Archery can be traced back to early Africa thousands of years ago were early African Archers depended on their bow and arrows for survival and protection from enemy tribes. Archery was designed to distance a hunter from his kill or enemy rather than getting close and personal with a spear, risking a bodily injury or death to himself. Short powerful bows were also more efficient and effective in thick wooded areas or brush where a cumbersome spear would be more difficult to maneuver.
In 434 AD, Attila the Hun, King of the Huns, known as modern day Hungry used their superior skills as horseman with combined archery skills to invade northern Italy spread through western Europe. The Huns, once surrounding an opposing force, would ride in a circle around their enemies losing their arrows depleting their numbers until eventually annihilating their enemy.
Archery became popular for warfare as different civilizations evolved. The Parthians, Persians, Mongols, Romans and a myriad of civilizations used archery to their advantage in primitive warfare. The English used archery to conquer many parts of Europe in expanding their empire. English and Roman Archers were particularly disciplined and could be assembled together for combat.
They used a longbow, which was taller than a man if not taller, which proved to be an effective weapon during combat. Archers would form lines 100 sometimes 300 abreast and loosed their arrows into the sky above their enemy. Arrows would fall like a heavy downpour of rain upon their enemy crippling their defense. Heavy Cavalry would then ride through and crush the remaining threat.
The use of archery for the Romans as well as the English helped top keep them in power for hundreds of years.
It was not until black powder, invented by the Chinese, that Archery's popularity for warfare became another piece of history. Eventually modern conventional weaponry replaced archery as a means of warfare.
Archery is now very popular among hunters as it was in the beginning, and for competition.
