What Is Archery?

Archery is a sport that has been around for hundreds and thousands of years. It is believed in the early years, archery was solely used for hunting to feed families. As time went on, archers used their bows and arrows during wartime. Today bows and arrows are still used for hunting; however, they are much more often used for sports and recreation.

Archery Facts

• Archery was invented during the end of the Early Stone Age or the beginning of the Middle Stone Age.


• Archery originated in Africa and eventually moved to Europe, then Asia, and the Americas.


• Egypt was the first country to use archers during war time. Archers used their bow and arrows to aid in overthrowing Persia.


• The first archers to use their weapons in war while on a horse were in England.


• The United States started using archery as a sport in the 1700's.


• The National Archery Association was formed in the year 1879.


• Chicago, IL is where the National Archery Association has hosted a tournament every year since they were founded.
  
  
  

Archery is a sport that uses bows to propel arrows through the air and into a target. A bow is traditionally made of a resilient wood such as wood from yew, ash, spruce, and walnut trees. Bow string can be made from numerous items such as linen, flax, or hemp fibers. Once the piece of wood is chosen to be used for the bow, it is treated by cleaning, cutting, and soaking the wood to make it easier to bend into the shape it needs to be. Once the bow is ready, it is then curved and shaped, a notch is put at each end, and the bow string is secured in place.

Arrows are made up of four main parts, the arrowhead, shaft, fletching and the nock. The arrowhead is the part of the arrow that enters the target first whether it be human, animal, or non-living object. It traditionally has a sharp pointy end, with it's flat end attached to the shaft of the arrow. The shaft is long and skinny, ranging anywhere from 3 to 4 feet long, and is made of lightweight wood or bamboo. The front end is attached to the arrow, while the back end is attached to the fletching. Fletching is normally made from feathers, and are attached to the back end of the arrow, to aid in keeping the arrow flying the correct way. At the very tip of the arrow is a nock. The nock is simply a notch in the arrow, which is used to rest upon the string of a bow, and to keep the arrow in place while it is being drawn.