When was archery first played

After the initial creation of the bow, many improvements were made to the design. Fire was used to harden arrow heads and feathers were added to the arrows to increase accuracy. Although archery probably dates back to the Stone Age around 20, BC , the earliest people known to have used bows and arrows were the ancient Egyptians, who adopted archery at least years ago for hunting and war.

In China, archery dates back to the Shang dynasty BC in which a war chariot of the time carried a three-man team: a driver, a lancer and an archer. During the Zhou Chou dynasty BC , nobles at court attended sport archery tournaments that were accompanied by music and occasional elegant salutations.

It has around national federations, called Member Associations, in the world. Outdoor target archery for compound athletes is the equivalent of what recurve athletes play at the Olympic Games. A law in England that forced every man of adult age to practise archery every Sunday was never repealed, though it is presently ignored. The first-known archery competition relatable to modern times was held in Finsbury, England in and had 3, participants. Archery is featured in folklore around the world, Robin Hood being probably the most famous.

Based in Nottingham forest, he used his bow to steal from the rich and give to the poor, while combating the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Odysseus, who returned home to Ithaca after 20 years at war in the Greek epic The Odyssey , was also an excellent archer. He was the only one to be able to draw his bow and shoot an arrow through 12 rings to claim back his wife, Penelope, and fend off a host of suitors.

Olympic Debut. Archery spotlight. Things to know ahead of the World Archery Championships. Related Originals. Development in Asia When the Chinese introduced archery to Japan in the sixth century, it had an overriding influence on later etiquette and techniques. Mythology The popularity of archery is reflected in the many ballads and folklore, such as for instance Robin Hood, to name the most famous one. Since then, archery has developed as a recreational and competitive sport.

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