History of Archery

Archery is the art, practice or skill of using a bow and arrow for hunting, warfare, or as a sport. Modern bows, used to propel arrows, are generally constructed of wood, fibreglass, graphite or carbon composites with a taut cord or string connecting the ends of the bow. Arrows are usually made of either aluminium or carbon graphite, pointed at one end and with flight-stabilizing feathers at the other end. A notch in this butt end is fitted to the bowstring. As the string is pulled back, the bow bends for maximum tension, and when the string is released, the arrow is propelled forward.

Some authorities date the origin of archery as early as the Aurignacian period, about 25,000 years before the modern era. The earliest people known to have used the bow and arrow were the ancient Egyptians, who adopted the weapon at least 5000 years ago. In the time of the earliest pharaohs, the Egyptians practiced archery in hunting, as well as in warfare against ancient Persians, who were then equipped only with spears and slingshots. Soon after , however, the bow and arrow was used extensively in the ancient world. The Assyrians and Babylonians depended on the weapon, and the Old Testament refers several times to archery as a characteristic skill of the ancient Hebrews. In China, archery dates back to the Shang dynasty (1570-1045 BC). A war chariot of that time carried a three-man team: driver, lancer and archer. During the ensuing Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1045-256 BC), nobles at court attended sport archery tournaments that were accompanied by music and interspersed with elegant salutations.

Romans owed much of their military superiority to armies of skilled archers. At the beginning of the medieval period the Romans were in turn defeated by more highly skilled archers of the Goths, Huns and Vandals. During the Middle Ages the most notable European archers were the English. Medieval ballads celebrate their feats in hunting, fighting and sport. Outside Europe, in the same period, peoples of the Middles East excelled in archery. Archery also played a role in the folklore of the Middle Ages. According to legend, 14th century Swiss marksmen William Tell was ordered by an Austrian governor to shoot an apple off his own son's head with a bow and arrow (some tales say this was in fact a crossbow). In addition, the story of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw, originated in the late 14th or early 15th century. Robin Hood, glorified for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, wielded a bow and arrow. He was famous for his accurate marksmanship, including the ability to split one arrow with another.

Accounts of European travellers during the Renaissance indicate that the bow and arrow was the most important weapon used in East Asia, the Americas, Central Africa and the Arctic regions. However, the introduction of gunpowder gradually made the bow and arrow obsolete, especially in western Europe. In the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English in 1588, for example, 10,000 English troops were experimentally equipped with firearms, while the Spanish relied on archers; the success of the English forces played a major roles in convincing military theorists that archery had become a relatively inefficient method of waging war. Nevertheless, peoples of East Asia employed archers in warfare as recently as the 19th century, and the use of the bow and arrow in hunting and inter-tribal fighting continues in central Africa and South America to this day.

Archery has long been popular as an amateur sport, particularly in England. The oldest continuously held archery tournament still running, known as the Ancient Scorton Arrow, was founded in Yorkshire in 1673; and about 1790 the Royal Toxophilite (Greek toxon "bow", philos "loving") Society was formed to advance the sport. The Grand National Archery Society, the official organization of British Archery, was established in 1844, and it has conducted championship contests since that year. Archery as a sport was introduced in North America in the 17th century. Te earliest body of archers in the United States, known as the United Bowmen of Philadelphia, was active from 1828 to 1859, and their modern ruling body the National Archery Association of the United States, was founded in 1879.

Archery competition is divided into various categories, such as target, field and flight shooting. The main events of a target-shooting tournament are called rounds, and the number of arrows shot and the range and distance are specified and known to the participants. Target faces are normally of paper and pinned to straw "bosses". The target is circular and has a series of concentric rings around a solid centre. The centre, gold, is suspended 1.3 meters above the ground. Ranging outward from the gold, the colours of he rings are gold, red, blue, black and then white. The rings are assigned point values for arrows shot into them; from gold to white the values range from 10, in the centre of the gold, to 1, in the outer part of the white.

After being discontinued at the Olympic Games in the early 1900's, archery became an Olympic sport for men and women at the 1972 Munich Games. Modernized in 1992 to promote interest, the Olympic round consists of a ranking round, and elimination round, a team elimination round and the finals. The individuals event includes 64 archers, all shooting at the same time at targets 70m away. Archers with the highest scores after various elimination heats compete for medals. The competition is conducted according to the International Archery Federation (FITA) rules.

Field shooting simulates hunting for small game, with targets placed in natural surroundings at various distances. In flight shooting the object is to shoot the arrow the furthest possible distance. Finally and possibly least well known is clout shooting. A target, usually a sheet with target markings painted on it is placed on the ground, archers fire their arrows into the air with the aim being to be closest to the centre.