Archery biography

Using a bow to shoot arrows

For other uses, see Archery (disambiguation).

"Archer" redirects here. For other uses, see Archer (disambiguation).

Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shootarrows.^[1] The word comes from the Latinarcus, meaning bow.^[2] Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat.

In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an archer, bowman, or toxophilite.^[3]

History

Main article: History of archery

Origins and ancient archery

The oldest known evidence of the bow and arrow comes from South African sites such as Sibudu Cave, where the remains of bone and stone arrowheads have been found dating approximately 72,000 to 60,000 years ago.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]} Based on indirect evidence, the bow also seems to have appeared