Archery Introduction - A Brief History

Archery is defined as shooting projectile weapons called arrows from a device that increases the force against the projectile based on how far back it is pulled. The very earliest bows were made of sticks and strung with the sinews or intestines of game animals. Archery has been used as a means of taking game since approximately 50,000 BC. The very first arrows were simply sticks that had been sharpened to a point and fired from a bow.

Advances in the design of archery equipment have been continuing for the entire history of the sport. Arrows began to be tipped with sharpened pieces of flint hardened in a fire to provide a stronger point for killing wild game. Later, it was learned that feathers could be tied to the back end of the arrows to make them fly more accurately.

About 2800 BC, the first archery introduction of a composite bow takes place in Egypt. These bows were made of wood and animal horn. Over the years since then, the use of composite materials has become the norm in bow making because the materials chosen and how they are put together to form the composite make it easier to set the draw weight of the bow (the amount of force it takes to draw the bow to fire, and the amount of force applied to the arrow to launch it). Several different bow designs have been created using different lengths, materials, and combinations.

In medieval Europe and the British Isles, it was not uncommon to see longbows carried. These bows were often as tall as the man carrying them and were capable of deadly shots at up to 300 yards. The most common material for making a bow was a yew sapling. Arrows were often upwards of 3 ft in length because the longer a man's arms were, the farther he could draw a bow and the farther it would shoot.

The most rapid changes in archery have occurred in modern times. In the sport of archery, introduction of the recurve bow and modern materials for arrows in place of the old wooden shafts did not take place until the 20th century. The first state to recognize and hold an archery hunting season in the U.S. was Wisconsin in 1934. Since that time, archery hunting has gained in popularity until it is practiced in all fifty states today.

In 1939, the first experiments with aluminum as a material for the making of arrows began. Mr. James Easton founded a company dedicated to producing shafts for use by bow hunters. In 1946, the first trademarked aluminum shafts were produced. The 24-SRT X arrow shafts were the first. In 1959, Easton introduced the XX75 aluminum shaft arrows. This design is still in use by many bow hunters today. Carbon and graphite are also being examined as materials from which to fashion arrow shafts.
In 1969, the compound bow was patented. This archery introduction has grown to be the most popular type of bow used by hunters. The pulley design allows for a release of tension on the bow without losing its power when the arrow is drawn to its proper draw length.