Archers have had a place on the battlefield since the dawn of recorded warfare.
The bow and arrow is one of the oldest weapons in the history of warfare. It was originally invented as a means of hunting game, and is depicted in 25,000-year-old prehistoric cave art. Archers were integrated units of the Roman Army, and when the Western Roman Empire collapsed by the 4th century, the medieval nation-states that arose in Europe inherited the tradition of including archer companies in their armies. Use of the bow and arrow (and the English longbow) fell out of use by the 16th century with the arrival of gunpowder weaponry on the battlefield.
The Medieval Short Bow
The Early Medieval archer was levied from the ranks of the peasantry. The medieval bow was 5 to 6 feet long and constructed from a piece of flexible wood tethered at either end with a tensioned rope (usually hemp) that propelled the arrow. The wood most used for making bows was yew, but other woods such as ash and elm could be used. Bowmen were deployed in the battlefield to launch arrows from a safe distance while their flanks were protected by men-at-arms. This application could turn the tide of a battle, as at Hastings in 1066, when the entrenched Anglo-Saxon army was cut down by Norman archers loosing volleys into the air to land on their positions.
Arrows
Bowmen employed a diverse array of iron arrowheads. Their shapes were tailored for particular uses. Broadhead arrows are the earliest kind, with a wide shape tapering to a sharp end. They were used for hunting game, and were similarly effective at penetrating the unprotected flesh of an enemy. Bodkin arrows were invented for use in piercing armor or chain mail. They were narrower and ended in a longer, sharp point. Arrow shafts were made of ash, birch, oak and other woods. They varied in size as well. The fletch of arrows were typically the feathers from a bird's wing, usually the grey goose. These gave the arrow stability and accuracy to a target, typically with a range of 100 yards.
The English Longbow
The English longbow appeared on medieval battlefields at the beginning of the 14th century. It has its origins in Wales, and was first used by the Welsh to repulse English attacks. At 6 to 7 feet in length, it was larger than the short bow and could propel an arrow to distances of 250 yards and more. Yew was the favored wood, and the longbow was cured with resin, wax and tallow. The longbow frequently bestowed victory on the outnumbered English during the 100 Years' War with the French. The English formulated the tactic of massed longbowmen loosing arrows upon numerically-superior charging cavalry, with devastating results. Their opponents did not field a similar force, giving the English a battlefield advantage.
The Crossbow
Properly called an arbalest, the crossbow's application as a missile weapon derives from the bow and arrow. It was introduced into Europe in the 11th century. The advantage of the crossbow was that it required less training than traditional archery, and its bolts could penetrate armor. As with a bow, the crossbow's stock was made from yew or ash, measuring 2 to 3 feet. The string was made from hemp, and was pulled back by a lever or ratchet. The range of the crossbow was 350 to 400 yards, but could only fire two bolts per minute. Even though its range was shorter, the longbow supplanted the crossbow because it it could fire off a volley of 12 arrows per minute in the hands of a trained bowman.
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