| I can only assume historically, the earliest man | | | | the most famous archers in history were the |
| must have faced a dilemma when he went off to | | | | Mongols. Genghis Khan was the leader of the |
| hunt for food. The wild animals were big, and if | | | | Mongols who were expert horsemen who could |
| you got too close, they could devour you before | | | | stand high in the stirrups and shoot arrows in all |
| you got the chance to kill them. There were no | | | | directions. Maybe the most recognized name in |
| guns at this point, so man probably had to put | | | | archery is William Tell. Legend has it that William |
| himself in harm's way more times then not, just | | | | refused to bow in the presence of authority, so |
| to increase his chances of catching his prey. I can | | | | he was ordered to shoot an apple off of his son's |
| assume at this point and time, man was thinking | | | | head.Bows were still being used in battles, until the |
| of ways to increase his chances of catching his | | | | late 1500s. In 1520 AD the musket was invented. |
| prey, while trying to reduce the potential physical | | | | English archers were last used in battle in 1644 |
| harm to himself. Maybe this is when the idea of | | | | AD. With the invention of the firearm, it became |
| the spear began to form in man's mind.The spear, | | | | apparent that there was no longer any need for |
| in its most basic form, was a stick that was | | | | archers on the battlefield.Though no longer used |
| sharpened at the end. Soon after the spear, | | | | for battles, archery skill contests became popular |
| came the bow. The bow was a device used to | | | | in England, toward the end of the 1600s. In the |
| hurl the spear distances greater then man could | | | | US archery was basically a Native American |
| throw with his arm. The device used in | | | | activity until 1828, when the United Bowmen of |
| conjunction with the bow, would later become | | | | Philadelphia was formed. The National Archery |
| known as an arrow. Some of the oldest | | | | Association was established in 1879, and the first |
| arrowheads were found in Africa, and were dated | | | | national tournament was held that year in Chicago. |
| before 25,000 B.C. The first composite bow was | | | | Archery was actually a competition in the second |
| created by the Egyptians; this occurred sometime | | | | modern Olympic Games in 1900. Unfortunately, |
| around 2800 B.C.For obvious reasons, the bow | | | | because so many countries had different rules on |
| and arrow became a great tool for hunting food. | | | | how they judged the sport; the Olympics dropped |
| And over time man even found ways to improve | | | | archery as a competition after 1920. The FITA |
| the accuracy of his shooting; he did this by adding | | | | was formed in 1931, in Paris. What this |
| feathers to his arrows. The bow and arrow also | | | | organization did was to create standardized rules, |
| became a great tool for fighting. Archery was a | | | | for archery in international competition. By 1972, |
| weapon for many of the early armies. The | | | | enough countries had affiliated themselves with |
| Egyptians used archers on the back of chariots, | | | | FITA, that it helped archery to be restored as an |
| they were highly skilled, and could easily outflank | | | | Olympic event. |
| an enemy army with devastating effect. Probably | | | | |