{"id":3310,"date":"2021-08-25T08:24:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T07:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tricorder.se\/?p=3310"},"modified":"2021-08-25T10:23:36","modified_gmt":"2021-08-25T09:23:36","slug":"maritime-military-archery-bowmen-on-european-warships-1000-1600","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tricorder.se\/?p=3310","title":{"rendered":"Maritime military archery: Bowmen on European warships, 1000\u20131600"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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There is a considerable research gap in both maritime and military history concerning the naval use of bowmen. For over three millennia \u2014 spanning from the ancient Egyptians until around the year AD 1600 \u2014 archery was a key component in maritime combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study ”Maritime military archery: Bowmen on European warships, 1000\u20131600<\/strong>” tries to initiate a larger scientific interest in this extensive field of history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by researchers Henrik Arnstad<\/strong> and Abigail Christine Parkes<\/strong>, the study concludes that archery had a profound impact upon war at sea for thousands of years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the sixteenth century, naval bowmen were still as tactically flexible, efficient and deadly as they had been for over 3,000 years.<\/p>

Furthermore, we can see that, even though the longbow is famously associated with the English army, this weapon was neither exclusive to England nor to land warfare. Naval archery was a transnational weapon system, and bowmen may in fact have been even more effective at sea than on land.<\/p>

Additionally, archery had a profound impact on naval combat and ship design, with stern- and forecastles being added originally as platforms for bowmen.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The study is published in the maritime history anthology ”Facing the Sea : Essays in Swedish Maritime Studies<\/strong>” (Nordic Academic Press<\/a>), edited by Leos M\u00fcller and Simon Ekstr\u00f6m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specific literature on maritime archery has been very sparse. Maritime archery is discussed as a side note in two general research fields: (1) the history of naval warfare, and (2) the history of military archery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n