A Bow is a kind of weapon, and is one of the best known weapons. It inflicts damage by shooting an Arrow long distances.
A bow.
Details[]
A bow is fairly simple, as it consists of a fashoined piece of wood, with a flexible string attached. Bows vary in size. To shoot the Arrow, you attach the end of the Arrow to string, then pull the string back to shoot. In medieval times, people who fought using bows were known as archers. Bows aren't usually used in war today, but they are often used as entertainment.
Bows in History[]
It is not known who or which civillization invented the bow, but early fragments of a possible bow can be found in Germany, 17,500-18,000 years ago. They used them to hunt, fight intruders, and more. Most Native Americans knew how to use and make a bow, although only the men fought in battles.
The Indians really wanted guns from the people from the old world, but most people refused to give any guns, because they thought the Indians would cause havoc. The Indians really wanted the guns to make hunting easier; it was hard to hunt using bows, and they also had limited ammunition.
Entertainment[]
Bows are often now used for non-combat purposes. Many summer camps show children how to shoot a bow, and they aim for the center of a target.
A picture showing how to use a bow.
There is also archery in the Olympics, where professional archers compete.