The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history , and the practice was common to many prehistoric cultures. They were important weapons of war from ancient history until the early modern period , where they were rendered increasingly obsolete by the development of the more powerful and accurate firearms . Today, bows and arrows are mostly used for hunting and sports .
48-553: [REDACTED] Look up धनुष् or धनुष in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Dhanusha may refer to: Bow and arrow , in Sanskrit Dhanusha (unit) , ancient Indian unit of measurement Dhanusha District , Nepal See also [ edit ] Dhanush (disambiguation) Dhanus (disambiguation) Dhanusa (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
96-416: A better position to contribute to an understanding of the evolution of the modern mind. Some of these hafted points might have been launched from bows. While "most attributes such as micro-residue distribution patterns and micro-wear will develop similarly on points used to tip spears, darts or arrows" and "explicit tests for distinctions between thrown spears and projected arrows have not yet been conducted"
144-498: A mechanical system of pulley cams over which the bowstring is wound. Nylon is useful only in emergency situations, as it stretches too much. There is no single accepted system of classification of bows. Bows may be described by various characteristics including the materials used, the length of the draw that they permit, the shape of the bow in sideways view, and the shape of the limb in cross-section. Commonly-used descriptors for bows include: Sibudu Cave Sibudu Cave
192-471: A modern bow are a pair of curved elastic limbs , traditionally made from wood , joined by a riser. However self bows such as the English longbow are made of a single piece of wood comprising both limbs and the grip. The ends of each limb are connected by a string known as the bow string . By pulling the string backwards the archer exerts compression force on the string-facing section, or belly , of
240-414: A nocking point marked on them, which serves to mark where the arrow is fitted to the bowstring before shooting. The area around the nocking point is usually bound with thread to protect the area around the nocking point from wear by the archer's hands. This section is called the serving. At one end of the bowstring a loop is formed, which is permanent. The other end of the bowstring also has a loop, but this
288-663: A pattern whereby innovations are not further and progressively developed, but arise and then disappear. For instance, the shell beads occur in the Still Bay layers, but are absent from the Howiesons Poort ones, in Sibudu, and elsewhere. This challenges the idea that the early development of technology by early humans was a process of accumulation of improvements. In discussing the findings of artefacts at Sibudu researchers have commented that they: can hardly be used to support
336-535: A stiff end on the limb end, having the effect of a recurve. In this type of bow, this is known by the Arabic name 'siyah'. Modern construction materials for bows include laminated wood, fiberglass , metals , and carbon fiber components. An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other. Modern arrows are usually made from carbon fibre, aluminum, fiberglass, and wood shafts. Carbon shafts have
384-751: A weapon of tribal warfare in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa ; an example was documented in 2009 in Kenya when Kisii people and Kalenjin people clashed, resulting in four deaths. The British upper class led a revival of archery as a sport in the late 18th century. Sir Ashton Lever , an antiquarian and collector, formed the Toxophilite Society in London in 1781, under the patronage of George IV , then Prince of Wales . Bows and arrows have been rarely used by modern special forces for survival and clandestine operations. The basic elements of
432-409: Is a rock shelter in a sandstone cliff in northern KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa. It is an important Middle Stone Age site occupied, with some gaps, from 77 000 years ago to 38 000 years ago. Evidence of some of the earliest examples of modern human technology has been found in the shelter (although the earliest known spears date back 400 000 years). The evidence in the shelter includes
480-401: Is able to project heavier arrows at the same velocity or the same arrow at a greater velocity. The various parts of the bow can be subdivided into further sections. The topmost limb is known as the upper limb, while the bottom limb is the lower limb. At the tip of each limb is a nock, which is used to attach the bowstring to the limbs. The riser is usually divided into the grip, which is held by
528-430: Is an arrowsmith. A bow consists of a semi- rigid but elastic arc with a high-tensile bowstring joining the ends of the two limbs of the bow. An arrow is a projectile with a pointed tip and a long shaft with stabilizer fins ( fletching ) towards the back, with a narrow notch ( nock ) at the very end to contact the bowstring. To load an arrow for shooting ( nocking an arrow), the archer places an arrow across
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#1732801979166576-405: Is attributed by archaeological association. The bow was an important weapon for both hunting and warfare from prehistoric times until the widespread use of gunpowder weapons in the 16th century. It was also common in ancient warfare , although certain cultures would not favor them. Greek poet Archilocus expressed scorn for fighting with bows and slings . The skill of Nubian archers
624-408: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bow and arrow Archery is the art, practice, or skill of using bows to shoot arrows. A person who shoots arrows with a bow is called a bowman or an archer. Someone who makes bows is known as a bowyer , someone who makes arrows is a fletcher , and someone who manufactures metal arrowheads
672-507: Is implied. The employment of snares also would demonstrate a practical understanding of the latent energy stored in bent branches, the main principle of bow construction. The use of Cryptocarya leaves in bedding indicates that early use of herbal medicines may have awarded selective advantages to humans, and the use of such plants implies a new dimension to the behaviour of early humans at this time. Artefacts such as piecing needles, arrows, and shell beads at Sibudu and elsewhere occur in
720-742: Is not permanently formed into the bowstring but is constructed by tying a knot into the string to form a loop. Traditionally this knot is known as the archer's knot, but is a form of the timber hitch . The knot can be adjusted to lengthen or shorten the bowstring. The adjustable loop is known as the "tail". The string is often twisted (this being called the "flemish twist"). Bowstrings have been constructed of many materials throughout history, including fibres such as flax , silk , and hemp . Other materials used were animal guts , animal sinews , and rawhide . Modern fibres such as Dacron or Kevlar are now used in commercial bowstring construction, as well as steel wires in some compound bows. Compound bows have
768-430: Is the same diameter as the arrow shaft and is usually just fitted over the tip of the arrow. Other heads are known, including the blunt head, which is flat at the end and is used for hunting small game or birds, and is designed to not pierce the target nor embed itself in trees or other objects and make recovery difficult. Another type of arrowhead is a barbed head, usually used in warfare or hunting. Bowstrings may have
816-425: Is thickest right behind the head, and tapers to the nock. A barrelled arrow is thickest in the centre of the arrow. Target arrows are those arrows used for target shooting rather than warfare or hunting, and usually have simple arrowheads. For safety reasons, a bow should never be shot without an arrow nocked; without an arrow, the energy that is normally transferred into the projectile is instead directed back into
864-524: The "classic" out of Africa scenario, which predicts increasing complexity and accretion of innovations during the MSA, determined by biological change. Instead, they appear, disappear, and re-appear in a way that best fits a scenario in which historical contingencies and environmental, rather than cognitive, changes are seen as main drivers. The idea that environmental change was responsible for this pattern has been questioned, and instead it has been suggested that
912-725: The Natal Museum (unpublished work). Lyn Wadley of the University of the Witwatersrand started renewed excavations in September 1998. The occupations at Sibudu are divided into pre-Still Bay, Still Bay ( 72 000 –71 000 years ago), Howiesons Poort (before 61 000 years ago), post-Howiesons Poort ( 58 500 years ago), late ( 47 700 years ago), and final Middle Stone Age phases ( 38 600 years ago). There were occupation gaps of approximately 10 000 years between
960-674: The Sri Lankan site likely focused on monkeys and smaller animals, such as squirrels, Langley says. Remains of these creatures were found in the same sediment as the bone points." Small stone points from the Grotte Mandrin in Southern France, used some 54,000 years ago, have damage from use that indicates their use as projectile weapons, and some are too small (less than 10mm across as the base) for any practical use other than as arrowheads. They are associated with possibly
1008-465: The advantage that they do not bend or warp, but they can often be too light weight to shoot from some bows and are expensive. Aluminum shafts are less expensive than carbon shafts, but they can bend and warp from use. Wood shafts are the least expensive option but often will not be identical in weight and size to each other and break more often than the other types of shafts. Arrow sizes vary greatly across cultures and range from very short ones that require
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#17328019791661056-445: The archer aims the shot intuitively or by sighting along the arrow. Then the archer releases (looses) the draw, allowing the limbs' stored energy to convert into kinetic energy transmitted via the bowstring to the arrow, propelling it to fly forward with high velocity. A container or bag for additional arrows for quick reloading is called a quiver . When not in use, bows are generally kept unstrung , meaning one or both ends of
1104-416: The archer, as well as the arrow rest and the bow window. The arrow rest is a small ledge or extension above the grip which the arrow rests upon while being aimed. The bow window is that part of the riser above the grip, which contains the arrow rest. In bows drawn and held by hand, the maximum draw weight is determined by the strength of the archer. The maximum distance the string could be displaced and thus
1152-568: The artisan had to think about the correct position for placing stone inserts on the shafts.... Although fully modern behaviour is recognisable relatively late in the MSA, the circumstantial evidence provided here implies that people who made compound adhesives in the MSA shared at least some advanced behaviours with their modern successors. In a commentary upon this research it has been suggested that instead of focusing upon language, with activities that tax reasoning ability and are also visible archaeologically, such as shafting, archaeologists are in
1200-491: The bow itself, which will cause damage to the bow's limbs. The end of the arrow that is designed to hit the target is called the arrowhead. Usually, these are separate items that are attached to the arrow shaft by either tangs or sockets. Materials used in the past for arrowheads include flint, bone, horn, or metal. Most modern arrowheads are made of steel, but wood and other traditional materials are still used occasionally. A number of different types of arrowheads are known, with
1248-788: The bowstring are detached from the bow. This removes all residual tension on the bow and can help prevent it from losing strength or elasticity over time. Many bow designs also let it straighten out more completely, reducing the space needed to store the bow. Returning the bowstring to its ready-to-use position is called stringing the bow. The oldest known evidence of the bow and arrow comes from South African sites such as Sibudu Cave , where likely arrowheads have been found, dating from approximately 72,000–60,000 years ago. The earliest probable arrowheads found outside of Africa were discovered in 2020 in Fa Hien Cave , Sri Lanka . They have been dated to 48,000 years ago. "Bow-and-arrow hunting at
1296-553: The complexity of their creation and processing has been presented as evidence of continuity between early human cognition and that of modern humans. In 2024, the Sibudu Cave became a part of the World Heritage Site of Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa. Sibudu Cave is a rock shelter , located roughly 40 km (25 mi) north of the city of Durban and about 15 km (9 mi) inland, near
1344-658: The days of English and later American colonization. Organised warfare with bows ended in the early to mid-17th century in Western Europe , but it persisted into the 19th century in Eastern cultures, including hunting and warfare in the New World . In the Canadian Arctic , bows were made until the end of the 20th century for hunting caribou , for instance at Igloolik . The bow has more recently been used as
1392-558: The driving factors were changes in the social networks related to changes in population density. In 2015, the South African government submitted a proposal to add the cave to the list of World Heritage Sites and it has been placed on the UNESCO list of tentative sites as a potential future 'serial nomination' together with Blombos Cave , Pinnacle Point , Klasies River Caves , Border Cave , and Diepkloof Rock Shelter . Three of
1440-498: The earliest bone arrow ( 61 000 years old), and the earliest stone arrows (64,000 years old), the earliest needle ( 61 000 years old), the earliest use of heat-treated mixed compound gluing ( 61 000 years ago), and an example of the use of bedding ( 77 000 years ago) which for a while was the oldest known example (an older example from 200 000 years ago was recently discovered at Border Cave , South Africa). The use of glues and bedding are of particular interest, because
1488-594: The elm Holmegaard bows from Denmark , which were dated to 9,000 BCE. Several bows from Holmegaard, Denmark, date 8,000 years ago. High-performance wooden bows are currently made following the Holmegaard design. The Stellmoor bow fragments from northern Germany were dated to about 8,000 BCE, but they were destroyed in Hamburg during the Second World War , before carbon 14 dating was available; their age
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1536-671: The fabrication of this adhesive, researchers concluded that the Middle Stone Age (MSA) humans at Sibudu would have required the multilevel mental operations and abstract thought capabilities of modern people to do this. Artisans living in the MSA must have been able to think in abstract terms about properties of plant gums and natural iron products, even though they lacked empirical means for gauging them. Qualities of gum, such as wet, sticky, and viscous, were mentally abstracted, and these meanings counterpoised against ochre properties, such as dry, loose, and dehydrating. Simultaneously,
1584-561: The first groups of modern humans to leave Africa. After the end of the last glacial period , some 12,000 years ago, the use of the bow seems to have spread to every inhabited region, except for Australasia and most of Oceania. The earliest definite remains of bow and arrow from Europe are possible fragments from Germany found at Mannheim-Vogelstang dated 17,500–18,000 years ago, and at Stellmoor dated 11,000 years ago. Azilian points found in Grotte du Bichon , Switzerland , alongside
1632-404: The limbs as well as placing the outer section, or back , under tension . While the string is held, this stores the energy later released in putting the arrow to flight. The force required to hold the string stationary at full draw is often used to express the power of a bow, and is known as its draw weight, or weight. Other things being equal, a higher draw weight means a more powerful bow, which
1680-491: The longest arrow that could be loosed from it, a bow's draw length, is determined by the size of the archer. A composite bow uses a combination of materials to create the limbs, allowing the use of materials specialized for the different functions of a bow limb. The classic composite bow uses wood for lightness and dimensional stability in the core, horn to store compression energy, and sinew for its ability to store energy in tension. Such bows, typically Asian, would often use
1728-401: The middle of the bow with the bowstring in the arrow's nock. To shoot, the archer holds the bow at its center with one hand and pulls back ( draws ) the arrow and the bowstring with the other (typically the dominant hand ). This flexes the two limbs of the bow rearwards, which perform the function of a pair of cantilever springs to store elastic energy . Typically while maintaining the draw,
1776-426: The most common being bodkins , broadheads, and piles. Bodkin heads are simple spikes made of metal of various shapes, designed to pierce armour. A broadhead arrowhead is usually triangular or leaf-shaped and has a sharpened edge or edges. Broadheads are commonly used for hunting. A pile arrowhead is a simple metal cone, either sharpened to a point or somewhat blunt, that is used mainly for target shooting. A pile head
1824-405: The period after the Howiesons Poort for hunting weapons, such as the tips of spears. Use–trace analysis suggests that many of these points were hafted with ochre-loaded adhesives. The replication of shafted tool manufacture using only methods and materials available at Sibudu has enabled the identification of the complexity of the thought processes that it required. The stone spear was embedded in
1872-520: The post-Howiesons Poort and the late Middle Stone Age stage, and the late and final Middle Stone periods. There was no Late Stone Age occupation, although there was an Iron Age occupation about 1000 B.C. Evidence suggests these were dry periods and the shelter was occupied only during wet climatic conditions. The pre-Still Bay occupation had a lithic flake -based industry and made few tools. The Still Bay occupation, in addition to such flakes, made bifacial tools and points . Trace use analysis on
1920-491: The remains of both a bear and a hunter, with flint fragments found in the bear's third vertebra , suggest the use of arrows at 13,500 years ago. At the site of Nataruk in Turkana County , Kenya, obsidian bladelets found embedded in a skull and within the thoracic cavity of another skeleton , suggest the use of stone-tipped arrows as weapons about 10,000 years ago. The oldest extant bows in one piece are
1968-417: The researchers find "contextual support" for the use of these points on arrows: a broad range of animals were hunted, with an emphasis on taxa that prefer closed forested niches, including fast moving, terrestrial and arboreal animals. This is an argument for the use of traps, perhaps including snares. If snares were used, the use of cords and knots, which also would have been adequate for the production of bows,
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2016-413: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Dhanusha . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dhanusha&oldid=1155750907 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2064-462: The segment of an orange, with a sharp cutting edge on the straight lateral and an intentionally blunted and curved back. These were attached to shafts or handles by means of ochre and plant adhesive or alternatively fat mixed with plant material. Segments often were made with a cutting edge along their entire length, which required that they be attached to their hafts without twine and so, calls for particularly strong adhesive glue. Points were used in
2112-771: The tips of the points finds evidence of compound adhesives on their bases where they would once have been hafted to shafts. Various examples of early human technology have been found: The plant bedding consisted of sedge and other monocotyledons topped with aromatic leaves containing natural insecticidal and larvicidal chemicals. The leaves were all from Cape laurel ( Cryptocarya woodii ) which, when crushed, are aromatic and contain traces of α- pyrones , cryptofolione , and goniothalamin , chemicals that have insecticidal and larvicidal properties against, for example, mosquitoes. Cryptocarya species are still used extensively in traditional medicine. The Howiesons Poort occupation manufactured blade tools. These blades are shaped like
2160-676: The town of Tongaat . It is in a steep, forested cliff facing WSW that overlooks the Tongati River in an area that is now a sugar cane plantation. The shelter was formed by erosional downcutting of the Tongati River, which now lies 10 m (33 ft) below the shelter. Its floor is 55 m (180 ft) long, and about 18 m (59 ft) in width. It has a large collection of Middle Stone Age deposits that are well preserved organically and accurately dated using optically stimulated luminescence . The first excavations following its discovery in 1983 were carried out by Aron Mazel of
2208-478: The use of special equipment to be shot to ones in use in the Amazon River jungles that are 2.6 m (8.5 feet) long. Most modern arrows are 55 to 75 cm (22 to 30 inches) in length. Arrows come in many types, among which are breasted, bob-tailed, barreled, clout, and target. A breasted arrow is thickest at the area right behind the fletchings, and tapers towards the (nock) and head. A bob-tailed arrow
2256-494: The wood using a compound adhesive made up of plant gum, red ochre, and to aid the workability, possibly a small amount of beeswax, coarse particles, or fat. This preliminary mixture had to have the correct ingredient proportions and then, before shafting, undergo a controlled heat treatment stage. This heating had to avoid boiling or dehydrating the mixture too much, otherwise it would weaken the resulting mastic . The maker also had to reduce its acidity . By experimentally recreating
2304-742: Was renowned in ancient Egypt and beyond. Their mastery of the bow gained their land the name Ta-Seti , "Land of the Bow" in Ancient Egyptian. Beginning with the reign of William the Conqueror , the longbow was England's principal weapon of war until the end of the Middle Ages. Genghis Khan and his Mongol hordes conquered much of the Eurasian steppe using short bows. Native Americans used archery to hunt and defend themselves during
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