Who invented archery first

Indians used deer antlers to make weapons like spears, arrow heads, fish hooks, needles and other useful tools. Native Americans apparently did not begin using bows and arrows until about A. Robin Hood is another modern movie where archery was made popular. Due to the use of the bow and arrow for warfare and survival, many heroes and gods are still depicted as using bows and arrows.

Some of these mythological figures and folk heroes include:. At that time, men younger than sixty were asked to practice shooting with arrow and bow. From that time, people started competing with one another during festivals. In , archery was included in the Olympic Games and was among the first sports in which women were allowed to participate. During the Olympics, archery was included, but afterward dropped because of lack of consistent international rules and lack of interest.

The sport of archery was included in the Olympic Games in , one of the first sports in which women were allowed to compete. But, that did not convince Olympic organizers to include archery again in the Olympic program until the Olympic Games in Germany.

When the archery was added again to the Olympic Games, each archer was asked to use bows made of wood and covered in graphite. Their arrowheads were made of aluminum, with strings made of Kevlar or hydrocarbon. Athletes were asked to use protective equipment like shooting gloves and arm guards to protect their forearms and hands. Unlike in the olden days when archery was mainly used for defense and war, modern day archery is practiced in different forms with different types of bows.

We now have disciplined martial artists, recreational archers, world championships, record-breaking distance attempts and Olympic level competitions. Although people still use archery for hunting game and for bowfishing , it is rarely used for war and defense. Everything about archery in the modern setting is leisure pursuit and anybody can learn archery and become an archer. Most archers wear an arm-guard, called a bracer, to protect the inside of the arm that holds the bow.

Archery has come a long way and since it is now mainly used for the recreational purpose, here are some interesting facts about archery:.

Archery is considered to be one of the oldest sports in the world. With just one injury out of 2, participants, the National Safety Council has deemed archery as three times safer than golf. In fact, USA Archery claims the sport is safer than bowling. This means archery is fun and safe for everyone and you can try it too!

The Kingdom of Bhutan has made archery their national sport. Almost every village has an archery range. That is how popular archery is in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Although the word sounds funny, it is legitimate. So you are also a toxophilite if you are an archer!

In the past, women are not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games but archery changed that. Archery allowed female competitors in the Olympic Games in In Britain, various monarchs have banned golf, bowls and football because men refused to practice archery because of these sports.

So, England was the first country to organize archery competitions in the s. If you have watched movies like The Lord of the Rings, Robin Hood, Rambo, The Hunger Games, Brave and some of the Korean and Japanese movies, you would understand why a many people around the world want to become archers. You may be asking; is archery really that important? Does it offer any benefit?

Well, archery offers both physical and mental benefits. The act of drawing a bow is an exercise and can help you burn calories, as well as build up certain muscle groups. So, if you are looking to stay fit, archery can be a good form of exercise. Archery is a great form of exercise that helps provide upper body strength, confidence, relaxation and coordination. When you draw the bowstring, your shoulder, arms, hands, back and chest are involved. So drawing a bow can help you stabilize your leg muscles and core muscles for balance.

When you are successful in a competitive archery, you can gain self-esteem and confidence. Winning a competition and boosting your confidence can help you in other aspects of your life. Merely seeing your arrow fly and hit the target can give you a relaxing and satisfying experience. With archery, you can gain hand-eye coordination. When you practice standing correctly, nocking an arrow , drawing your bow, setting up your shot and releasing the arrow, you are sure to gain hand-eye coordination.

References to archery are also frequently made in Greek mythology, in which the story told of Odysseus in Book 21 of the Odyssey is a well-known example. Odysseus is mentioned as being eminently skilled in the art of archery. Odysseus, back from the Trojan war and disguised as a shepherd, is the only one able to draw his own bow and shoot an arrow through twelve rings.

This way he can prove to his wife who he is and defeat all of those who had taken advantage of his long absence. English literature also honours the longbow for famous victories in the battles of Crecy, Agincourt and Poitiers. The first known organised competition in archery was held at Finsbury, England in and had participants.

By the time of the 30 Years War it was clear that, due to the introduction of gunpowder, the bow as a weapon belonged in the past. Real name :. Development in Asia When the Chinese introduced archery to Japan in the sixth century, it had an overriding influence on later etiquette and techniques. Mythology The popularity of archery is reflected in the many ballads and folklore, such as for instance Robin Hood, to name the most famous one. Since then, archery has developed as a recreational and competitive sport.

Archery History. Archery came to the Americas via Alaska some 8, years ago. Slowly, archery became important military and hunting skill across the world. With it mounted archery became a characteristic feature of Eurasian nomad cultures and a one of the major reasons of their military success. Ancient civilizations also had large numbers of archers in their armies. They used them against massed formations of infantry and cavalry. When the firearms started appearing, archery as a skill started to decline.

Early firearms were very inferior in rate-of-fire in relation to bow and arrow, and could be rarely used in wet weather, but they had a longer effective range, greater penetration, and were tactically superior. Soldiers also needed less training to use a gun than to use a bow and arrow. Highly trained archers became, in time, obsolete on the battlefield but archery continued in some areas.

Archery was used in Scottish Highlands during the repression that followed the decline of the Jacobite cause and by the Cherokees after the Trail of Tears in s. With the ending of the Satsuma Rebellion in in Japan, some rebels started using bows and arrows. Armies of Korea and China trained archers until the transition between the 19th and 20th century.

Ottoman Empire had mounted archery until the post reforms to the Ottoman Army. Archery achieved revival thanks to the upper-classes of Britain which started practicing it as a recreation between and