Sarmatian Cavalry

[Alanus]

Matthew,

Composite bow construction goes back to the birth of "bent-wood technology," at least to the Sintashta culture, 2,000 BC. The same methods were used to build spoked chariot wheels. For the bow, a thin sliver of birch was (is) steam-bent to a wooden form. Then layers of sinew are glued to the bow front, and time is needed between layers for the sturgeon-bladder glue to dry. Then the horn is glued to the back side of the birch strip, the whole thing always replaced on the wooden form while glue dries.

The chariot and composite bow spread across the steppes rapidly, reaching China, Greece, and Egypt. Tutankammen was buried with a composite bow. The ears attached to the arms came later, about 4th century BC. The assymetrical bow appeared early on, simply because a warrior could finish a bow even if he had short and longer pieces of horn. It was a case of neccessity, not innovation. All the warrior/maker had to do was adjust the unequal-length arms to "zero tiller," the same bending-strength above and below the grip. This is Csaba Grozer's specialty; he makes an accurate bow.

And NO, I wasn't paid by Grozer to recommend his bows.