Bow and arrow Bow and arrow The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). "Archery" is the art, practice or skill of using bows to shoot arrows. A person who shoots arrows with a bow is called a "bowman" or an "archer". Someone who makes bows is known as a "bowyer", one who makes arrows is a "fletcher", and one who manufactures metal arrowheads is an "arrowsmith". The use of bows and arrows by humans for hunting predates recorded history and was common to many prehistoric cultures. They were important weapons
History of archery ordered "all the archers, of whom there was a very great number in Gaul, to be collected". By the 4th century, archers with powerful composite bows were a regular part of Roman armies throughout the empire. After the fall of the western empire, the Romans came under severe pressure from the highly skilled mounted archers belonging to the Hun invaders, and later Eastern Roman armies relied heavily on mounted archery. For millennia, archery has played a pivotal role in Chinese history. In particular, archery featured prominently in ancient Chinese culture and philosophy: archery was one of the Six Noble Arts