Greek and Persian Arrows.

[Jason Hoffman]

Hi all, Im back! Have been away for a while doing university stuff.
Got another weird one, anybody got an opinion on the weight of greek or persin arrows. I can only calculate weights around 20 to 25 grams! which means they would be carrying almost no momentum.

I think they may have had very light arrows to increase the range.

any ideas?

[hoplite14gr]

The most informative Archery site I found was www.atarn.org
They have a serach facility but I found info only for medieval persian bows.
Perhaps some body might be luckier.
The National Archaological School excavation in Thermopylae yielded enough arrow heads but I could not find in the Greek pages any technical data bout them.
Kind regards
Stefanos

[hoplite14gr]

I recomend yhe "The Archer's Guide By an Old Toxophilite, 1833"
Google it and you will find a welth of info about ancient bows.
Regards
Stefanos

[Jason Hoffman]

Thanks guys i have come across these two sites and did get alot of info from them does anybody think they weighed more thank 30 grams

[aitor iriarte]

Jason,
I'm no expert on physics but I deal with torsion artillery reconstructions and I have often wondered if that story of light arrows/bolts having 'lack of momentum' is not one more 'aporia', like that of Achiles never catching up with the turtle or people dying inside a quick train due to lack of air, concocted by some armchair 'expert'... :?
What do practical tests say?

Aitor

[hoplite14gr]

Thanks guys i have come across these two sites and did get alot of info from them does anybody think they weighed more thank 30 grams

Manning imperial in Australia makes for renactors some heavy triangular arrow points. They are based on some fragments that exist in museums but I cannot tell anything about accuracy of reconstraction.
I agree with Aitor that some times laymen put established opinions to the test
and I too have some reservations on the "official" version of such things.
Kind regards
Stefanos