View source for Archery

{{short description|Using a bow to shoot arrows}}
{{Other uses}}
{{redirect|Archer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
[[File:ArcheryGermanyEarly1980s-2.jpg|thumb|Archery competition in June 1983 at [[Mönchengladbach]], [[West Germany]]]]

'''Archery''' is the sport, practice, or skill of using a [[Bow and arrow|bow]] to [[shooting|shoot]] [[arrow]]s.<ref name=Paterson17>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17</ref> The word comes from the [[Latin]] ''arcus'', meaning bow.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Charlton T. Lewis |author2=Charles Short |title=Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, arcus |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=arcus |website=Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary |publisher=Oxford. Clarendon Press |access-date=23 September 2020 |date=1879}}</ref> Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an '''archer''', '''bowman''', or '''toxophilite'''.<ref>The noun "toxophilite", meaning "a lover or devotee of archery, an archer" derives from ''[[Toxophilus]]'' by [[Roger Ascham]] —"imaginary proper name invented by Ascham, and hence title of his book (1545), intended to mean 'lover of the bow'." "toxophilite, n." ''Oxford English Dictionary''. Second edition, 1989; online version November 2010. <http://www.oed.com:80/Entry/204131>; accessed 10 March 2011. Earlier version first published in ''New English Dictionary'', 1913.</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of archery}}

===Origins and ancient archery===
The oldest known evidence of [[arrow]]s (not found with surviving bows) comes from [[South Africa|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.<ref name="Lombard2020">{{Cite journal|title=The tip cross-sectional areas of poisoned bone arrowheads from southern Africa |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports |volume=33 |year=2020 |doi= 10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102477 |vauthors=Lombard M|page=102477 |bibcode=2020JArSR..33j2477L |s2cid=224889105 }}</ref><ref name="Backwell">Backwell L, d'Errico F, Wadley L.(2008). Middle Stone Age bone tools from the Howiesons Poort layers, Sibudu Cave, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science, 35:1566–1580. {{doi|10.1016/j.jas.2007.11.006}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wadley |first1=Lyn |year=2008 |title=The Howieson's Poort industry of Sibudu Cave |journal=South African Archaeological Society Goodwin Series |volume=10}}</ref><ref name="Lombard">{{Cite journal|title=Indications of bow and stone-tipped arrow use 64,000 years ago in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |journal=Antiquity |volume=84 |issue=325 |pages=635–648 |year=2010 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00100134 |vauthors=Lombard M, Phillips L|s2cid=162438490 }}</ref><ref name="Lombard M">{{Cite journal|title=Quartz-tipped arrows older than 60 ka: further use-trace evidence from Sibudu, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, South Africa |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |year=2011 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2011.04.001 |vauthors=Lombard M|volume=38 |issue=8 |pages=1918–1930 |bibcode=2011JArSc..38.1918L }}</ref><ref name="Backwell2018">Backwell L, Bradfield J, Carlson KJ, Jashashvili T, Wadley L, d'Errico F.(2018). The antiquity of bow-and-arrow technology: evidence from Middle Stone Age layers at Sibudu Cave. Journal of Archaeological Science, 92:289–303. {{doi|10.15184/aqy.2018.11}}</ref>

However, the earliest remains of complete bows and arrows are found in [[Northern Europe]]. These include the evidence found at Mannheim-Vogelstang, in modern-day [[Germany]], dated 17,500 to 18,000 years ago, and also at Stellmoor dated 11,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rebay-Salisbury |first1=Katharina |last2=Pany-Kucera |first2=Doris |title=Ages and Abilities: The Stages of Childhood and their Social Recognition in Prehistoric Europe and Beyond |date=8 October 2020 |publisher=Archaeopress Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-78969-769-8 |page=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qfMPEAAAQBAJ&dq=stellmoor+oldest+bow&pg=PA12 |language=en |quote="...oldest bow and arrow fragments are from Stellmoor, Germany, Ahrensburgian terminal Paleolithic (c. 11,000 BP) (Cattelain 1994)"}}</ref>

[[Azilian]] points found in [[Grotte du Bichon]], Switzerland, alongside 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.<ref>« La grotte du Bichon, un site préhistorique des montagnes neuchâteloises  », Archéologie neuchâteloise 42, 2009.</ref>

Other signs of its use in Europe come from the {{Interlanguage link|Stellmoor|de}} in the {{Interlanguage link|Ahrensburg valley|de|3=Stellmoor–Ahrensburger Tunneltal}} north of [[Hamburg]], Germany and dates from the late [[Paleolithic]], about 10,000–9000 BC. The arrows were made of [[pine]] and consisted of a main shaft and a {{convert|15|–|20|cm|abbr=on}} fore shaft with a [[flint]] point. There are no definite earlier bows; previous pointed shafts are known, but may have been launched by [[spear-thrower]]s rather than bows. The [[Holmegaard bow|oldest bows]] known so far comes from the [[Holmegaard|Holmegård]] swamp in Denmark. 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.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Inter-group violence among early Holocene hunter-gatherers of West Turkana, Kenya|journal = Nature|pages = 394–398|volume = 529|issue = 7586|doi = 10.1038/nature16477|first1 = M. Mirazón|last1 = Lahr|first2 = F.|last2 = Rivera|first3 = R.K.|last3 = Power|first4 = A.|last4 = Mounier|first5 = B.|last5 = Copsey|first6 = F.|last6 = Crivellaro|first7 = J.E.|last7 = Edung|first8 = J.M. Maillo|last8 = Fernandez|first9 = C.|last9 = Kiarie|pmid=26791728|year=2016|bibcode = 2016Natur.529..394L|s2cid = 4462435|url = https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/253726}}</ref> 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, including Mexico and among the [[Inuit]].

Bows and arrows have been present in [[Egypt]]ian and neighbouring [[Nubia]]n culture since its respective [[Predynastic Egypt|predynastic]] and [[Pre-Kerma]] origins. In the [[Levant]], artifacts that could be arrow-shaft straighteners are known from the [[Natufian culture]], (c. 10,800–8,300 BC) onwards.

[[Classical antiquity|Classical]] civilizations, notably the [[ancient Assyrians|Assyrians]], [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]], [[History of Armenia|Armenians]], [[Achaemenid Empire|Persians]], [[Parthia]]ns, [[Ancient Rome|Roman]]s, [[History of India|Indians]], [[History of Korea|Koreans]], [[History of China|Chinese]], and [[History of Japan|Japanese]] fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. [[Akkadian Empire|Akkadians]] were the first to use [[composite bows]] in war according to the victory stele of [[Naram-Sin of Akkad]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zutterman|first=C.|date=2003|title=The bow in the Ancient Near East. A re-evaluation of archery from the late 2nd Millennium to the end of the Achaemenid empire|journal=Iranica Antiqua|volume= XXXVIII}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mc Leod|first=W.E.|date=Jan 1962|title=Egyptian Composite Bows in New York|journal=American Journal of Archaeology|volume= 66|issue=1}}</ref> The Bronze Age Aegean Cultures were able to deploy a number of state-owned specialized bow makers for warfare and hunting purposes already from the 15th century BC.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bakas|first=Spyros|date=2016|title=Composite Bows in Minoan And Mycenaean Warfare|url=https://www.academia.edu/27466913|journal=Syndesmoi|publisher=University of Catania|volume=4}}</ref> The [[Welsh longbow]] proved its worth for the first time in Continental warfare at the [[Battle of Crécy]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Bow Evolution | url = http://www.archery-den.com/bow-evolution/ | access-date = 12 December 2016 | archive-date = 20 December 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220091812/http://www.archery-den.com/bow-evolution/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> In the Americas archery was widespread at European contact.<ref>{{cite book|last=Zimmerman|first=Larry J.|title=1985 Peoples of Prehistoric South Dakota|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln and London}}</ref>

Archery was highly developed in Asia. The composite bow was likely invented in [[central Asia]], with the [[Scythians]] being the likely inventors of the first composite bows.<ref name="Loades" /> The [[Sanskrit]] term for archery, [[Dhanurveda|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.<ref>[[Book of the Later Han]] [http://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%BE%8C%E6%BC%A2%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B785]"句驪一名貊耳有別種依小水為居因名曰小水貊出好弓所謂貊弓是也"</ref><ref name="koreantrad">{{citation|title=Korean Traditional Archery|last1=Duvernay|first1=Thomas A.|last2=Duvernay|first2=Nicholas Y.|publisher=Handong Global University|year=2007}}</ref>

===Medieval archery===
The medieval shortbow was technically identical with the classical era bows, having a range of approximately {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}. 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 the early [[Crusades]], with models having a range of {{convert|274|m|abbr=on}} and being able to penetrate armour or kill a horse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bow-medieval-warfare|title=The Bow In Medieval Warfare}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collections.royalarmouries.org/hundred-years-war/people.html |title=People of the Hundred Years' War |publisher=Royal Armouries Collections |access-date=17 April 2022 |date=24 May 2018 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929195646/https://collections.royalarmouries.org/hundred-years-war/people.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Like their predecessors archers were more likely to be peasants or yeomen than men-at-arms. The longbow had a range of up to {{convert|270|m|abbr=on}}. However its lack of accuracy at long ranges made it a mass weapon rather than an individual one. Significant victories attributable to the longbow, such as the [[Battle of Crecy]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Trebuchet Energy Efficiency – Experimental Results|first=Ronald|last=Rhoten|date=9 January 2006|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/6.2006-775|isbn=978-1624100390}}</ref> and [[Battle of Agincourt]] resulted in the [[English longbow]] becoming part of military lore.

===Mounted archery===
{{Main|Mounted archery}}
[[File:Maximilian 1470.png|thumb|upright|Hunting for flying birds from the back of a galloping horse was considered the top category of archery. The favourite hobby of Prince [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian]], engraved by [[Dürer]] ]]

The [[Scythians]] became extremely adept at [[Mounted archery|archery on horseback]], and may have invented the first true composite bow, which they spread across Europe and Asia.<ref name="Loades">{{cite book |last1=Loades |first1=Mike |title=The Composite Bow |date=25 August 2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-2161-4 |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwSGDAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> Lightly armoured, but highly mobile archers were excellently suited to warfare in 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.<ref name="HorseArchery">{{citation|title=The Horse, The Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the World|last1=Anthony|first1=David W.|year=2007|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0691058870}}</ref> [[Seljuk Turks]] used mounted archers against the European [[First Crusade]], especially at the [[Battle of Dorylaeum (1097)]]. One of their tactics was to shoot at the enemy infantry, and use their superior mobility to prevent 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".<ref name="ChinaEnemies">{{citation|title=Ancient China & Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History|last1=Di Cosmo|first1=Nicola|year=2001|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0521770644}}</ref> For example, Xiong-nu mounted bowmen made them more than a match for the Han military.<ref name="ChinaEnemies" /> It is possible that "barbarian" peoples were responsible for introducing archery or certain types of bows to their "civilized" counterparts.<ref name="JapanBows">{{citation|title=Armed Martial Arts of Japan: Swordsmanship and Archery|last1=Hurst III|first1=G. Cameron|year=1998|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=0300049676}}</ref>

[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] developed a culture of horseback archery after the introduction of the horse by European explorers in the second millennium.<ref>[[T. R. Fehrenbach|Fehrenbach, Theodore Reed]] (1974) The Comanches: The Destruction of a People. Knopf, New York, {{ISBN|0394488563}}; republished in 2003 under the title The Comanches: The History of a People. New York: Anchor Books. {{ISBN|1400030498}}.</ref>

===Decline of archery===
The development of [[Gunpowder warfare|firearms]] rendered 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.<ref>Steven Gunn, ''Archery Practice in Early Tudor England'', Past and Present, (2010) Vol. 209 (1): 53–81. {{doi|10.1093/pastj/gtq029}}</ref> 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, [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|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<ref name="koreantrad" /> 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 the battlefield. However, the bow and arrow is still an effective weapon, and archers have seen military action in the 21st century.<ref>Bows and arrows: deadly weapons of rural Kenya's war. Njoro, Kenya (AFP) 2 February 2008 http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Bows_and_arrows_deadly_weapons_of_rural_Kenyas_war_999.html accessed 21 July 2012</ref><ref>Peace and Poison Arrows in Kenya. By Alexis Okeowo/Nairobi Friday, 29 February 2008. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080302151221/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1718460,00.html] accessed 21at July 2012</ref><ref>The National Disaster in Sad Pictures! http://www.ogiek.org/election-war/election-war-4.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304130250/http://www.ogiek.org/election-war/election-war-4.htm |date=4 March 2022 }} accessed 21 July 2012</ref> Traditional archery remains in use for sport, and for hunting in many areas.

===English 18th century revival as a sport===
[[File:The meeting of the Royal British Bowmen in the grounds of Erthig, Denbighshire.jpeg|thumb|A print of the 1822 meeting of the "Royal British Bowmen" archery club.]] 
Early recreational archery societies in England included the Finsbury Archers and the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers. The latter's annual [[Popinjay (sport)|Papingo]] event was first recorded in 1483. (In this event, archers shoot vertically from the base of an abbey tower to dislodge a wood pigeon placed approximately {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}} above.)<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us - Club History|url=http://www.kilwinningarchers.com/about_us.php|website=Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers|access-date=24 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202030330/http://www.kilwinningarchers.com/about_us.php|archive-date=2 February 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Royal Company of Archers was formed in 1676 and is one of the oldest sporting bodies in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Norton|first1=William|title=Royal Company of Archers|url=http://yeomenoftheguard.com/company_of_archers.htm|website=Yeomen of the Queen's Body Guard|access-date=24 January 2017|archive-date=31 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331001405/http://yeomenoftheguard.com/company_of_archers.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 the Toxophilite Society in London in 1781, with the patronage of [[George IV|George, the Prince of Wales]].
[[File:Archers by Adam Buck.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Fashionable female archers, 1799]]
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 salute]]s for the competitors. The clubs were "the drawing rooms of 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Johnes |first=Martin |url=https://swansea.academia.edu/MartinJohnes/Papers/127610/Archery--Romance-and-Elite-Culture-in-England-and-Wales--c--1780-1840 |title= Archery, Romance and Elite Culture in England and Wales, c. 1780–1840 |journal=History |year=2004 |volume=89 |issue=294 |pages=193–208 |publisher=Swansea.academia.edu |doi=10.1111/j.1468-229X.2004.00297.x |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref> It was often consciously styled in the manner of a [[Medieval]] [[tournament]] with titles and [[laurel wreath]]s 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 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 [[Industrialisation|preindustrial]] rural Britain. Particularly influential was Sir [[Walter Scott]]'s 1819 novel, ''[[Ivanhoe]]'' that depicted the heroic character Lockseley winning an archery tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/archers.html |title=The Royal Company of Archers |access-date=17 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121125050714/http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/archers.html |archive-date=25 November 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Lieksa.vaakuna.svg|thumb|upright=0.6|An archery in the coat of arms of [[Lieksa]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Suomen kunnallisvaakunat |publisher=Suomen Kunnallisliitto |year=1982 |page=123 |isbn=9517730853 |language=fi}}</ref> based on the 1669 seal of the old town of Brahea.<ref>[https://runeberg.org/tieto/1/0660.html Branea–Brahma - Projekt Runeberg] {{in lang|fi}}</ref>]]

===A modern sport===
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 {{convert|55|m|abbr=on}}, {{convert|73|m|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}. [[Horace A. Ford]] helped to improve archery standards and pioneered new archery techniques. He won the Grand National 11 times in a row and published a highly influential guide to the sport in 1856.

[[File:Saxton Pope and grizzly.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Picture of [[Saxton Pope]] taken while grizzly hunting at Yellowstone]]
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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Archery results – Pari 1900|url=http://www.olympic.org/content/results-and-medalists/gamesandsportsummary/?sport=31766&games=1900%2f1&event=122225|website=olympic.org|access-date=11 June 2014}}</ref>

The National Archery Association of the United States was organized in 1879, in part by [[Maurice Thompson]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Inductee – J. Maurice Thompson - Archery Hall of Fame and Museum|url=http://www.archeryhalloffame.com/Thamposn,%20Maurice.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=www.archeryhalloffame.com}}</ref> (the author of the seminal text “[[The Witchery of Archery]]”) and his brother [[William Thompson (archer)|Will Thompson]]. Maurice was president in its inaugural year and Will was president in 1882, 1903, and 1904.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Inductee – Will H. Thompson- Archery Hall of Fame and Museum|url=http://www.archeryhalloffame.com/Thompson%20Will.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=www.archeryhalloffame.com}}</ref> The 1910 President was Frank E Canfield.<ref>1910 Spalding Official Archery Guide, Spalding Athletic Library & Library of Congress.[http://nebula.wsimg.com/3e8092da33da68bda77739463098a2fd?AccessKeyId=A203C91555201A4407B4&disposition=0&alloworigin=1//] Retrieved Dec 11, 2020</ref> Today it is known as USA Archery and is recognized by [[United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee]].<ref>Geneva Archery. [http://www.genevaarchery.com/archery%20info.htm//] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708110314/http://www.genevaarchery.com/archery%20info.htm|date=8 July 2020}} Retrieved Dec 11, 2020</ref>

In the United States, primitive archery was revived in the early 20th century. The last of the [[Yahi#Yahi|Yahi Indian]] tribe, a native known as [[Ishi]], came out of hiding in California in 1911.<ref>{{citation|title=The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Volume 4|last1=Allely|first1=Steve|year=2008|publisher=The Lyons Press|isbn=978-0964574168|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Ishi in Two Worlds: a biography of the last wild Indian in North America|last=Kroeber|first=Theodora|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|place=Berkeley|year=2004|isbn=978-0520240377}}</ref> His doctor, [[Saxton Pope]], learned many of Ishi's traditional archery skills, and popularized them.<ref>{{citation|title=Hunting with the Bow and Arrow|last=Pope|first=Saxton|publisher= G. P. Putnam's Sons|place=New York|year=1925}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Adventurous Bowmen: field notes on African archery|last=Pope|first=Saxton|publisher=[[G. P. Putnam's Sons]]|place=New York|year=1926}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2016}} {{citation needed span|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 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.|date=May 2016}}

[[File:Archery contest at CNE, 1931.tif|thumb|right|Five women taking part in an archery contest in 1931]] 
From the 1920s, professional engineers took an interest in archery, previously the exclusive field of traditional craft experts.<ref name="technical">{{citation|title=Archery: The Technical Side. A compilation of scientific and technical articles on theory, construction, use and performance of bows and arrows, reprinted from journals of science and of archery|last1=Hickman|first1=C. N.|last2=Nagler|first2=Forrest|last3=Klopsteg|first3=Paul E.|publisher=[[National Field Archery Association]]|year=1947}}</ref> They led the commercial development of new forms of bow including the modern [[recurve bow|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.<ref>Bertalan, Dan. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=sYBT1c2NKVoC&pg=PA73 Traditional Bowyers Encyclopedia]'':
''The Bowhunting and Bowmaking World of the Nation's Top Crafters of Longbows and Recurves'', 2007. p. 73.</ref>

===Mythology===
[[File:Vishwamitra archery training-1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Vishwamitra]] archery training from [[Ramayana]]]]
[[File:Herakles the Archer - Émile Antoine Bourdelle - ABDAG004586.jpg|thumb|''Herakles the Archer'' by [[Émile Antoine Bourdelle]]]]

Deities and heroes in several mythologies are described as archers, including the Greek [[Artemis]] and [[Apollo]], the Roman [[Diana (mythology)|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 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]]''.<ref>
[http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/digital-illustration-of-skilled-archer-arjuna-aiming-arrow-at-fish-hung-from-revolving-wheel-above-h-dorling-kindersley.jpg Digital illustration of skilled archer Arjuna aiming arrow at fish hung from revolving wheel above by Doring Kindersley], Fine Art America</ref>
Persian [[Arash (mythology)|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, a similar motif is present in the Turkic Iranian heroic archeheroic poem ''Alpamysh''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zhimunsky|first=Victor|date=1966|title=The Epic of 'Alpamysh' and the Return of Odysseus|journal=Proceedings of the British Academy|volume=52|pages=267–286}}</ref>

The {{Transliteration|grc|[[Nymphai Hyperboreioi]]}} ({{lang|grc|Νύμφαι Ὑπερβόρειοι}}) were worshipped on the Greek island of Delos as attendants of [[Artemis]], presiding over aspects of archery; {{Transliteration|grc|Hekaerge}} ({{lang|grc|Ἑκαέργη}}), represented distancing, {{Transliteration|grc|Loxo}} ({{lang|grc|Λοξώ}}), trajectory, and {{Transliteration|grc|Oupis}} ({{lang|grc|Οὖπις}}), aim.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiHyperboreiai.html |title=Nymphai Hyperboreioi at Theoi Greek Mythology |publisher=Theoi.com |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref>

[[Hou Yi|Yi the archer]] and his apprentice [[Feng Meng]] appear in several early Chinese myths,<ref name="selby">{{citation
| title= Chinese Archery
| last= Selby| first = Stephen
| publisher= Hong Kong University Press
| year= 2000
| isbn= 978-9622095014
}}</ref> and the historical character of [[Zhou Tong (archer)|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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ok|first1= Gwang|last2= Seokgyu|first2= Choi|first3= Hee|last3= Surk Jeong|date=2010|title='The Disturbance of War': The Ancient Origin and Development of Korean Archery|journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport|volume=27|issue=3|pages=523–536|doi=10.1080/09523360903556824|s2cid=161376479}}</ref>

In [[West Africa]]n [[Yoruba religion|Yoruba]] belief, [[Ochosi|Osoosi]] is one of several deities of the hunt who are identified with bow and arrow iconography and other insignia associated with archery.

==Equipment==
===Types of bows===
{{Main|Bow and arrow}}
[[File:Pacific Yew Selfbow.jpg|thumb|upright|A Pacific yew selfbow drawn by the ''split finger'' method. Selfbows are made from a single piece of wood.]]

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 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 bow]]s, [[laminated bow]]s and [[composite bow]]s. Bows can also be classified by the [[shape|bow shape]] of the limbs when unstrung; in contrast to traditional European straight bows, a [[Recurve bow#Recurve bow|recurve bow]] and some types of longbow have tips that curve away from 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 bow]]s 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 is the Penobscot bow or [[Wabenaki]] bow, invented by Frank Loring (Chief Big Thunder) about 1900.<ref>The Penobscot War Bow. Gordon M Day. Contributions to Canadian Ethnology 1975. Canadian Ethnology Service Paper no. 31. {{ISSN|0316-1854}}. Ottawa 1975.</ref> 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 [[Kyūdō|Japanese archery]]. The arrows are released from 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 bow]]s 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 the ends of the limbs to achieve this. A typical let-off is anywhere from 65% to 80%. For example, a {{convert|27|kg|abbr=on}} bow with 80% let-off only requires {{convert|53|N|abbr=on}} to hold at full draw. Up to 99% let-off is possible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://conceptarchery.com/ |title=99% Let Off Bows |publisher=Concept Archery |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref> 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 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 engine]]s.

===Types of arrows and fletchings===
{{Main|Arrow}}
[[File:Brazilarcher.jpg|thumb|A [[Rikbaktsa]] archer competes at Brazil's Indigenous Games]]

The most common form of arrow consists of a [[Arrow straightener|shaft]], with an [[arrowhead]] at the front end, and [[fletching]]s and a [[Arrow#Nocks|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]], [[glass-reinforced plastic|fiberglass]], [[aluminium alloy]], [[carbon fiber]], or [[composite material]]s. Wooden arrows are prone to warping. Fiberglass arrows are brittle, but can be produced to uniform specifications easily. Aluminium shafts were 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 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.

[[File:Spliced feather 0002.jpg|thumb|Shield cut straight fletching – here the hen [[feather]]s are barred red]]

[[Fletching]] is traditionally made from bird feathers, but solid plastic vanes and thin sheet-like spin vanes are used. They are attached near 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 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 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) 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-flu arrow|flu-flus]]''. Misplacement of fletchings can change the arrow's flight path dramatically.

===Bowstring===
{{Main|Bowstring}}

[[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 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.<ref name="arabarchery">{{cite book
 |title = Arab Archery: An Arabic manuscript of about AD 1500, "A book on the excellence of the bow & arrow" and the description thereof
 |author1 = Nabih Amin Faris
 |author2 = Robert Potter Elmer
 |publisher = Princeton University Press
 |year = 1945
 |url = http://www.sacred-archery.com/arab%20archery%20anno%20domini%201500.pdf
 |url-status = dead
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090225181419/http://www.sacred-archery.com/arab%20archery%20anno%20domini%201500.pdf
 |archive-date = 25 February 2009
 |df = dmy-all
}}</ref> [[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.

===Protective equipment===
{{Main|Bracer|Finger tab|Thumb ring}}
[[File:Finger-tab hg.jpg|thumb|A right-hand finger tab to protect the hand while the string is drawn]]

Most modern archers wear a [[bracer (archery)|bracer]] (also known as an arm-guard) to protect 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.<ref name="ketoh">{{cite web
 |title=Ketoh 
 |url=http://www.millicentrogers.org/ketoh.htm 
 |publisher=Millicent Rogers Museum of Northern New Mexico 
 |access-date=6 May 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908045648/http://www.millicentrogers.org/ketoh.htm 
 |archive-date=8 September 2008 
}}</ref> Some archers (nearly all female archers) wear protection on their chests, called chestguards or plastrons. The myth of the [[Amazons]] was that they had one breast removed to solve this problem.<ref>{{Cite OED|Amazon}}</ref> [[Roger Ascham]] mentions one archer, presumably with an unusual shooting style, who wore a leather guard for his face.<ref name="ascham">{{citation
| title= Toxophilus – the School of Shooting
| last= Ascham| first = Roger
| year= 1545
| publisher= Read Books| isbn= 978-1846643699
}}</ref>

The drawing digits are normally protected by a leather [[finger tab|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.<ref name="warbow">{{citation
| author1= Strickland, M.
| title= The Great Warbow
| author2= Hardy, R.
| publisher= Sutton Publishing
| year= 2005
| isbn= 978-0750931670
}}</ref>

Eurasiatic archers who used the thumb or Mongolian draw protected their thumbs, usually with leather according to the author of ''Arab Archery'',<ref>
{{Citation
 |last = Faris
 |first = Nabih Amin
 |title = Arab Archery
 |publisher = Kessinger
 |year = 2007
 |isbn = 978-1432628833
 }}
</ref> but also with [[thumb ring|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 [[Kyūdō|Japanese archery]] a special [[yugake|glove]] is used that has a ridge to assist in drawing the string.<ref name="Elmer R.P. pages 345-349">Elmer, R. P. ''Target Archery'' (1952), pp. 345–349</ref>

===Release aids===
{{Main|Release aid}}
[[File:Release-aid.jpg|thumb|right|Release aid]]
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 a pre-determined tension.

===Stabilizers===
{{Main|Stabiliser (archery)}}
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 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 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.

==Shooting technique and form==
[[File:Mediaeval archery reenactment.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Historical reenactment]] of medieval archery]]
[[File:Thrill of the hunt.jpg|thumb|Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Peterson demonstrates safe archery techniques while aiming an arrow at a target on the 28th Force Support Squadron trap and skeet range at [[Ellsworth Air Force Base]], S.D., 11 October 2012.]]

The standard convention on teaching archery is to hold the bow depending upon eye dominance.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is eye dominance? Why does it matter for my first bow?|url=http://esdf.org/discover-archery/equipment/what-is-eye-dominance-why-does-it-matter-for-my-first-bow/|website=Discover Archery|publisher=Easton Foundations|access-date=24 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230013714/http://esdf.org/discover-archery/equipment/what-is-eye-dominance-why-does-it-matter-for-my-first-bow/|archive-date=30 December 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> (One exception is in modern [[kyūdō]] where all archers are trained to hold the bow in the left hand.)<ref>{{cite web|last1=Deprospero|first1=Dan and Jackie|title=One Point Lessons: A collection of simple lessons and explanations of Kyudo technique|url=http://www.kyudo.com/kyudo-l.html|website=Meishin Kyudojo|access-date=24 January 2017}}</ref> 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 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 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.

===Modern form===
To shoot an arrow, an archer first assumes 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 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 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 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 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.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Billets to Bows|last=St. Charles|first=Glenn|date=March 1996|publisher=Saint Charles Enterprises |isbn=978-0965139403}}</ref>

Another type of string hold, used on traditional bows, is 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 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 {{convert|4|cm|abbr=on}}, where the draw weight is at its maximum—before relaxing into a comfortable stable full draw position. The archer draws 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 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.

In modern form, the archer stands erect, forming a "T". The archer's lower [[trapezius muscle]]s are used to pull the arrow to the anchor point. Some modern recurve bows are equipped with a mechanical device, called a clicker, which produces a clicking sound when the archer reaches the correct draw length. , traditional English Longbow shooters step "into the bow", exerting force with both the bow arm and the string hand arm simultaneously, especially when using bows having draw weights from {{convert|45|kg|abbr=on}} to over {{convert|80|kg|abbr=on}}. Heavily stacked traditional bows (recurves, long bows, and the like) are released immediately upon reaching full draw at maximum weight, whereas compound bows reach their maximum weight around the last {{convert|4|cm|abbr=on}}, dropping holding weight significantly at full draw. Compound bows are often held at full draw for a short time to achieve maximum accuracy.

The arrow is typically released by relaxing the fingers of the drawing hand (see [[bow draw]]), or triggering the mechanical release aid. Usually the release aims to keep the drawing arm rigid, the bow hand relaxed, and the arrow is moved back using the back muscles, as opposed to using just arm motions. An archer should also pay attention to the recoil or ''follow through'' of his or her body, as it may indicate problems with form (technique) that affect accuracy.

==Aiming methods==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2011}}[[File:Archery in Bhutan.jpg|thumb|Archery in Bhutan]]
[[File:DEGAN Gabin ( archery).jpg|thumb|Archer in Benin]]

There are two main forms of aiming in archery: using a mechanical or fixed sight, or barebow.

Mechanical sights can be affixed to the bow to aid in aiming. They can be as simple as a pin, or may use optics with magnification. Modern compound bows usually also have a peep sight (rear sight) built into the string, which aids in a consistent anchor point, but this is not allowed for other bow types under World Archery. Modern compound<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sung |first1=LokMan |last2=Kesha |first2=Kilak |last3=Avedschmidt |first3=Sarah |last4=Root |first4=Kelly |last5=Hlavaty |first5=Leigh |date=2017-06-12 |title=The Modern Compound Bow |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1556-4029.13503 |journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=130–139 |doi=10.1111/1556-4029.13503 |pmid=28605023 |hdl=2027.42/141095 |s2cid=46806116 |issn=0022-1198|hdl-access=free }}</ref> bows automatically limit the draw length to give a consistent arrow velocity, while traditional bows allow great variation in draw length. Some bows use mechanical methods to make the draw length consistent. Barebow archers often use a sight picture, which includes the target, the bow, the hand, the arrow shaft and the arrow tip, as seen at the same time by the archer. With a fixed "anchor point" (where the string is brought to, or close to, the face), and a fully extended bow arm, successive shots taken with the sight picture in the same position fall on the same [[Predicted impact point|point]]. This lets the archer adjust aim with successive shots to achieve accuracy.

Modern archery equipment usually includes [[Sight (device)|sights]]. Instinctive aiming is used by many archers who use traditional bows. The two most common forms of a non-mechanical release are split-finger and three-under. Split-finger aiming requires the archer to place the index finger above the nocked arrow, while the middle and ring fingers are both placed below. Three-under aiming places the index, middle, and ring fingers under the nocked arrow. This technique allows the archer to better look down the arrow since the back of the arrow is closer to the dominant eye, and is commonly called "gun barreling" (referring to common aiming techniques used with firearms).

When using short bows or shooting from horseback, it is difficult to use the sight picture. The archer may look at the target, but without including the weapon in the field of accurate view. Aiming then involves hand-eye coordination—which includes [[proprioception]] and motor-muscle memory, similar to that used when throwing a ball. With sufficient practice, such archers can normally achieve good practical accuracy for hunting or for war.<ref name="lehman">{{citation
| title= Nine years among the Indians, 1870–1879
| last= Lehman
| first= Herman
| publisher= University of New Mexico Press
| year= 1927
| isbn= 0-8263-1417-1
| quote= I amused myself by making blunt arrows... Plugging hats became one of my favorite pastimes. The boys would put their hats off about a hundred yards and bet me the drinks that I could not hit them. I would get the drinks every time...
| url-access= registration
| url= https://archive.org/details/nineyearsamongin00herm
}}</ref> Aiming without a sight picture may allow more rapid shooting, not however increasing accuracy.

=== Intuitive shooting ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-18-07-16, Tibetexpedition, Volksfest, Bogenschütze.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Tibet]]an archer, 1938]]
Intuitive shooting is a style of shooting that includes the barebow aiming method that relies heavily upon the subconscious mind, proprioception, and motor/muscle memory to make aiming adjustments; the term used to refer to a general category of archers who did not use a mechanical or fixed sight.<ref name="bear">{{citation
| title= The Archer's Bible
| last= Bear| first = Fred
| publisher= Doubleday
| place= Garden City, NJ.
| year= 1980
| pages= 36–43
}}</ref> In other words, it is shooting "by feel."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Freel |first=Tyler |date=2019-04-09 |title=Breaking Trad: Archery Lessons from Tom Clum Sr. |url=https://www.outdoorlife.com/shooting-lessons-learned-from-master-traditional-archery/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Outdoor Life |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Gap shooting ===
Gap shooting is an aiming method used by instinctive shooters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sorrells |first=Brian J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P5miJc4EbYwC |title=Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery |date=2004 |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=978-0-8117-3133-1 |language=en}}</ref> It involves consciously focusing on the tip of the arrow while maintaining awareness of the target. The archer must adjust the arrow's trajectory by gauging the distance between the arrow tip and the target, ensuring accurate shots.<ref name=":0" />

== Physics ==
[[File:Mongol soldiers by Rashid al-Din 1305.JPG|thumb|Mongol archers during the time of the [[Mongol conquests]] used a smaller bow suitable for horse archery. BnF. MS. Supplément Persan 1113. 1430–1434 AD.]]

When a projectile is thrown by hand, the speed of the projectile is determined by the [[kinetic energy]] imparted by the thrower's muscles performing [[Work (physics)|work]]. However, the energy must be imparted over a limited distance (determined by arm length) and therefore (because the projectile is accelerating) over a limited time. As such, the limiting factor is not work but rather [[Power (physics)|power]], which determines how much energy can be added in the limited time available. Power generated by muscles, however, is limited by [[Muscle contraction#Force-length and force-velocity relationships|force–velocity relationship]], and even at the optimal contraction speed for power production, total work by the muscle is less than half of what it would be if the muscle contracted over the same distance at slow speeds, resulting in less than 1/4 the projectile launch velocity possible without the limitations of the force–velocity relationship.

When a bow is used, the muscles are able to perform work much more slowly, resulting in greater force and greater work done. This work is stored in the bow as [[elastic potential energy]], and when the bowstring is released, this stored energy is imparted to the arrow much more quickly than can be delivered by the muscles, resulting in much higher velocity and, hence, greater distance. This same process is employed by frogs, which use elastic tendons to increase jumping distance. In archery, some energy dissipates through [[Hysteresis#Elastic hysteresis|elastic hysteresis]], reducing the overall amount released when the bow is shot. Of the remaining energy, some is dampened both by the limbs of the bow and the bowstring. Depending on the arrow's elasticity, some of the energy is also absorbed by compressing the arrow, primarily because the release of the bowstring is rarely in line with the arrow shaft, causing it to flex out to one side. This is because the bowstring accelerates faster than the archer's fingers can open, and consequently some sideways motion is imparted to the string, and hence arrow nock, as the power and speed of the bow pulls the string off the opening fingers.

Even with a release aid mechanism some of this effect is usually experienced, since the string always accelerates faster than the retaining part of the mechanism. This makes the arrow oscillate in flight—its center flexing to one side and then the other repeatedly, gradually reducing as the arrow's flight proceeds. This is clearly visible in high-speed photography of arrows at discharge. A direct effect of these energy transfers can clearly be seen when [[dry firing]]. Dry firing refers to releasing the bowstring without a nocked arrow. Because there is no arrow to receive the stored potential energy, almost all the energy stays in the bow. Some have suggested that dry firing may cause physical damage to the bow, such as cracks and fractures—and because most bows are not specifically made to handle the high amounts of energy dry firing produces, should never be done.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/75758007/The-Physics-of-Archery-AstraZeneca-Science-Teaching-Trust |title=The Physics of Archery AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust |website=Docstoc.com |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Alfred Jacob Miller - Snake Indians - Testing Bows - Walters 37194060.jpg|thumb|left|[[Snake Indians]] - testing bows, circa 1837 by [[Alfred Jacob Miller]], the [[Walters Art Museum]]]]

Modern arrows are made to a specified 'spine', or stiffness rating, to maintain matched flexing and hence accuracy of aim.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Park |first=James L. |date=June 2013 |title=High-speed video analysis of arrow behaviour during the power stroke of a recurve archery bow |journal=[[Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology]] |volume=227 |issue=2 |pages=128–136 |doi=10.1177/1754337112446406 |s2cid=108701325 |orig-year=1 June 2012}}</ref> This flexing can be a desirable feature, since, when the spine of the shaft is matched to the acceleration of the bow(string), the arrow bends or flexes around the bow and any arrow-rest, and consequently the arrow, and fletchings, have an un-impeded flight. This feature is known as the [[archer's paradox]]. It maintains accuracy, for if part of the arrow struck a glancing blow on a part of the bow during discharge, some inconsistency would be present, and the excellent accuracy of modern equipment would not be achieved.

The accurate flight of an arrow depends on its fletchings. The arrow's manufacturer (a "fletcher") can arrange fletching to cause the arrow to rotate along its axis. This improves accuracy by evening pressure buildups that would otherwise cause the arrow to "plane" on the air in a random direction after shooting. Even with a carefully made arrow, the slightest imperfection or air movement causes some unbalanced turbulence in air flow. Consequently, rotation creates an equalization of such turbulence, which, overall, maintains the intended direction of flight i.e. accuracy. This rotation is not to be confused with the rapid gyroscopic rotation of a rifle bullet. Fletching that is not arranged to induce rotation still improves accuracy by causing a restoring drag any time the arrow tilts from its intended direction of travel.

The innovative aspect of the invention of the bow and arrow was the amount of power delivered to an extremely small area by the arrow. The huge ratio of length vs. cross sectional area, coupled with velocity, made the arrow more powerful than any other hand held weapon until firearms were invented. Arrows can spread or concentrate force, depending on the application. Practice arrows, for instance, have a blunt tip that spreads the force over a wider area to reduce the risk of injury or limit penetration. Arrows designed to pierce armor in the Middle Ages used a very narrow and sharp tip ("bodkinhead") to concentrate the force. Arrows used for hunting used a narrow tip ("broadhead") that widens further, to facilitate both penetration and a large wound.

==Hunting==
{{Main|Bow hunting}}
[[File:Mshale.jpg|thumb|[[Hadza people|Hadza]] [[hunter-gatherer]] in Tanzania]]
[[File:Bow compound.JPG|thumb|upright|A modern compound hunting bow]]

Using archery to take game animals is known as "bow hunting". Bow hunting differs markedly from hunting with firearms, as distance between hunter and prey must be much shorter to ensure a humane kill. The skills and practices of bow hunting therefore emphasize very close approach to the prey, whether by still hunting, stalking, or waiting in a blind or tree stand. In many countries, including much of the United States, bow hunting for large and small game is legal. Bow hunters generally enjoy longer seasons than are allowed with other forms of hunting such as black powder, shotgun, or rifle. Usually, compound bows are used for large game hunting due to the relatively short time it takes to master them as opposed to the longbow or recurve bow. These compound bows may feature fiber optic sights, stabilizers, and other accessories designed to increase accuracy at longer distances. Using a bow and arrow to take fish is known as "[[bow fishing]]".

==Modern competitive archery==
{{Main|Modern competitive archery}}
Competitive archery involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. This is the most popular form of competitive archery worldwide and is called [[target archery]]. A form particularly popular in Europe and [[Americas|America]] is [[field archery]], shot at targets generally set at various distances in a wooded setting. Competitive archery in the United States is governed by USA Archery and National Field Archery Association (NFAA), which also certifies instructors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Archery/Resources/About-Us |title=About Us |access-date=12 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105090748/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Archery/Resources/About-Us |archive-date=5 January 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Para-archery}}Para-archery is an adaptation of archery for athletes with a disability, governed by the [[World Archery]] (WA) and is one of the sports in the Summer [[Paralympic Games]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldarchery.org/Para-Archery |title=Para Archery |website=World Archery |publisher=World Archery Foundation |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=18 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818094415/https://worldarchery.org/Para-Archery |url-status=dead}}</ref> There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms of archery, as well as [[archery games|archery novelty games]] and [[Modern competitive archery#Flight archery|flight archery]], where the aim is to shoot the greatest distance.

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Arash]]
* [[Arab archery]]
* [[Archery Association of India]]
* [[Modern competitive archery#3D archery|3D archery]]
* [[Bow and arrow]]
* [[Bow draw]]
* [[Bowfishing]]
* [[Hunting]]
* [[Bowhunting]]
* [[Game (hunting)]]
* [[Big–game hunting]]
* [[Big five game]]
* [[Mukkha]]
* [[Clout archery]]
* [[Field archery]]
* [[Gungdo]] 
* [[Kyūdō]]
* [[Kyūjutsu]]
* [[Modern competitive archery]]
* [[Mounted archery]]
* [[Run archery]]
* [[Sagittarii]]
* [[Sagittarius (disambiguation)|Sagittarius]]
* [[Sport of Kings (disambiguation)|Sport of Kings]]
* [[Target archery]]
* [[Turkish archery]]
* [[List of archery terms]]
* [[List of notable archers]]
* [[Crossbow]]
* [[Extreme sport#List of extreme and adventure sports|List of extreme and adventure sports]]{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Enea Bianchi, “[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58763ec0c534a5e7e2b65fe2/t/61cc158783a70e720e772f68/1640764808068/Popular+inquiry_Vol9_2021_2_Bianchi_corr1.pdf Philosophies of Archery]”, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231070041/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58763ec0c534a5e7e2b65fe2/t/61cc158783a70e720e772f68/1640764808068/Popular+inquiry_Vol9_2021_2_Bianchi_corr1.pdf |date=31 December 2021 }}, in ''Popular Inquiry'', vol.2, 2021, 22–37.
* Ford, Horace (1887) [[iarchive:theorypracticeof00ford|''The Theory and Practice of Archery'']] London: Longmans, Green
* Elmer, Robert P. (Robert Potter) (1917) [https://archive.org/details/americanarcheryv00elmerich ''American Archery; a Vade Mecum of the Art of Shooting with the Long Bow''] Columbus, OH: National Archery Association of the United States
* Hansard, George Agar (1841) [https://archive.org/details/bookofarcherybei00hansuoft ''The Book of Archery: being the complete history and practice of the art, ancient and modern ...''] London: H. G. Bohn
* [[Ely Hargrove|Hargrove, Ely]] (1792) [https://archive.org/details/anecdotesofarche00harg ''Anecdotes of Archery; from the earliest ages to the year 1791. Including an account of the most famous archers of ancient and modern times; with some curious particulars in the life of Robert Fitz-Ooth Earl of Huntington, vulgarly called Robin Hood ...'']. York: printed for E. Hargrove, bookseller, Knaresbro' (later editions: York, 1845 and facsimile reprint, London: Tabard Press, 1970)
*Heath, E. G. & Chiara, Vilma (1977) ''Brazilian Indian Archery: a preliminary ethno-toxological study of the archery of the Brazilian Indians''. Manchester: Simon Archery Foundation
* Johnes, Martin. ''[https://swansea.academia.edu/MartinJohnes/Papers/127610/Archery--Romance-and-Elite-Culture-in-England-and-Wales--c--1780-1840 Archery, romance and elite culture in England and Wales, c.1780–1840]'', 89, 193–208.
* {{cite journal |doi=10.1119/1.1990474|title=Physics of Bows and Arrows|year=1943|last1=Klopsteg|first1=Paul E.|journal=American Journal of Physics|volume=11|issue=4|pages=175–192|bibcode=1943AmJPh..11..175K}}
* Klopsteg, Paul (1963) [https://archive.org/details/chapterintheevol017966mbp ''A Chapter in the Evolution of Archery in America''] Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution
*Lake, Fred & Wright, Hal (1974) ''A Bibliography of Archery: an indexed catalogue of 5,000 articles, books, films, manuscripts, periodicals and theses on the use of the bow for hunting, war, and recreation, from the earliest times to the present day''. Manchester: Simon Archery Foundation
* Morse, Edward (1922) [https://archive.org/details/arrowradditional00morsrich ''Additional notes on arrow release''] Salem, Massachusetts: Peabody Museum
* Pope, Saxton (1925) [https://archive.org/details/huntingwiththebo08084gut ''Hunting with the Bow and Arrow''] New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons
* Pope, Saxton (1918) [https://archive.org/details/yahiarcherysaxton00poperich ''Yahi Archery''] Berkeley: University of California Press
* Thompson, Maurice (1878) [https://archive.org/details/witcheryofarcher00thomuoft ''The Witchery of Archery: a Complete Manual of Archery''] New York: Scribner & Sons
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110708085701/http://www.bow-and-arrow-targets.com/FITAbowarrowtargets.html ''FITA-Style Archery Targets''] Bow and Arrow Targets
* ''The Traditional Bowyer's Bible''. [Azle, TX]: Bois d'Arc Press; New York, N.Y.: Distributed by Lyons & Burford
** ''The Traditional Bowyer's Bible''; Volume 1. 1992. {{ISBN|1-58574-085-3}}
** ''The Traditional Bowyer's Bible''; Volume 2. 1992. {{ISBN|1-58574-086-1}}
** ''The Traditional Bowyer's Bible''; Volume 3. 1994. {{ISBN|1-58574-087-X}}; {{ISBN|1-55821-311-2}}
** ''The Traditional Bowyer's Bible''; Volume 4. The Lyons Press, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-9645741-6-8}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}

* [https://sportsue.com/ Sportsue] at Archery Topic
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.paralympic.org/sport/archery Paralympic archery] at [[International Paralympic Committee|IPC]] web site
* [https://www.usarchery.org USA Archery is the National Governing Body]

{{Archery}}
{{Summer Olympic sports}}
{{Martial arts}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Archery| ]]
[[Category:Competition]]
[[Category:Hunting methods]]
[[Category:Precision sports]]
[[Category:Summer Olympic sports]]
[[Category:Medieval archery]]