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Archaeologists suspect that archery may have
begun up to 15,000 years ago, but the earliest
concrete evidence is between 8,001 and 9,000 years
old. The bow probably originated for use in hunting,
and was then adopted as a tool of warfare. Bows
eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant
means for launching projectiles. Archery was practised
in antiquity on every inhabited continent except
Australia, demonstrating that it is both basic
and versatile.
Classical civilizations, notably the Greeks, Parthians,
and Chinese, fielded large numbers of archers
in their armies. Arrows proved exceptionally destructive
against massed formations, and the use of archers
often proved decisive. Archers sometimes rode
on horseback, combining range with speed. Apollo,
Odysseus, and other mythological characters are
often depicted with a bow. The phrase "A parting
shot" comes from 'The Parthian shot' as a rider
turned in the saddle to shoot as he rode away
from the enemy.
In medieval Europe, the value of archery on the
battlefield steadily increased. The Mongols were
extremely adept at archery on horseback, and used
it to dominate the Asian steppes, and eastern
Europe. Horse archers would shoot while approaching
their target, then turn around in the saddle and
shoot again after they passed. By the Hundred
Years' War, the English had become the world's
best archers on foot, using an English longbow.
Archers were drawn from the peasantry, and trained
rigorously from childhood. Every boy was given
a bow of his own height and was required to train
with it. Tournaments were sponsored to encourage
proficiency. In combat, they would often shoot
two arrows, one on a high trajectory, and one
on a low trajectory. These two arrows would hit
the enemy simultaneously from two different angles,
making defense difficult.
The advent of the bodkin point allowed arrows
to pierce most armour. The crossbow, while dating
from classical times, became quite popular during
the Middle Ages. While it took decades to train
a longbow man, someone could become proficient
with a crossbow with little training. The crossbow
had about the same power and range as a longbow.
Its major drawback was that it took a long time
to reload. The armour piercing power of the crossbow
caused fear amongst the well armoured nobility,
and it was banned by the Second Council of the
Lateran (at least between christians), although
to little avail. (wikipedia)
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