\"Origins of the composite bow\" in Ancient Warfare.

[Virilis]

Salvete Omnes!

I am quite puzzled about the article "the origins of the composite bow" in the latest Ancient Warfare Magazine (vol V, issue 6). The author (James Bowden) claims that the origins of the composite bow can be traced to Mesopotamia and Sargon I of Akkad. That is okay so far. The thing thay raised my eyebrows was the claim that assyrians preferred the stave or the compound bow over the composite bow. I have always thought that the assyrians perfected the use of the powerful composite bow, especially in siege conditions. The author claims that

"...the stave, or even compound bow would be optimal since a shorter range of fire would have proven sufficient in these situations. A composite bow's range and speed would be limited in shots up towards walls and aimed at higher mountain top positions." (page 52)

Am I missing something here? In my opinion especially these features presented above of the powerful composite bow makes it THE perfect weapon to be used in sieges!!! How can the power of the composite bow be a limiting factor during sieges where you have to shoot upwards!?

[Dan Howard]

Yadin claimed that the Sumerians had the composite bow because a carving of Naram Sin (Sargon's grandson) is carrying something that looks a bit like a composite bow. There is no real evidence for composite bows until much later. In the Levant I think it was around the 19th century.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

OK, this is interesting. I always thought the compound and composite bows were the same or similar beasts. I am looking forward to educating myself on that. (and of course the modern compound bow, which threw a spanner into it for me)
Good questions Virilis

[Dan Howard]

Every archer and archery text I've ever encountered defines a compound bow as a modern device with cables and pulleys to help bend the bow. A quick google search reveals the same thing.

How does the article define "compound bow"?

[Virilis]

Every archer and archery text I've ever encountered defines a compound bow as a modern device with cables and pulleys to help bend the bow. A quick google search reveals the same thing.

How does the article define "compound bow"?

There's no definition of a compound bow in the article. I think the author means a recurve bow. Anyway, in this way clear sculptural evidence might be interpreted as not being depictions of composite bows? With this I mean especially assyrian art...