Archery

Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. Archery has historically been used in hunting and combat and has become a precision sport. A person practicing archery is called an archer, and one who enjoys or is an expert at archery is sometimes called an toxophilite.

In Target Archery, the object is to hit targets to score points. These arrows score as an X (inner 10) and a 9.

History

Safe archery techniques while aiming an arrow

Female archer in Benin.

The earliest evidence of archery dates back more than 9,000 years. The bow probably was used in hunting first and later adopted as a tool of warfare. It was one of the earliest forms of artillery.

Classical civilizations, notably the Persians, Macedonians, Nubians, Greeks, Parthians, Indians, Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans, had large numbers of archers in their armies. Archers in chariots were especially important in armies of ancient Egypt. Arrows were very destructive against massed formations, and the use of archers helped win battles.

One of the primary sub-genres of archery is mounted archery. Japanese Samurai, North American tribes, Turkish nomadic groups, Persian armies and more honed the skill of hunting and warfare through mounted archery. The army of the Mongol Empire was mostly archers on horseback.

Though archery fell out of practical use, it never fully went away as a sport. As early as the 1480s in Britain, societies like the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers were having archery competitions.

Other websites

• Archery Interchange UK The UK's largest online archery community.
• The Great Northwood Bowmen Archived 2021-11-26 at the Wayback Machine Medieval Longbow Archery and re-enactment Society, re-enacting the 15th century, based in London.
• Bowhunting Basics
• Archery Information Archived 2007-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
• Archery Pictures