American Bow

[Tejas]

First, man has attached strings to sticks for over 40,000 years. However, these crude little survival tools seldom lasted for more than a few hunts. More or less a temporary tool. Having said that, There is no doubt in my mind that the first human in the Americas had the capabilities to fashion "string to stick". But what made the bow spread across the new continent .. Composite materials.

The first composite bow in the Americas is attributed to the Inuit's of the arctic circle. Taking reindeer horn, spruce, and a unique method of tying sinew for a backing The "eskimo bow" was indeed a finely crafted weapon.

The style of the eskimo bow being similar to the composite bows of Asia, One can only assume the bow and arrow (composite) is another Asian influence. Part two next

[Tejas]

I make the distinction between the self bow & the composite because the latter made the most impact. Sinew backed American hardwood bows changed cultures in some instances. For the first time in American history bow staves became trade items.

So by my guestimate, The bow would be approximately 2500 years old in America. But what do I know..

[Cluton]

First human in America might have had the capability to make a bow, but they didn't until way later! We also had huge computers and now I'm sitting on my lazy butt replying on an IPhone that I can hardly read!!! cool info on the Eskimo bows though! Technology grows daily, the Paleo Indians could have made bows but they didn't! They should have stuck with the fluted points, but I always say life would be so much better without a cell phone, but I can't operate without one!

[Tejas]

Inuit Bow

[beforeyouknewme]

The two Inuit bows I personally examined while living in Alaska wer both backed with Dall sheep horn, between the wood and the sinew.

[River Man]

Those composite bows were definatly from Mongol Asiatics influence, Gangis and the horde traveled widely at one time.

[Wichita]

Some of the most sought after wood for making bows came from NE texas. Bois D'Arc. It was a highly sought after trade item by the Spiroans.

[Tejas]

The osage orange.. My favorite
It made an impression on white culture. Some of the earliest accounts claim it tillerd out at over One hundred pounds.
Not bad for a piece of wood and some animal tendons

[George Looney]

I love prim archery
Building the Osage Bow

[Tejas]

Nice....