Primitive bows

Traditional equipment for field, target and flight archers, museums & quality re-enactment.

Bowyer & fletcher: Hilary Greenland, 4 Walpole, Bridgwater, Somerset. TA6 4TF UK

PRIMITIVE BOWS

The term 'primitiive' in modern archery is misleading, as it can refer to bows such as the Penobscot, or cable bows, which are sophisticated examples of man's ingenuity when making bows from limited available materials.

The introduction of a 'primitive' class in the UK by the Society for the Promotion of Traditional Archery in 1997, and its later adoption by the National Field Archery Society in 2006 indicates an increasing interest in this type of bow.

To be classed as a 'primitive' (in the UK) a bow should be made from natural materials, shooting wooden shafted arrows with feather fletchings, and which has no rest for the arrow ie shot off the hand and requiring the arrow to travel around the bow. It covers backed bows as well as 'self' bows.

While the English Longbow by this definition is a 'primitive', it has been long established as an independant shooting class in the UK.

Examples of 'Primitive' bows include the 'Meare Heath', the 'Penobscot' (right), 'Holmegaard' and cable backed bows.

The Meare Heath is the most famous of the Somerset bow finds from the Somerset Levels