🏹 Archery

⏳ Archery History

• 20,000 BCE – 6,000 BCE: Bows and arrows used for hunting, cave drawings of archers hunting, and the evolution of the bow design.
• 3,000 BCE – 1,000 BCE: Use of archery in ancient civilizations like Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia; archery as part of military and philosophical study in Zhou dynasty’s China.
• 1100s – 1500s: Rise of longbowmen in England, transformation of military tactics, role of archery in Japanese culture and spiritual practice (Kyudo).
• 1600s – 1700s: Decline of archery in warfare with the advent of firearms, establishment of the Royal Company of Archers, transition of archery to sport and recreational activity in European society.
• 1800s: Resurgence of archery as a sport, establishment of archery clubs, and growth of competitive archery with events like the Grand National Archery Meeting.
• 1900: Inclusion of archery in the Olympic Games in Paris for the first time.
• 1931: Formation of the International Archery Federation (FITA) to standardize the sport.
• 1972: Return of archery to the Olympics with new formats and competition styles.
• 1960s – present: Advances in technology and materials revolutionizing archery for hunting and competition, popularity of archery as both a competitive and recreational sport.