ancient bow

[randman]

So far, nobody has postulated a bow that short could have been a child's bow (just as today). It's not hard to imagine that archers started out young in those days like they would have in any age.

[JW_Halverson]

Absolutely possible, Randman.  That's one of the reasons I would love to make a few replicas of this bow to get an idea of just how stout the bow is at that length, width, thickness, and overall design. 

But just because a bow is short doesn't mean it light in draw weight...just saying. 

[iowabow]

Ever seen what a farm boy does with a bb gun-turn the clock back and he is doing it with a bow. Hunting keeps animals out of crops and the big game was controlled by dogs and young men hunting game. Because they don't have bones at the back of a cave they believe it was not going on. Maybe it was how they killed the cow or goat. I know farmers that take their animals with a gun turn the clock back and it makes sense.

One problem with digging something up and making a guess is that unless you make it and use it well it is just a guess.

[johnston]

Yep, I love this site. I agree with everything said so far. Some of you
smart educated types say some more....it gives me a thrill.

Great post sadie

[LivingElemental]

Plenty of younger hunters in those days. You pull your weight as soon as you're able.
Then again, we could be equating ancient man to a modern man's standard.

I'm wondering how many fully grown men, 5'5 or shorter in height in those days, would have a full draw length a few inches shorter than today's 6ft standard.

[criveraville]

This quote, " The study will permit the analysis of aspects of the technology, survival strategies and social organisation of the first farming communities which settled in the Iberian Peninsula."

Farming communities were much more advanced in all aspects of society than hunter/gatherer societies. The farming and the storing of food allowed them to develop governments, religions, laws, cooking, husbandry, farming and even rituals such as burying the dead. With free time or rather better use of their time, these communities could have developed bowyery or traded hunter societies for the bow. Much has been written about how much smaller in stature people were even just several hundred years ago; much less several thousand years ago. With smaller stature could come shorter bows and shorter draw lengths.. The fact that yew was used indicates IMO that trial and error at least in high quality bow woods had been achieved. 

They "the archeological and academic" communities should be given a crash course in hunting, gathering, making, and building before they print articles with such gulfs of speculation. 

Seriously... 

Cipriano 

[JW_Halverson]

Excellent points LivingElemental and Criveraville. 

Add to that our modern view that it takes a 50+ lb bow to hunt deer when in reality 30# draw bows have taken many a deer.  A light skinned, light ribbed animal such as that doesn't require a huge impact to kill.  Billy Berger's research with penetration of "bird points" bears this out.  Where do we draw the line between an adult bow and a kids bow?  And where did they draw the self same line?  Did they even draw that line?

And on a hi-jacking note...didn't someone in here reproduce Otzi's bow?