| A crossbow is a bow that shoots bolts. It
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| | bows until they effectively replaced them
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| is mounted on a stock with a mechanism to
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| | by the twelfth century. They had distinct
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| hold the bow in place when it is drawn,
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| | advantages over longbows, most notably in
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| until the shot is released when the
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| | a much shorter training period. A
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| trigger is pulled. Crossbows have been
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| | crossbow can be mastered in as little as
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| used since about 400 BC and have been
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| | one week while a longbow takes years of
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| used extensively in Asia, North Africa
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| | practise to use effectively. Battle
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| and Europe in warfare.
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| | formations often consisted of archers,
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| Early Use of the Crossbow
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| | javelin throwers and crossbowmen as a
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| Evidence suggests that the first
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| | central component protecting the
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| crossbows were made towards the end of
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| | infantry, and crossbows were often used
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| the fourth century BC in China and
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| | in pre-battle skirmishes and sneak
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| surrounding areas. They appear to have
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| | attacks. Knights in armour had little
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| been first used as toys or for untended
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| | defences against an attack by crossbowmen
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| traps. Crossbows are mentioned in the
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| | and pikemen and with the invention of
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| famous document by Sun Tzu, The Art of
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| | better drawing mechanisms, crossbows
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| War, written sometime between 500 and 300
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| | could also be used while on horseback.
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| BC and a fourth century BC document, also
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| | With the invention of gunpowder weapons
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| from China, has references to a giant
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| | crossbow use started to decline, although
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| catapult. The tomb of the emperor Qin Shi
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| | in the early years gunpowder weapons were
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| Huang, famous for the Terracotta Army,
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| | less effective than crossbows as they
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| contains crossbow remains.
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| | were slow to reload and less accurate.
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| In Greece the crossbow appeared around
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| | In Other Places
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| the fifth century and was known as a
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| | In Asia crossbows were used as siege
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| gastraphetes. The Greek besiegers to the
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| | weapons and the Saracens used composite
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| city of Tyre in 332 BC used crossbows and
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| | crossbows in their was against the
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| they were also used in the year 397 BC at
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| | Crusaders. Saracen bows were made from
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| the siege of Motya. The gastraphetes is
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| | composite materials, usually layers of
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| believed to have been invented around the
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| | wood, sinew and horn that were glued and
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| year 400 BC and consisted of a composite
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| | held together with animal tendons. Muslim
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| bow which was cocked by pressing down on
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| | armies in Spain used crossbows and
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| the stock which was rested on the
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| | throughout Africa they were used for
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| stomach. Heron of Alexandria described
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| | hunting and by scouts. The technology
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| the gastraphetes in the famous work the
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| | crossed the Atlantic to North America
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| Belopoeica. Composite bows comprised of a
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| | with the slave trade and light crossbows
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| trigger and stock, operated on a stand
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| | were used by the Inuit for hunting.
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| and known as oxybeles, were developed
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| | Today
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| from the gastraphetes, and further
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| | Crossbows today are mainly used for
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| development led to the much larger
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| | target practice although they are still
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| ballista.
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| | used in some parts of Asia, Africa and
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| Europe
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| | North America for hunting. They are even
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| Crossbows were used by the roman armies
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| | used by some military forces, for example
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| and figured in the Battle of Hastings in
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| | the Marine Commando Force of the Indian
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| Great Britain in 1066. They were
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| | Navy, as a quieter weapon than a handgun.
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| increasingly used in preference to long
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