Why were archers used in battle?

The archers sheltered behind the infantry, and would pass through the infantry to let go their volleys. They were awfully vulnerable to infantry and cavalry attacks.. Being struck by an arrow would have been a truly awful ordeal wherever it hit you. .

How old is bow and arrow?

From the evidence, we know that the bow and arrow, in a modern and developed sense, is at least 10,000 years old. We’re pretty certain that arrowhead flints make archery at least 20,000 years old – and it’s possible that ancient humans were shooting bows 70,000 years ago… or more.

Why was archery so important in medieval times?

Skilled archers were prized in Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Archery was an important skill for the Vikings, both for hunting and for war. The Assize of Arms of 1252 tells us that English yeomen were required by law, in an early version of a militia, to practice archery and maintain their skills.

Can you melee with a bow?

Bow´s are not made to be melee weapons and should not be used as such unless absolutely necessary. Very bad. The most important thing about the material for a bow is elasticity – it need to be able to bend, but not break, so it can compress a lot of mechanical energy to release into the arrow.

How were archers used in the Middle Ages?

But it was in the Middle Ages that archers were used to great effect. Both the crossbow and longbow were inexpensive, being made from materials which were easily to obtain. Both weapons were fashioned from yew, ash, hazel or elm. There were two main types of weapon used medieval archers; the longbow and the crossbow.

Why do archers fire on command?

When twenty or forty men fall at once it causes people to think. The chief reason that archers fired on command was that this was the way to achieve a military effect, by harming the morale of units of the opposing force.

How dangerous was it to shoot a longbow in medieval warfare?

The main risk to anyone shooting a longbow or crossbow was the time it took to load an arrow, take aim and fire, during which the soldier was defenseless. The archer often carried a short sword for defense or was placed behind a defense wall of soldiers armed with swords and protected with shields.

How long did it take to become a longbow archer?

A professional longbow archer would have trained for many years, usually from childhood. Many villages had their own butts, where villagers could practise their archery regularly.