History of bow and arrows

The use of the bow and arrow goes back into the paleolithic. There is evidence of bows and arrows in use Between 8,000 and 9,000 BC in Schleswig Holstein (nothern Germany)

Elm and yew seems to have been favoured woods for bowmaking, while arrows were made of hazel. The arrowheads were made of flint and were fastened to the arrow shaft with pine resin and sinews of nettle stems. The pine resin was heated with charcoal to produce a flexible glue of great strength.

Ötzi the Iceman found in the Alps carried an unfinished bow made of Yew when he died in the neolithic period. His bowstring was of flax, but we believe sinew (from deer legs) was also used.

A major technological advance of the late neolithic was the use of sapwood on the bowface for increased flexibility. This allowed the bows to be pulled with far greater force without breaking. This in turn allowed hunters much greater range and accuracy.

The arrival of metal working meant not only metal arrowheads, but also metal blades, axes drawscapers and so on for making bows. This meant they could be made far more quickly and accurately than ever before.