History of Archery

The earliest records of archery can be traced back 15,000 years to the Aurignacians, who inhabited the area now known as Toulouse, France. In other parts of the world, ancient Egyptians and Asiatic tribes used the bow and arrow as far back as 5000 BCE. Though initially a hunting tool, the utility of the bow and arrow in battle was soon made apparent: a team of archers could easily lay waste to massive military formations. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Mongol leader Genghis Khan united disparate Mongolian tribes and conquered China by using short, explosively powerful Mongolian bows.

Beginning in the 17th century, after the invention of the firearm, archery became a primarily recreational activity. In 1900, the sport was recognized as an official event in the modern Olympic Games. The event was featured only three more times—in the 1904, 1908, and 1920 games—but was eliminated from the program in 1920. International archery rules had not yet been developed, and each country used its own competition format, causing much confusion among teams. In 1931, the international governing body of archery, Federation Internationale de Tir a l’Arc (FITA), was founded by seven countries to establish standardized rules for archery competition. In 1972, the sport was reintroduced into the Olympic program using FITA-approved rules.