapon for war and defense.

What Was the Bow and Arrows Purpose?

The bow and arrow was mainly used for the following events:
War
Helped avoid close combat engagements
Hunting
Quick takedowns
Stable enough to take down animals with accuracy
Kept users at a safe distance from predators and didnt
require people to attempt to get up close to their prey
The bow and arrow was essentially the guns of its time period.
Gunpowder would be its successor.

The Bow and Arrow in Society Today

The bow and arrow has slowly disappeared from the warzone as guns
began to advance. However, they havent completely gone away. The
two main uses of a bow and arrow today includes:
Hunting
Types of bows today include recurve bows, compound bows,
and longbows.
New attachments, like bow sights, releases, stabilizers, etc.,
further increase the stability and accuracy while hunting.

The Bow and Arrow in Society Today (Contd)

Recreation and Competitions
Archery has turned into an international sport
Ex: The Olympics, Club Tournaments, etc.
Skills and techniques with a bow and arrow are tested in
different levels and types of archery.