The Stone Age Era is full of history.
Countless stories can be told of the many inventions that came to be during this period.
But before we dive into the story of the bow and arrow
how it was invented
how it was used
how it evolved and changed our society.
Let's take a quick glance at the life of the early humans
before any such weapon was available.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, before the bow and arrow
humans relied on the use of spears to survive.
Humans back then lived in nomadic tribes of around 50 people.
Hunting and gathering was the very core of their survival strategy.
A good hunt could quite often feed an entire tribe for many days.
That's why they migrated
they followed the movement of animals
and built temporary settlements in strategic locations.
Locations such as valleys where animal pathing could be easily predicted.
But hunting was difficult
with no ranged weaponry, close combat with any animal
could end with deadly consequences.
That's why they hunted in groups
used clever tactics to draw their prey out into their traps
and also it's why they invented new, better tools.
It was only with the invention of better tools and weapons
that humans were finally able to not just survive but to actually thrive.
The oldest evidence for the use of bows
comes from the Sibudu Cave located in South Africa.
Remains of arrowheads found in this cave indicate
that the bow and arrow was most likely invented in the South African region
around 70,000 years ago.
By around 15,000 BC the bow and arrow technology
began to be used on almost every continent except Australia.
They used the Atlatl instead.
The bow and arrow is a complex technology that clearly demonstrates the ingenuity
of our own species even as far back as 70,000 years ago.
The shaping of stone arrowheads into very fine points.
The production of glue to attach arrowheads and feathers to the arrows shaft.
The very long and complicated process of mastering archery.
All very complex processes that our ancestors successfully devised.
Overall there are many types of bows and even more ways of making them.
Different cultures made bows from different materials based on what was available to them.
Some bows were made of wood while others (typically in the arctic)...
were made of multiple pieces such as bones and horns held together with sinew (animal tendons).
The bow and Arrow played many roles in history and prehistory.
One of the most significant was in hunting where it competed with another weapon
called the spear thrower (the Atlatl).
The atlatl was a small wooden tool used as leverage to launch darts at lethal speeds.
The tool was invented around 20,000 years ago
and some experts claim its use was in direct competition with the bow and arrow.
For example: The bow had a much farther range
its arrows were light which means a lot could be carried for each hunt.
For that reason it was also possible to bring less people
a hunt was less dangerous and could be carried on for far longer.
The atlatl however was much easier to learn.
According to studies: It takes on average 5 years for a person to fully grasp archery
that's 4 years more than the Atlatl.
Also, the spear thrower launched projectiles far bigger and deadlier than the bow and arrow.
Allowing an easier kill of bigger sturdier animals.
Both had their uses.
One might make an unfair comparison
and claim that bows remained prominent throughout history while atlatls have not.
But that would likely be the culprit of warfare rather than hunting.
It's where the bow and arrow truly shined.
Warfare is generally understood to be the waging of armed conflict between 2 nations, tribes or states.
The use of military might and strategy used for the destruction or submission of the other side.
We know from ancient history that some of the earliest civilizations
such as: Egyptians, Persians, Hittites, Greeks and Romans have all used the bow and arrow
in their armies.
Archers played a key role in thousands of battles throughout history.
Their job was to thin out or weaken the ranks of advancing men before both sides clashed
in melee combat.
An army without archers especially before the rise of competent cavalry units was at
a clear disadvantage.
Aside from Tribe conflict
their use was widespread especially in big battles with high stakes and powerful nations
on each side.
That's because arrows were expensive.
It took great wealth to provide adequate bow training and sustain a stable supply of arrows
in an army.
But the payoff was clearly there.
Overall, the bow and arrow remains one of the most altered weapons in early history.
Especially in the middle ages there were countless attempts to improve the piercing power of
the bow and arrow
to combat the ever increasing protection of shields and armour.
The basic principles of the bow and arrow have also been used to develop powerful siege technology.
Technology such as slingshots, trebuchets and ballistas
that aided with the destruction of stone fortifications such as castles.
One of the most prominent, or rather well known iterations of the bow and arrow was
the longbow.
A particularly large bow, quite often the same height as the user.
Their range was significantly greater than that of the short bow
reaching sometimes up to 300 metres compared to a 100.
Its penetrating power was destructive
and an arrow shot by a longbowman could easily go through chainmail and even plate armour
from up close.
The massive push to improve bow technology
and the prevalence of this ancient weapon around the globe
is clear proof of its importance in the stone age, bronze age and mediaeval eras.
The weapon remained in popular use until the 17th century
during which it was replaced with gunpowder based weapons such as muskets.