Who Invented Archery?
Who invented archery? Well, that’s a good question. While historians have found lots of intriguing proof relating to this sport, there is no concrete answer as of yet.
It is estimated that the first archers appeared on the world scene around the late Palaeolithic to early Mesolithic age. While this is just an estimated guess, during the early Forties archaeologists found two bows in the Holmegard swam in Denmark. These bows are thought to be remnants of the Bronze Age due to their shape. Thus, the oldest bows in the world come from Denmark, but it is highly unlikely that archery was created during this time. So, who invented archery? Well, possibly the caveman.
Since the dawn of time, humans needed a way to defend themselves. In addition to defending themselves, they had to find a way to hunt for food. While historians know that the caveman used a spear, we have no proof that they did not devise some type of bow and arrow system. Granted, this system (if it did exist) would be a lot different from the bows and arrows that we have today. Still, it is highly possible that archery existed during this time...or shortly thereafter.
Interestingly, archers have been an important part of human existence for thousands of years, but when the gun came along they were all but depleted. This prompts one to wonder whether or not there was another type of weapon prior to the bow and arrow that was left in the cold when the bow came along. Either way, finding out who invented archery is nearly impossible unless you are talking about the two people that brought the sport back into the limelight.
Shortly after the medieval times, archery was no longer considered an important part of warfare. However, there were some people that still retained a lot of the knowledge used to shoot a bow and arrow. Long story short...two brothers were hiding out in a swamp following the Civil War when they ran into an ex-slave. Since the brothers were starving, they begged the man for help in finding food. The ex-slave knew how to hunt with a bow and arrow, so he taught them.
Once the brothers left the swamp, they published a book no archery and became the local experts. Thus, the sport was reintroduced into society. In the end, can we really answer the question: who invented archery? Not quite... though we can make many educated guesses.