Morley Field Sports Complex is a sports complex in Balboa Park in San Diego, California . The sports complex was named after John Morley, who served as a park superintendent in Balboa Park from 1911 to 1939.
108-454: An archery range is located in the sports complex. San Diego Archers runs events at the range. The sports complex offers multi-purpose ballfields, used for baseball , softball and tee-ball . The Morley Field cross country running course is a 1.5-mile/5000 meter cross country course in the complex. The Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are held on the cross country course. The San Diego State Aztecs women's cross country team and
216-512: A shaft , with an arrowhead at the front end, and fletchings and a nock at the other end. Arrows across time and history have normally been carried in a container known as a quiver , which can take many different forms. Shafts of arrows are typically composed of solid wood , bamboo , fiberglass , aluminium alloy , carbon fiber , or composite materials . Wooden arrows are prone to warping. Fiberglass arrows are brittle, but can be produced to uniform specifications easily. Aluminium shafts were
324-433: A bowstring exist, such as the 'endless loop' and 'Flemish twist'. Almost any fiber can be made into a bowstring. The author of Arab Archery suggests the hide of a young, emaciated camel. Njál's saga describes the refusal of a wife, Hallgerður, to cut her hair to make an emergency bowstring for her husband, Gunnar Hámundarson , who is then killed. Most modern archers wear a bracer (also known as an arm-guard) to protect
432-531: A branch) remain in museum collections and private collections, one having sold at auction for more than $ 100,000. In September 1997, an atlatl dart fragment, carbon dated to 4360 ± 50 C yr BP (TO 6870), was found in an ice patch on mountain Thandlät , the first of the southern Yukon Ice Patches to be studied. The people of New Guinea and Aboriginal people in Australia also use spear-throwers. In
540-410: A centered hole in a symmetrically shaped carved or ground stone, shaped wide and flat with a drilled hole and thus a little like a large wingnut , are an improvement to the design that created a silencing effect when swung. The use of the device would reduce the telltale "zip" of a swung atlatl to a more subtle "woof" sound that did not travel as far and was less likely to alert prey. Robert Berg's theory
648-414: A handful of other states list the device as legal for rough fish (those not sought for sport or food), some game birds and non-game mammals. Starting in 2007, Missouri allowed use of the atlatl for hunting wildlife (excluding deer and turkey), and starting in 2010, also allowed deer hunting during the firearms portion of the deer season (except the muzzleloader portion). Starting in 2012, Missouri allowed
756-412: A hole drilled through them. When first found in the nineteenth century, they were interpreted by French archaeologists to be symbols of authority, like a modern field marshal 's baton, and so named bâtons de commandement ("batons of command"). Though debate over their function continues, tests with replicas have found them effective aids to spear or dart throwing when used with a cord,. Another theory
864-580: A main shaft and a 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) fore shaft with a flint point. There are no definite earlier bows; previous pointed shafts are known, but may have been launched by spear-throwers rather than bows. The oldest bows known so far comes from the Holmegård swamp in Denmark. At the site of Nataruk in Turkana County , Kenya, obsidian bladelets found embedded in a skull and within
972-604: A mass weapon rather than an individual one. Significant victories attributable to the longbow, such as the Battle of Crecy and Battle of Agincourt resulted in the English longbow becoming part of military lore. Tribesmen of Central Asia (after the domestication of the horse ) and American Plains Indians (after gaining access to horses by Europeans) became extremely adept at archery on horseback . Lightly armoured, but highly mobile archers were excellently suited to warfare in
1080-409: A mechanism to pull the string. Directly drawn bows may be further divided based upon differences in the method of limb construction, notable examples being self bows , laminated bows and composite bows . Bows can also be classified by the bow shape of the limbs when unstrung; in contrast to traditional European straight bows, a recurve bow and some types of longbow have tips that curve away from
1188-471: A nonprofit scientific organization, the Club was patterned after the prestigious Boone and Crockett Club and advocated responsible bowhunting by promoting quality, fair chase hunting, and sound conservation practices. From the 1920s, professional engineers took an interest in archery, previously the exclusive field of traditional craft experts. They led the commercial development of new forms of bow including
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#17327868942771296-455: A particular spear thrower tend to differ in mass by only a few percent. By the Iron Age, the amentum , a strap attached to the shaft, was the standard European mechanism for throwing lighter javelins. The amentum gives not only range, but also spin to the projectile. The spear-thrower was used by early Americans as well. It may have been introduced to America during the immigration across
1404-413: A pre-determined tension. Stabilizers are mounted at various points on the bow. Common with competitive archery equipment are special brackets that allow multiple stabilizers to be mounted at various angles to fine tune the bow's balance. Stabilizers aid in aiming by improving the balance of the bow. Sights, quivers, rests, and design of the riser (the central, non-bending part of the bow) make one side of
1512-578: A similar motif is present in the Turkic Iranian heroic archeheroic poem Alpamysh . The Nymphai Hyperboreioi ( Νύμφαι Ὑπερβόρειοι ) were worshipped on the Greek island of Delos as attendants of Artemis , presiding over aspects of archery; Hekaerge ( Ἑκαέργη ), represented distancing, Loxo ( Λοξώ ), trajectory, and Oupis ( Οὖπις ), aim. Yi the archer and his apprentice Feng Meng appear in several early Chinese myths, and
1620-598: A spear-throwing device. The Swiss arrow is a weapon that works similarly to amentum. Spear-thrower designs may include improvements such as thong loops to fit the fingers, the use of flexible shafts or stone balance weights. Dart shafts can be made thinner and highly flexible for added power and range, the fletching can be spiralized to add spin to the dart making it more stable and accurate. Darts resemble large arrows or small spears and are typically from 1.2 to 2.7 m (4 to 9 ft) in length and 9 to 16 mm (3/8" to 5/8") in diameter. Another important improvement to
1728-434: A special glove is used that has a ridge to assist in drawing the string. A release aid is a mechanical device designed to give a crisp and precise loose of arrows from a compound bow. In the most commonly used, the string is released by a finger-operated trigger mechanism, held in the archer's hand or attached to their wrist. In another type, known as a back-tension release, the string is automatically released when drawn to
1836-477: A stock or other mounting, such as the crossbow . Crossbows typically have shorter draw lengths compared to compound bows. Because of this, heavier draw weights are required to achieve the same energy transfer to the arrow. These mechanically drawn bows also have devices to hold the tension when the bow is fully drawn. They are not limited by the strength of a single archer and larger varieties have been used as siege engines . The most common form of arrow consists of
1944-553: A time of political tension in Europe. The societies were also elitist, and the new middle class bourgeoisie were excluded from the clubs due to their lack of social status. After the Napoleonic Wars , the sport became increasingly popular among all classes, and it was framed as a nostalgic reimagining of the preindustrial rural Britain. Particularly influential was Sir Walter Scott 's 1819 novel, Ivanhoe that depicted
2052-481: A two-meter long wooden cane with a stone or long and serrated hard-wood point, sometimes tipped with poison. Equipped with their uniquely grooved atlatl, they could hurl their long darts from a great distance with accuracy, speed, and such deadly force that these easily pierced through the protective armor of the Portuguese or any other enemy. The spear-thrower was an important part of life, hunting, and religion in
2160-580: A utensil for chopping game. This tool is usually 60 cm (24 in) long and 12 cm (4.7 in) wide, and comes in a concave, elliptical shape. Several Stone Age spear-throwers (usually now incomplete) are decorated with carvings of animals: the British Museum has one decorated with a mammoth , and there is one decorated with a hyena in France. Many pieces of decorated bone may have belonged to bâtons de commandement . The Aztec atlatl
2268-422: A very popular high-performance choice in the latter half of the 20th century, due to their straightness, lighter weight, and subsequently higher speed and flatter trajectories. Carbon fiber arrows became popular in the 1990s because they are very light, flying even faster and flatter than aluminium arrows. Today, the most popular arrows at tournaments and Olympic events are made of composite materials. The arrowhead
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#17327868942772376-479: Is four-fletched , two opposing fletches are often cock feathers, and occasionally the fletches are not evenly spaced. The fletching may be either parabolic cut (short feathers in a smooth parabolic curve) or shield cut (generally shaped like half of a narrow shield), and is often attached at an angle, known as helical fletching, to introduce a stabilizing spin to the arrow while in flight. Whether helical or straight fletched, when natural fletching (bird feathers)
2484-409: Is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart or javelin -throwing, and includes a bearing surface that allows the user to store energy during the throw. It may consist of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the spear. It's usually about as long as the user's arm or forearm. The user holds the spear-thrower in one hand, gripping near
2592-400: Is a 17,500-year-old Solutrean atlatl made of reindeer antler, found at Combe Saunière (Dordogne), France. It is possible that the atlatl was invented earlier than this, as Mungo Man from 42,000 BP displays arthritis in his right elbow, a pathology referred to today as the "Atlatl elbow," resulting from many years of forceful torsion from using an atlatl. At present, there is no evidence for
2700-454: Is a technique eschewing sights and is often preferred by traditional archers (shooters of longbows and recurves). In either the split finger or three finger under case, the string is usually placed in the first or second joint, or else on the pads of the fingers. When using a mechanical release aid, the release is hooked onto the D-loop. Another type of string hold, used on traditional bows, is
2808-584: Is also known from Moche culture , including detailed representations on painted pottery, and in representations on textiles of the Wari culture . The Andean estólica had a wooden body with a hook that was made of stone or metal. These hooks have been found at multiple highland sites including Cerro Baúl , a site of the Wari culture. In the Andes, the tips of darts were often capped with metal. Arrow points commonly had
2916-644: Is believed to have been in use by Homo sapiens since the Upper Paleolithic (around 30,000 years ago). Most stratified European finds come from the Magdalenian (late upper Palaeolithic). In this period, elaborate pieces, often in the form of animals, are common. The earliest reliable data concerning atlatls have come from several caves in France dating to the Upper Paleolithic, about 21,000 to 17,000 years ago. The earliest known example
3024-399: Is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an archer , bowman , or toxophilite . The oldest known evidence of the bow and arrow comes from South African sites such as Sibudu Cave , where the remains of bone and stone arrowheads have been found dating approximately 72,000 to 60,000 years ago. Based on indirect evidence,
3132-833: Is still used today by some Aboriginal people for hunting in Australia . Yup'ik Eskimo hunters still use the atlatl, known locally as "nuqaq" (nook-ak), in villages near the mouth of the Yukon River for seal hunting. There are numerous atlatl competitions held every year, with spears and spear-throwers built using both ancient and modern materials. Events are often held at parks, such as Letchworth State Park in New York, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Illinois, or Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Atlatl associations around
3240-538: Is that the bannerstone was carried by hunters as a spindle weight to produce string from natural fibers gathered while hunting, for the purpose of tying on fletching and hafting stone or bone points. The woomera or ‘miru’, allow hunters to apply more force, speed and distance when launching their spears. A woomera is usually made from Mulga wood, and serves many other purposes such as a: receptacle for mixing ochre for traditional paintings for ceremonies, deflection tool of enemies’ spears in battle, fire making saw, or
3348-426: Is that they were "arrow-straighteners". Bian Jian ( Chinese : 鞭箭 , lit. 'Whip arrow') is a unique spear-thrower that was used during Song period. It can be described as a long staff sling that throws a spear-sized dart instead of a rock-like projectile. It requires two operators unlike other spear-throwers. It should not be confused with another Bian Jian ( 邊箭 ). In modern times, some people have resurrected
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3456-477: Is the Penobscot bow or Wabenaki bow, invented by Frank Loring (Chief Big Thunder) about 1900. It consists of a small bow attached by cables on the back of a larger main bow. In different cultures, the arrows are released from either the left or right side of the bow, and this affects the hand grip and position of the bow. In Arab archery , Turkish archery , and Japanese archery . The arrows are released from
3564-512: Is the primary functional component of the arrow. Some arrows may simply use a sharpened tip of the solid shaft, but separate arrowheads are far more common, usually made from metal, stone, or other hard materials. The most commonly used forms are target points, field points, and broadheads, although there are also other types, such as bodkin, judo, and blunt heads. Fletching is traditionally made from bird feathers, but solid plastic vanes and thin sheet-like spin vanes are used. They are attached near
3672-512: Is used it is critical that all feathers come from the same side of the bird. Oversized fletchings can be used to accentuate drag and thus limit the range of the arrow significantly; these arrows are called flu-flus . Misplacement of fletchings can change the arrow's flight path dramatically. Dacron and other modern materials offer high strength for their weight and are used on most modern bows. Linen and other traditional materials are still used on traditional bows. Several modern methods of making
3780-491: The Amazons was that they had one breast removed to solve this problem. Roger Ascham mentions one archer, presumably with an unusual shooting style, who wore a leather guard for his face. The drawing digits are normally protected by a leather tab , glove, or thumb ring . A simple tab of leather is commonly used, as is a skeleton glove. Medieval Europeans probably used a complete leather glove. Eurasiatic archers who used
3888-667: The Bering Land Bridge , and despite the later introduction of the bow and arrow , atlatl use was widespread at the time of first European contact. Atlatls are represented in the art of multiple pre-Columbian cultures, including the Basketmaker culture in the American Southwest, Maya in the Yucatán Peninsula, and Moche in the Andes of South America. Atlatls were especially prominent in
3996-817: The Kongsberg attack . Deities and heroes in several mythologies are described as archers, including the Greek Artemis and Apollo , the Roman Diana and Cupid , the Germanic Agilaz , continuing in legends like those of Wilhelm Tell , Palnetoke , or Robin Hood . Armenian Hayk and Babylonian Marduk , Indian Karna (also known as Radheya/son of Radha), Abhimanyu , Eklavya , Arjuna , Bhishma , Drona , Rama , and Shiva were known for their shooting skills. The famous archery competition of hitting
4104-597: The Levant , artifacts that could be arrow-shaft straighteners are known from the Natufian culture , (c. 10,800–8,300 BC) onwards. The Khiamian and PPN A shouldered Khiam-points may well be arrowheads. Classical civilizations, notably the Assyrians , Greeks , Armenians , Persians , Parthians , Romans , Indians , Koreans , Chinese , and Japanese fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. Akkadians were
4212-664: The Ohio Pawpaw Festival , or at the Bois D'Arc Primitive Skills Gathering and Knap-in, held every September in southern Missouri. Atlatl events commonly include the International Standard Accuracy Competition (ISAC), in which contestants throw ten times at a bull's-eye target. Other contests involving different distances or terrain may also be included, usually testing the atlatlist's accuracy rather than distance throwing. In
4320-653: The San Diego High School Cavers cross country teams hosts meets at the course. The San Diego Velodrome is a banked 333.3-meter (0.2 mile) oval track cycling race track constructed in 1976. The track has 28-degree banked corners. A disc golf course is located in the sports complex. The Balboa Park Golf Complex contains a public 18-hole golf course and 9-hole executive course. There are two separate facilities dedicated to lawn bowling: one each for bocce (Italian lawn bowling) and pétanque (French lawn bowling). The bocce courts are located at
4428-562: The University of Vermont . Atlatls are sometimes used in modern times for hunting. In the U.S., the Pennsylvania Game Commission has given preliminary approval for legalization of the atlatl for hunting certain animals. The animals that would be allowed to atlatl hunters have yet to be determined, but particular consideration has been given to deer. Currently, Alabama allows the atlatl for deer hunting, while
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4536-605: The bow and arrow obsolete in warfare, although efforts were sometimes made to preserve archery practice. In England and Wales, for example, the government tried to enforce practice with the longbow until the end of the 16th century. This was because it was recognized that the bow had been instrumental to military success during the Hundred Years' War . Despite the high social status, ongoing utility, and widespread pleasure of archery in Armenia, China, Egypt, England and Wales,
4644-435: The drawing hand or string hand . Terms such as bow shoulder or string elbow follow the same convention. If shooting according to eye dominance, right-eye-dominant archers shooting conventionally hold the bow with their left hand. If shooting according to hand dexterity, the archer draws the string with the hand that possesses the greatest dexterity, regardless of eye dominance. To shoot an arrow, an archer first assumes
4752-703: The 15th century BC. The Welsh longbow proved its worth for the first time in Continental warfare at the Battle of Crécy . In the Americas archery was widespread at European contact. Archery was highly developed in Asia. The Sanskrit term for archery, dhanurvidya , came to refer to martial arts in general. In East Asia, Goguryeo , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea was well known for its regiments of exceptionally skilled archers. The medieval shortbow
4860-669: The Americas , India, Japan, Korea, Turkey and elsewhere, almost every culture that gained access to even early firearms used them widely, to the neglect of archery. Early firearms were inferior in rate-of-fire, and were very sensitive to wet weather. However, they had longer effective range and were tactically superior in the common situation of soldiers shooting at each other from behind obstructions. They also required significantly less training to use properly, in particular penetrating steel armor without any need to develop special musculature. Armies equipped with guns could thus provide superior firepower, and highly trained archers became obsolete on
4968-600: The Aztec atlatl were not powerful enough to penetrate Spanish steel plate armor, but they were strong enough to penetrate the mail , leather and cotton armor that most Spanish soldiers wore. Whittaker said the Aztecs started their battles with atlatl darts followed with melee combat using the macuahuitl . Another type of Stone Age artefact that is sometimes excavated is the bâton de commandement . These are shorter, normally less than one foot long, and made of antler, with
5076-562: The Balboa Tennis Club, which includes 24 additional hard courts and other amenities. 32°43′53″N 117°08′43″W / 32.73139°N 117.14528°W / 32.73139; -117.14528 Archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows . The word comes from the Latin arcus , meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it
5184-591: The Central Asian steppes, and they formed a large part of armies that repeatedly conquered large areas of Eurasia. Shorter bows are more suited to use on horseback, and the composite bow enabled mounted archers to use powerful weapons. Seljuk Turks used mounted archers against the European First Crusade , especially at the Battle of Dorylaeum (1097) . Their tactic was to shoot at the enemy infantry, and use their superior mobility to prevent
5292-458: The Chicama valley. At her feet was a group of twenty-three atlatls with handle pieces that depicted birds. These “theatrical” estòlicas are different from normal weapons. They are much longer (80–100 cm) than the regular examples (50–60 cm). Archeologists John Whittaker and Kathryn Kamp, both faculty from Grinnell College , speculate that they might have been part of a ceremony before
5400-559: The Grand National 11 times in a row and published a highly influential guide to the sport in 1856. Towards the end of the 19th century, the sport experienced declining participation as alternative sports such as croquet and tennis became more popular among the middle class. By 1889, just 50 archery clubs were left in Britain, but it was still included as a sport at the 1900 Paris Olympics . The National Archery Association of
5508-587: The Toxophilite Society in London in 1781, with the patronage of George, the Prince of Wales . Archery societies were set up across the country, each with its own strict entry criteria and outlandish costumes. Recreational archery soon became extravagant social and ceremonial events for the nobility, complete with flags, music and 21-gun salutes for the competitors. The clubs were "the drawing rooms of
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#17327868942775616-475: The United States was organized in 1879, in part by Maurice Thompson (the author of the seminal text “ The Witchery of Archery ”) and his brother Will Thompson . Maurice was president in its inaugural year and Will was president in 1882, 1903, and 1904. The 1910 President was Frank E Canfield. Today it is known as USA Archery and is recognized by United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee . In
5724-596: The United States, primitive archery was revived in the early 20th century. The last of the Yahi Indian tribe, a native known as Ishi , came out of hiding in California in 1911. His doctor, Saxton Pope , learned many of Ishi's traditional archery skills, and popularized them. The Pope and Young Club , founded in 1961 and named in honor of Pope and his friend, Arthur Young, became one of North America's leading bowhunting and conservation organizations. Founded as
5832-619: The ancient Andes . The earliest known spear-thrower of the South Americas had a proximal handle piece and is commonly referred to as an estólica in Spanish references to indigenous Andean culture . Estólica and atlatl are therefore synonymous terms. The estólica is best known archaeologically from Nazca culture and the Inca civilization , but the earliest examples are known from associations with Chinchorro mummies . The estólica
5940-503: The archer when the bow is unstrung. The cross-section of the limb also varies; the classic longbow is a tall bow with narrow limbs that are D-shaped in cross section, and the flatbow has flat wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. Cable-backed bows use cords as the back of the bow; the draw weight of the bow can be adjusted by changing the tension of the cable. They were widespread among Inuit who lacked easy access to good bow wood. One variety of cable-backed bow
6048-431: The arrow). This step is called "nocking the arrow". Typical arrows with three vanes should be oriented such that a single vane, the "cock feather", is pointing away from the bow, to improve the clearance of the arrow as it passes the arrow rest. A compound bow is fitted with a special type of arrow rest, known as a launcher, and the arrow is usually loaded with the cock feather/vane pointed either up, or down, depending upon
6156-418: The base of an abbey tower to dislodge a wood pigeon placed approximately 30 m (98 ft) above.) The Royal Company of Archers was formed in 1676 and is one of the oldest sporting bodies in the world. Archery remained a small and scattered pastime, however, until the late 18th century when it experienced a fashionable revival among the aristocracy . Sir Ashton Lever , an antiquarian and collector, formed
6264-570: The battlefield. However, the bow and arrow is still an effective weapon, and archers have seen military action in the 21st century. Traditional archery remains in use for sport, and for hunting in many areas. Early recreational archery societies included the Finsbury Archers and the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers. The latter's annual Papingo event was first recorded in 1483. (In this event, archers shoot vertically from
6372-570: The bow also seems to have appeared or reappeared later in Eurasia, near the transition from the Upper Paleolithic to the Mesolithic . The earliest definite remains of bow and arrow from Europe are possible fragments from Germany found at Mannheim-Vogelstang dated 17,500 to 18,000 years ago, and at Stellmoor dated 11,000 years ago. Azilian points found in Grotte du Bichon , Switzerland, alongside
6480-604: The bow and arrow and used it not only in combat but also in sports competitions. Such was the case with the Tarairiú , a Tapuya tribe of migratory foragers and raiders inhabiting the forested mountains and highland savannahs of Rio Grande do Norte in mid-17th-century Brazil. Anthropologist Harald Prins offers the following description: The atlatl, as used by these Tarairiu warriors, was unique in shape. About 88 cm (35 in) long and 3 to 4.5 cm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 to 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 in) wide, this spear thrower
6588-449: The bow and draws the string, with varying alignments for vertical versus slightly canted bow positions. This is often one fluid motion for shooters of recurves and longbows, which tend to vary from archer to archer. Compound shooters often experience a slight jerk during the drawback, at around the last 4 cm (1.6 in), where the draw weight is at its maximum—before relaxing into a comfortable stable full draw position. The archer draws
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#17327868942776696-494: The bow heavier. One purpose of stabilizers are to offset these forces. A reflex riser design will cause the top limb to lean towards the shooter. In this case a heavier front stabilizer is desired to offset this action. A deflex riser design has the opposite effect and a lighter front stabilizer may be used. Stabilizers can reduce noise and vibration. These energies are absorbed by viscoelastic polymers, gels, powders, and other materials used to build stabilizers. Stabilizers improve
6804-404: The bow in the left hand.) Therefore, if one is right-eye dominant, they would hold the bow in the left hand and draw the string with the right hand. However, not everyone agrees with this line of thought. A smoother, and more fluid release of the string will produce the most consistently repeatable shots, and therefore may provide greater accuracy of the arrow flight. Some believe that the hand with
6912-545: The burial or symbolic references to indicate that the royal woman in the burial had been a warrior. Estólicas are depicted along with maces, clubs, and shields on Moche vessels that illustrate warfare. The atlatl appears in the artwork of Chavín de Huantar , such as on the Black and White Portal. Among the Tlingit of Southeast Alaska, approximately one dozen old elaborately carved specimens they call "shee áan" (sitting on
7020-416: The correct stance. The body should be at or nearly perpendicular to the target and the shooting line, with the feet placed shoulder-width apart. As an archer progresses from beginner to a more advanced level other stances such as the "open stance" or the "closed stance" may be used, although many choose to stick with a "neutral stance". Each archer has a particular preference, but mostly this term indicates that
7128-655: The dart thrower for sports , often using the term atlatl, throwing either for distance and/or for accuracy. The World Atlatl Association was formed in 1987 to promote the atlatl. Throws of almost 260 m (850 ft) have been recorded. Colleges reported to field teams in this event include Grinnell College in Iowa , Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire , Alfred University in New York , and
7236-544: The early Crusades , with models having a range of 274 m (899 ft) and being able to penetrate armour or kill a horse. During the late medieval period the English army famously relied on massed archers armed with the longbow . The French army relied more on the crossbow. Like their predecessors archers were more likely to be peasants or yeomen than men-at-arms. The longbow had a range of up to 270 m (890 ft). However its lack of accuracy at long ranges made it
7344-399: The end farthest from the cup. The user puts the butt end of the spear, or dart, in the cup, or grabs the spur with the end of the spear. The spear is much longer than the thrower. The user holds the thrower at the grip end, with the spear resting on the thrower and the butt end of the spear resting in the thrower's cup. The user can hold the spear, with the index and thumb, with the same hand as
7452-560: The ends of the limbs to achieve this. A typical let-off is anywhere from 65% to 80%. For example, a 27 kg (60 lb) bow with 80% let-off only requires 53 N (12 lb f ) to hold at full draw. Up to 99% let-off is possible. The compound bow was invented by Holless Wilbur Allen in the 1960s (a US patent was filed in 1966 and granted in 1969) and it has become the most widely used type of bow for all forms of archery in North America. Mechanically drawn bows typically have
7560-674: The enemy from closing with them. Empires throughout the Eurasian landmass often strongly associated their respective "barbarian" counterparts with the usage of the bow and arrow, to the point where powerful states like the Han dynasty referred to their neighbours, the Xiong-nu , as "Those Who Draw the Bow". For example, Xiong-nu mounted bowmen made them more than a match for the Han military, and their threat
7668-631: The eye of a rotating fish while watching its reflection in the water bowl was one of the many archery skills depicted in the Mahabharata . Persian Arash was a famous archer. Earlier Greek representations of Heracles normally depict him as an archer. Archery, and the bow, play an important part in the epic poem the Odyssey, when Odysseus returns home in disguise and then bests the suitors in an archery competition after hinting at his identity by stringing and drawing his great bow that only he can draw,
7776-496: The first to use composite bows in war according to the victory stele of Naram-Sin of Akkad . Egyptians referred to Nubia as "Ta-Seti," or "The Land of the Bow," since the Nubians were known to be expert archers, and by the 16th Century BC Egyptians were using the composite bow in warfare. The Bronze Age Aegean Cultures were able to deploy a number of state-owned specialized bow makers for warfare and hunting purposes already from
7884-435: The forgiveness and accuracy by increasing the moment of inertia of the bow to resist movement during the shooting process. Lightweight carbon stabilizers with weighted ends are desirable because they improve the moment of inertia while minimizing the weight added. The standard convention on teaching archery is to hold the bow depending upon eye dominance. (One exception is in modern kyūdō where all archers are trained to hold
7992-422: The great country houses placed outside" and thus came to play an important role in the social networks of the local upper class. As well as its emphasis on display and status, the sport was notable for its popularity with females. Young women could not only compete in the contests but retain and show off their sexuality while doing so. Thus, archery came to act as a forum for introductions, flirtation and romance. It
8100-406: The greatest dexterity should therefore be the hand that draws and releases the string. Either eye can be used for aiming, and the less dominant eye can be trained over time to become more effective for use. To assist with this, an eye patch can be temporarily worn over the dominant eye. The hand that holds the bow is referred to as the bow hand and its arm the bow arm . The opposite hand is called
8208-492: The ground, though archers with hyper extendable elbows tend to angle the inner elbow toward the ground, as exemplified by the Korean archer Jang Yong-Ho . This keeps the forearm out of the way of the bowstring. Spear-thrower A spear-thrower , spear-throwing lever , or atlatl ( pronounced / ˈ æ t l æ t əl / or / ˈ ɑː t l ɑː t əl / ; Nahuatl ahtlatl [ˈaʔt͡ɬat͡ɬ] )
8316-630: The heroic character Lockseley winning an archery tournament. The 1840s saw the second attempts at turning the recreation into a modern sport. The first Grand National Archery Society meeting was held in York in 1844 and over the next decade the extravagant and festive practices of the past were gradually whittled away and the rules were standardized as the 'York Round' - a series of shoots at 55 m (180 ft), 73 m (240 ft), and 91 m (299 ft). Horace A. Ford helped to improve archery standards and pioneered new archery techniques. He won
8424-540: The historical character of Zhou Tong features in many fictional forms. Jumong , the first Taewang of the Goguryeo kingdom of the Three Kingdoms of Korea , is claimed by legend to have been a near-godlike archer. Archery features in the story of Oguz Khagan. Similarly, archery and the bow feature heavily into historical Korean identity. In West African Yoruba belief, Osoosi is one of several deities of
8532-433: The hunt who are identified with bow and arrow iconography and other insignia associated with archery. While there is great variety in the construction details of bows (both historical and modern), all bows consist of a string attached to elastic limbs that store mechanical energy imparted by the user drawing the string. Bows may be broadly split into two categories: those drawn by pulling the string directly and those that use
8640-608: The iconography of the warriors of the Teotihuacan culture of Central Mexico. A ruler from Teotihuacan named Spearthrower Owl is an important figure described in Mayan stelae . Complete wooden spear-throwers have been found on dry sites in the western United States and in waterlogged environments in Florida and Washington . Several Amazonian tribes also used the atlatl for fishing and hunting. Some even preferred this weapon over
8748-446: The inside of the bow arm from being hit by the string and prevent clothing from catching the bowstring. The bracer does not brace the arm; the word comes from the armoury term " brassard ", meaning an armoured sleeve or badge. The Navajo people have developed highly ornamented bracers as non-functional items of adornment. Some archers (nearly all female archers) wear protection on their chests, called chestguards or plastrons. The myth of
8856-411: The leg furthest from the shooting line is a half to a whole foot-length from the other foot, on the ground. To load, the bow is pointed toward the ground, tipped slightly clockwise of vertical (for a right handed shooter) and the shaft of the arrow is placed on the arrow rest or shelf. The back of the arrow is attached to the bowstring with the nock (a small locking groove located at the proximal end of
8964-485: The length of the lever. This extra length allows the thrower to impart force to the dart over a longer distance, thus imparting more energy and higher speeds. Common modern ball throwers (such as molded plastic arms used for throwing tennis balls for dogs to fetch) use the same principle. A spear-thrower is a long-range weapon and can readily impart to a projectile speeds of over 150 km/h (93 mph). Spear-throwers appear early in human history in several parts of
9072-432: The mid Holocene , Aboriginal people in Australia developed spear-throwers, known as woomeras . As well as its practical use as a hunting weapon, it may also have had social effects. John Whittaker suggests the device was a social equalizer in that it requires skill rather than muscle power alone. Thus, women and children would have been able to participate in hunting. Whittaker said the stone-tipped projectiles from
9180-779: The modern recurve and compound bow . These modern forms are now dominant in modern Western archery; traditional bows are in a minority. Archery returned to the Olympics in 1972. In the 1980s, the skills of traditional archery were revived by American enthusiasts, and combined with the new scientific understanding. Much of this expertise is available in the Traditional Bowyer's Bibles (see Further reading). Modern game archery owes much of its success to Fred Bear , an American bow hunter and bow manufacturer. In 2021, five people were killed and three injured by an archer in Norway in
9288-453: The modern spin vanes. This fletch is called the "index fletch" or "cock feather" (also known as "the odd vane out" or "the nocking vane"), and the others are sometimes called the "hen feathers". Commonly, the cock feather is of a different color. However, if archers are using fletching made of feather or similar material, they may use same color vanes, as different dyes can give varying stiffness to vanes, resulting in less precision. When an arrow
9396-478: The nock (rear) end of the arrow with thin double sided tape, glue, or, traditionally, sinew. The most common configuration in all cultures is three fletches, though as many as six have been used. Two makes the arrow unstable in flight. When the arrow is three-fletched , the fletches are equally spaced around the shaft, with one placed such that it is perpendicular to the bow when nocked on the string, though variations are seen with modern equipment, especially when using
9504-429: The northeast portion of the sports complex. The Petanquedrome sits next to the east side of Bud Kearns Memorial Pool. The Bud Kearns Memorial Pool is located in the sports complex. The pool has 12 swimming lanes at a length of 44 yards and is "ideal for water polo ." Maureen Connolly Brinker Stadium , a 1,500 seat tennis stadium dedicated on April 25, 1971 to beloved local tennis legend Maureen Connolly , anchors
9612-526: 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. Other signs of its use in Europe come from the Stellmoor [ de ] in the Ahrensburg valley [ de ] north of Hamburg , Germany and dates from the late Paleolithic , about 10,000–9000 BC. The arrows were made of pine and consisted of
9720-403: The right hand side of the bow, and this affects construction of the bow. In western archery, the arrow is usually released from the left hand side of the bow for a right-handed archer. Compound bows are designed to reduce the force required to hold the string at full draw, hence allowing the archer more time to aim with less muscular stress. Most compound designs use cams or elliptical wheels on
9828-509: The same appearance as these Andean tips . The length of a common estòlica was about 50 cm. Estólica handles were commonly carved and modeled to represent real world accounts like animals and deities. Examples of estòlicas with no handle pieces have been interpreted as children's toys . Archaeologists found decorated examples in the Moche culture burial of the Lady of Cao at El Brujo in
9936-516: The spear-thrower was supplemented by the bow and arrow in the Epi-Paleolithic . Along with improved ease of use, the bow offered the advantage that the bulk of elastic energy is stored in the throwing device, rather than the projectile. Arrow shafts can therefore be much smaller and have looser tolerances for spring constant and weight distribution than atlatl darts. This allowed for more forgiving flint knapping: dart heads designed for
10044-579: The spear-thrower's design was the introduction of a small weight (between 60 and 80 grams) strapped to its midsection. Some atlatlists maintain that stone weights add mass to the shaft of the device, causing resistance to acceleration when swung and resulting in a more forceful and accurate launch of the dart. Others claim that spear-thrower weights add only stability to a cast, resulting in greater accuracy. Based on previous work done by William S. Webb, William R. Perkins claims that spear-thrower weights, commonly called " bannerstones ", and characterized by
10152-399: The string hand towards the face, where it should rest lightly at a fixed anchor point . This point is consistent from shot to shot, and is usually at the corner of the mouth, on the chin, to the cheek, or to the ear, depending on preferred shooting style. The archer holds the bow arm outwards, toward the target. The elbow of this arm should be rotated so that the inner elbow is perpendicular to
10260-631: The thoracic cavity of another skeleton, suggest the use of stone-tipped arrows as weapons about 10,000 years ago. Bows eventually replaced the spear-thrower as the predominant means for launching shafted projectiles , on every continent except Australasia , though spear-throwers persisted alongside the bow in parts of the Americas, notably Mexico and among the Inuit . Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian and neighbouring Nubian culture since its respective predynastic and Pre-Kerma origins. In
10368-415: The thrower, with the other fingers. The user reaches back with the spear pointed at the target. Then they make an overhand throwing motion with the thrower while letting go of the spear with the fingers. The dart is thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist. The throwing arm together with the atlatl acts as a lever. The spear-thrower is a low-mass, fast-moving extension of the throwing arm, increasing
10476-539: The thumb or Mongolian draw protected their thumbs, usually with leather according to the author of Arab Archery , but also with special rings of various hard materials. Many surviving Turkish and Chinese examples are works of considerable art. Some are so highly ornamented that the users could not have used them to loose an arrow. Possibly these were items of personal adornment, and hence value, remaining extant whilst leather had virtually no intrinsic value and would also deteriorate with time. In traditional Japanese archery
10584-537: The type favoured by the Mongol warriors, known as the "thumb release", style. This involves using the thumb to draw the string, with the fingers curling around the thumb to add some support. To release the string, the fingers are opened out and the thumb relaxes to allow the string to slide off the thumb. When using this type of release, the arrow should rest on the same side of the bow as the drawing hand i.e. Left hand draw = arrow on left side of bow. The archer then raises
10692-403: The type of launcher being used. The bowstring and arrow are held with three fingers, or with a mechanical arrow release. Most commonly, for finger shooters, the index finger is placed above the arrow and the next two fingers below, although several other techniques have their adherents around the world, involving three fingers below the arrow, or an arrow pinching technique. Instinctive shooting
10800-434: The use of atlatls during the fall archery deer and turkey hunting seasons and, starting in 2014, allowed the use of atlatls during the spring turkey hunting season as well. Missouri also allows use of the atlatl for fishing, with some restrictions (similar to the restrictions for spearfishing and bowfishing ). The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission allows the use of atlatls for the taking of deer as of 2013 . The woomera
10908-740: The use of atlatls in Africa. Peoples such as the Maasai and Khoisan throw spears without any aids, but the use of atlatls in hunting is limited in comparison to spears because the animal must be close and already immobile. During the Ice Age, the atlatl was used by humans to hunt Megafauna . Ice Age Megafauna offered a large food supply when other game was limited, and the atlatl gave more power to pierce their thicker skin. In this time period, atlatls were usually made of wood or bone. Improvements made to spears' edge made it more efficient as well. In Europe,
11016-804: The world host a number of local atlatl competitions. Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison, Vermont hosts the annual Northeast Open Atlatl Championship. In 2009, the Fourteenth Annual Open Atlatl Championship was held on Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20. On the Friday before the Championship, a workshop was held to teach modern and traditional techniques of atlatl and dart construction, flint knapping, hafting stone points, and cordage making. Competitions may be held in conjunction with other events, such as
11124-608: The world, and have survived in use in traditional societies until the present day, as well as being revived in recent years for sporting purposes. In the United States, the Nahuatl word atlatl is often used for revived uses of spear-throwers (or the Mayan word hul'che ); in Australia, the Dharug word woomera is used instead. The ancient Greeks and Romans used a leather thong or loop, known as an ankule or amentum , as
11232-442: Was a tapering piece of wood carved of brown hard-wood. Well-polished, it was shaped with a semi-circular outer half and had a deep groove hollowed out to receive the end of the javelin, which could be engaged by a horizontal wooden peg or spur lashed with a cotton thread to the proximal and narrower end of the throwing board, where a few scarlet parrot feathers were tied for decoration. [Their] darts or javelins ... were probably made of
11340-580: Was at least partially responsible for Chinese expansion into the Ordos region, to create a stronger, more powerful buffer zone against them. It is possible that "barbarian" peoples were responsible for introducing archery or certain types of bows to their "civilized" counterparts – the Xiong-nu and the Han being one example. Similarly, short bows seem to have been introduced to Japan by northeast Asian groups. The development of firearms rendered
11448-424: Was often consciously styled in the manner of a Medieval tournament with titles and laurel wreaths being presented as a reward to the victor. General meetings were held from 1789, in which local lodges convened together to standardise the rules and ceremonies. Archery was also co-opted as a distinctively British tradition, dating back to the lore of Robin Hood and it served as a patriotic form of entertainment at
11556-502: Was often decorated with snake designs and feathers, potentially evocative of its association with Ehecatl , the Aztec wind deity. Wooden darts were known at least since the Middle Paleolithic ( Schöningen , Torralba , Clacton-on-Sea and Kalambo Falls ). While the spear-thrower is capable of casting a dart well over one hundred meters, it is most accurately used at distances of twenty meters or less. The spearthrower
11664-430: Was technically identical with the classical era bows, having a range of approximately 91 m (299 ft). It was the primary ranged weapon of the battlefield through the early medieval period. Around the tenth century the crossbow was introduced in Europe. Crossbows generally had a longer range, greater accuracy and more penetration than the shortbow, but suffered from a much slower rate of fire. Crossbows were used in
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