NEW UPDATE: Earliest Know Bow

To start this subject on Bow Hunting: Let's Look at the Earliest Know Bow.

Ötzi's Bow by Dick Baugh, Vttorio Brizzi & Tim Baker

In 1991, the archaeological find of the century was made in the Ötzaler Alps near the Austrian- Italian border. In addition to Ötzi's body frozen in the snow there were clothing, tools of stone, copper, bone and antler and archery equipment. This was a snapshot of the technology of 5,300 years ago. It is a challenge to derive as much information from the scanty set of data that he left for
us. Oh, for a time machine!

What can we conclude from examining Ötzi's bow and arrows? Was it a finished ready-to shoot weapon or a work in progress? Several features can be examined to determine the answer to this question. We know the dimensions of his bow, the material it was made from, the dimensions of arrows, both finished and unfinished, in his quiver; the dimensions of an alleged bowstring and Ötzi's height and physique. Each of these contains clues to the mystery of the Ice Man.

Throughout this article we have based conclusions on the physical dimensions of artifacts found with Ötzi. Small errors in measuring these dimensions can have major consequences in our conclusions. For example, a 1 mm error in measuring the thickness of Ötzi's bow would cause a 10 % error in computing the draw weight and a 10 % error in measuring the thickness of Ötzi's bow would cause a 30 % error in computing the draw weight.
 
Details on the bow
The bow was made of yew (Taxus baccata) with a total length of 1.82 meters (71.6 inches). Detailed dimensions were generously provided by Vittorio Brizzi of UniversitB degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento delle risorse Naturali e Culturali, Via Ercole I d'Este, Ferrara. It was quite symmetric with an elliptic cross section throughout its length. The dimensions at the center, one half and three quarters of the way to the tip, 28 cm from the tip and at the tip are given in the following table. 28 cm (11 in) from the tip a detailed cross section was obtained via computer aided tomography (a CAT scan).

.68 (26.9 )
25.0 (0.98 )
21 (0.83 )

.91 (35.8 ) at the tip
11.6 (0.46) Estimate 10.8 (0.43 ) Estimate

From the dimensions, cross sectional shape and assumed modulus of elasticity of yew wood, we can compute the draw weight and internal strain in the bow limbs versus draw length. This is a fairly straightforward calculation that would be very familiar to a structural engineer. We can also compare the dimensions of Ötzi's bow with other finished yew longbows.

For comparison, the dimensions of a 72 inches long-50 pound yew longbow were obtained from L.E. Stemmler's Essentials of Archery, a classic first published in 1942. The limbs were semi- elliptical (D shaped) in cross section.
 
Stemmler 50 pound yew longbow

Distance from Center,
inches (cm)
Width,
inches (cm)
Thickness,
inches (cm)

0 1.25 (3.18) 1.25 (3.18)
6 (15.2) 1.125 (2.86) 1.00 (2.54)
12 (30.5) 1.063 (2.70) 0.75 (1.91)
18 (45.7) 1.0 (2.54) 0.75 (1.91)
24 (61.0) 0.875 (2.22) 0.625 (1.59)
30 (76.2) 0.813 (2.06) 0.56 (1.43)
36 (91.4) 0.56 (1.43) 0.50 (1.27) at tips

This represents good bowyery in the early part of the twentieth century. The main difference between the two is the greater thickness of Ötzi's. The proportions are different also. The Stemmler bow shrinks abruptly in thickness above and below the handle section whereas there is very little taper in Ötzi's. Consequently, the Stemmler bow has a rigid, unbending handle section whereas
Ötzi's bends in the handle and is much, much more powerful.
 




13 Cool Facts About Ötzi the Iceman By Kristina Killgrove

When hikers in the Ötztal Alps stumbled on a body melting out of a glacier in September 1991, they thought they had found an unfortunate mountaineer who had disappeared perhaps a couple decades prior. But as soon as it was revealed that the mummified remains dated back 5300 years—and that the man had been murdered by an arrow to the back—researchers knew they had to solve the most fascinating ancient forensic case ever found. Nicknamed Ötzi, the Iceman, and Frozen Fritz, the body of a man who was around 40 or 50 years old when he died in the Copper Age continues to generate new data about a past era and shows links to contemporary people. Here are 13 surprising facts about Ötzi.

• 1. Two countries fought over ownership of Ötzi.
  Ötzi might very well be the oldest person ever subject to a custody dispute. He was discovered in a part of the Alps Mountain range that is right on the border between Austria and Italy. Complicating the find is the fact that the glacier in which he was entombed for millennia has shrunk since the official country border was established in 1919. This means that, although the find site of the mummy drains into Austria, the place Ötzi was actually resting is about 100 meters into Italian territory. Originally, Ötzi was studied at Innsbruck University in Austria, but since 1998 he has been displayed in Bolzano, Italy.
  
  2. Ötzi’s death may have been recorded.
  In 1991, an upright, carved stone was found in the town of Laces, near the Ötztal Alps where the Iceman was discovered. Although the stone was reused in modern times for the altar of a church, it dates to the Copper Age, just like Ötzi. One of the carvings on it depicts an archer shooting an arrow into the back of an unarmed man—which bears striking similarities to how scientists know Ötzi died. This circumstantial evidence, though, has not convinced most researchers.
  
  3. Ötzi had gastrointestinal issues.
  Even though Ötzi was comparatively old when he died, he was not exactly healthy. Whipworm parasite eggs were found in his gut contents, so he probably suffered from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. His body also produced a common stomach bug responsible for ulcers and other tummy troubles. There is also evidence that he had ingested a medicinal herb called hop hornbeam shortly before his death, possibly to help his indigestion. And one fingernail was found to have Beau’s lines, which can be created when the immune system is compromised. Ötzi’s fingernail shows he was ill several times in the four months prior to death.
  
  4. Ötzi carried a first aid kit.
  Since Ötzi died while going about his daily life, the artifacts found with him give us a snapshot in time. Two particularly curious objects were spheres of botanical material about the size of walnuts that were strung on leather straps. Analysis of the masses indicated they were a fungus called Piptoporus betulinus. Notably, this fungus—if eaten—both causes diarrhea and can protect against certain mycobacteria. It is likely that Ötzi was ingesting this fungus in an attempt to treat his whipworm—the diarrheal action would have helped him get rid of the parasite’s eggs, while the antibiotic properties of the fungus would have killed off other intestinal bugs. Fungi like this were used for medicinal purposes until the 20th century.
  
  5. Ötzi has the oldest tattoos in the world.
  The mummy boasts 61 different tattoos, and they are the oldest physical evidence of tattooing in the world. While the Iceman doesn't have "MOM" on his biceps or a butterfly on his lower back, his tattoos are still quite interesting. They were made by scratching his skin and rubbing charcoal in the fresh wound, resulting in groups of lines or crosses. It has also been suggested that their placement over joints may have been an attempt to treat pain. As the oldest tattooed person ever found, Ötzi holds a Guinness World Record.
  
  6. Ötzi wore a variety of leathers and hides.
  Long before Dolce & Gabbana dressed dapper Italian men, Ötzi was mixing materials to create his clothing. A 2016 study revealed the variety of species used to make Ötzi’s outfit. He wore a sheepskin loincloth, goat hide leggings and coat, and a hat made of the skin of a brown bear. Even his accessories were diverse: His shoelaces came from wild cows and his quiver from roe deer.
  
  7. Ötzi’s tools demonstrated the latest technology.
  Ötzi’s field kit held a surprising number of different tools. There was a copper-bladed ax, which marks him as high status; a flint dagger and its tree-fiber sheath; and a bow made out of a yew tree. His quiver, fashioned out of deer hide with hazel wood supports, contained two finished arrows and a dozen unfinished shafts. He had a net for catching rabbits and birds, as well as a marble disc with a hole in the middle for hanging or carrying dead fowls. He also carried cylindrical containers made of birch bark, which kept charcoal embers hot for hours so he could quickly make a fire. His teeth were worn particularly on the left side, meaning he may have used his mouth to help work leather. The Iceman’s hair also revealed high levels of arsenic, suggesting he was a pro at smelting ores to make copper.
  
  8. Ötzi was a fighter.
  Ötzi was short and stocky, around 5 feet 2 inches tall and 135 pounds, with strong legs. Visible injuries suggest he engaged in combat: Several right-sided rib fractures had healed, while Ötzi was struck in the head shortly before his death. A protein analysis of his brain reveals some healing, particularly in the form of blood clots—but those could have caused a stroke or embolism. The Iceman also suffered a long, deep stab wound to his right hand. Based on the stage of healing evident from the wound tissue, it occurred three to eight days before his death. And of course, the arrow lodged in his left shoulder was likely the ultimate cause of death. In short, Ötzi was a hunter and a fighter.
  
  9. Ötzi was also an omnivore.
  The Iceman’s stomach contents revealed both his last meal and the meal before that. A 2018 study published in Current Biology tested Ötzi’s stomach contents and found traces of his final meal: dried ibex meat and fat, red deer meat, einkorn wheat, and remnants of a toxic plant. In the early 2000s, scientists conducted a DNA analysis of samples of digested food collected from his colon. Ötzi’s second-to-last meal consisted of ibex meat along with various species of cereals and dicots (a group of flowering plants). The discovery of red deer in his digestive system is especially interesting, since depictions of that animal figure prominently in archaeological finds throughout the Alps in this time period.
  
  10. Ötzi had a gap in his smile and other unusual characteristics.
  Between Ötzi’s top two teeth is a natural diastema, which is the anatomical term for a gap in the teeth. Among modern adults, about 10–20 percent have this gap. Researchers also saw in the Iceman’s mouth third molar agenesis—the anatomical term for lacking wisdom teeth. Around 35 percent of people today lack wisdom teeth. Ötzi was also missing some bones—the smallest of the ribs on either side. This lack of ribs is not unheard of, but it only affects about 5 percent of the population.
  11. You might be related to Otzi (but only if you’re male).
  
  The Iceman’s genome was sequenced in 2012, revealing he had brown eyes and O-type blood, was lactose intolerant, and likely had Lyme disease. The mutations in Ötzi’s paternal genetic line are most commonly found in Sardinia and Corsica today, meaning those areas likely have descendants of his genetic family. Another study in 2013 tested thousands of modern men in the Alps and discovered that 19 men in the sample shared a genetic lineage with the Iceman. His maternal DNA line, however, appears to be extinct. So if you’re a guy and your ancestors go back to this roughly 620-mile band between Sardinia and the Alps, there's a chance you could be related to Ötzi.
  
  12. Otzi might be cursed.
  We all know that every ancient mummy is cursed, so of course the Iceman has his own story. In 2005, rumors circulated that the deaths of at least five people may have been related to a mummy’s curse. Helmut Simon, one of the two hikers who discovered the Iceman, died falling off the side of a mountain. An Alpine guide who airlifted the mummy out of the glacier died in an avalanche. A journalist who filmed the recovery of the mummy died of a brain tumor. A forensic expert who touched Ötzi with his bare hands died in a car accident en route to a conference to talk about the mummy. Even the death of the head of the research team at Innsbruck University has been attributed to Ötzi’s curse, in spite of the fact it was from multiple sclerosis. There is, of course, no evidence that these deaths are related to anything other than bad luck or coincidence.
  
  13. Practically every inch of Ötzi has been scanned and recorded.
  Ötzi has been thoroughly CT scanned over the years for analysis. In 2016, CT scans were meshed with digital photographs, 3D printed, and then painted to create three life-size Ötzi clones. The Iceman’s first two 3D prints are on display at the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, along with 3D printed bones from his body. The third life-size print remains at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, along with the real migratory hunter-herder, whose own journey has lasted more than 50 centuries.
  

Ötzi’s bowstring and the oldest hunting equipment from the Neolithic Swiss researchers are astounded to have identified Ötzi’s bowstring. Even though the Iceman had still been working on his bow, he carried a finished twisted string in his quiver which was made of animal fibers and not of lime tree bast. It is elastic, extremely resilient, and is therefore ideal as a bowstring. An extensive research project was carried out by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) which examined materials of Neolithic bows and arrows in detail for the first time. These were then compared to Ötzi’s equipment.

While arrows and arrowheads are common finds worldwide, complete sets of hunting equipment consisting of bows, arrows, and sometimes even quivers are extremely rare and are only known from glacier finds of the Alpine arch. In Europe there have only been three instances of bowstring being preserved. Combining previous finds of bows and arrows discovered across all of Europe with the most recent comparisons from Switzerland (Bronze Age finds from Schnidejoch and Lötschenpass), it has now been possible to examine the materials, size, and construction techniques of prehistoric hunting equipment in detail for the first time. The authors of the study, Jürgen Junkmanns (Germany), Giovanna Klügl (Switzerland), Werner Schoch (Switzerland), Giovanna Di Pietro (Switzerland), Albert Hafner (Switzerland), obtained a microscopic fiber sample from Ötzi’s bowstring for their comparative study.

Prehistoric bowstrings are among the rarest of all finds in archaeological excavations. The cord contained in Ötzi’s quiver may be the oldest preserved bowstring in the world. It has a diameter of 4mm and is comprised of three strands which are very uniformly and finely twisted. The Swiss study was able to prove that leg sinews of an indeterminate species were processed as fibers and the cord was therefore particularly well suited for use as a bowstring. Previously, research had been done on lime tree bast that would not have proven successful as a bowstring. The cord measures almost 2 metres and would have been long enough for Ötzi’s unfinished bow. If stretched out, the elastic string would only measure about 2-3 mm in diameter, which would have fit perfectly in the notches (nocks) on the arrows in Ötzi’s quiver. The Iceman had wound the cord bundle into an S-shape and tied a knot at one end.  Another bundle made of animal leg sinews found in the quiver was possibly meant to be used as replacement material for another bowstring.

Ötzi’s 1.83 m long, unfinished bow made of yew (Taxus baccata) gave a unique, informative glimpse into how Neolithic bows were manufactured. The bow was first freshly cut from an 8-10 cm thick yew tree. He had already made good progress with his work, but the bow probably needed to be shortened and thinned. The best shooting results are obtained when the bow corresponds to the height of the archer.

For Ötzi that would have been approximately 1.60m. The investigation was able to establish that Ötzi’s bow had been worked with a hatchet from both directions. Whether this had been done by Ötzi himself cannot be determined.

The question of how to work the ends of the bow to fasten the string also remains open. Junkmanns proposed the hypothesis that Ötzi could have purchased the rough bow on the way, which would possibly explain why he had an unfinished bow with him in the high mountains.

Even the Iceman’s quiver is the only known Neolithic carrying case for arrows. It is 86 cm long and stitched from doeskin (Rupicapra rupicapra). One side of the quiver is reinforced with a hazel wood stick. At the upper end of the quiver a flap of stiffened leather protected the arrows carried within. If required, it could be opened very quickly and an arrow could be pulled out with a single motion of the arm.

The quiver’s interior held 14 arrows, two of which were ready to fire and complete with arrowheads and fletching. They represent the best-preserved examples of Neolithic arrow production in Europe. Neolithic arrows were most often made from branches of suitable bushes like hazel (Corylus avellana) or, as with Ötzi, from the branches of the wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana). Three feather halves were attached to the end of Ötzi’s arrows with birch tar glue and bound with thin nettle fibers. They represent the only preserved fletchings in Europe. The three-part, radially placed fletching for stabilizing the arrow during flight has remained virtually unchanged since the Neolithic.




I have been amazed at what this man carried, and how well is has been cared for.  This is a good example for the re-enactors and the items they are missing and the extras they really don't need. If one would take note that this information and research is on just one item (the bowstring), his other equipment carried would fill volumes' studied.

Jonathan when we look at the equipment (bow and arrows he carried) it's amazing they lasted but look at how well he crafted his weapon. If one studied his equipment, we would learn new skills in the learning process. The skill he had is no different than what we have, the only difference is he needed and used his to survive (if something doesn't work, we can go home and rethink it).

He's our first bow hunter ...


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Mustang65 wrote:Thanks for the article.

It makes me smile when listening or reading what these so-called Mountain Men or Survivalist have to say. They act like the idea of survival is their idea, they don't have a clue because they have all the goodies to do the task.

The "Ice Man" and his counter parts had only what nature provided, then they had to use that material and put it to use to survive.  

I saw a small part of that show Stan and turned the channel, agree with you. When back to what I recorded on the real survivor - The Iceman.

Since first seeing this discovery in 1991, a writer saying "His voice, being silent for over five thousand years, was finally heard". During the summer snowmelt in the Otztal Alps a group of mountain hikers discovered the 5,300-year-old Neolithic man. When seeing his equipage, I was hooked for life (boy can we learn from this discovery - we want-a-bee primitive soles).


Otzi, his clothing, tools and miscellaneous accoutrements were so well preserved he was able to communicate quite a bit of information to his modern-day adventurers.

• a. Everything from the fact that he'd been ill at least three times in the six months preceding his death.
  b. his last meal,
  c. regular diet,
  d. age,
  e. height,
  f. weight,
  g. multiple tattoos that may have been an early form of acupuncture type treatment to where he grew up,
  h. where he lived and
  i. the sophistication of his clothing and tools.
  

Large amount of information considering the source was over five thousand years old.


Over the years research scientists believe he was 46 years old, a long life for a man of that time. They've also identified the probable cause of death, blood loss because of an arrow wound to his left shoulder. He'd also sustained many other injuries indicative of a severe attack. Even at 46 we he gave as good as he got and did not go easy into that long night.

I've always been fascinated by Otzi, his life, his gear, and what I could use for my own personal wares with my living history events.

Think about this guy, every single day he was responsible for his own life and everything in it. His next meal, next drink, next shelter, next breath, next everything. Otzi had many things in his possession at the time of his demise. Possessions that attackers would have taken if they'd known where he was. See there's been some debate if he died on the spot of the attack or if he escaped only to pass on over hours or days later. Otzi died with his possessions intact for the most part. This to me indicated he had escaped his attackers, though the arrow wound to the shoulder was inescapable in the end.

Among the list of items, a flint blade knife, a copper axe, a quiver of arrows, and a bow. Though it's believed the bow wasn't finished. Two of the fourteen arrows were broken, though they were tipped and had fletching's. The remaining twelve arrows were not finished in addition, he had a couple birch bark baskets, berries, two species of polypore mushrooms that had leather strings through them. One of these, birch fungus is known to have antibacterial properties and was used for medicinal purposes and the other was a type of tinder fungus.


I've liked the simple nature of Otzi's knife since the first time I saw it. It has a used utilitarian look to it that just well, looks right. Should be more than strong enough for the blade length, to do anything asked of it.

Thanks to the writers of this event, they have me living on every word they print.  WOW nice reporting folks.

2023 NEWS REPORT

Archaeologists digging in a cave in southern France say they have unearthed the earliest evidence of bow and arrow use outside Africa.

Grotte Mandrin, near Malataverne in the Rhône Valley, is a cave that was inhabited by early modern humans about 54,000 years ago. A research team recovered more than 300 tiny arrowheads intricately crafted in a style known as Neronian at the ancient site. Scientists believe the cave’s inhabitants are the earliest Homo sapiens to have arrived in a region that had long been home to another group of hominins, the Neanderthals.

Neanderthals cooked meals with pulses 70,000 years ago
Almost 200 of the surprisingly delicate arrowheads showed patterns of impact and damage that suggested they had once been thrust, thrown or mechanically propelled in some way, according to the research published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

It’s possible, the researchers said, that possessing advanced projectile weaponry, such as a bow and arrow, could have given these early Europeans an advantage over Neanderthals, who disappeared about 40,000 years ago.

The arrowheads found in the cave were of different sizes. The largest artifacts were 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) in length, while the smallest were just 10 millimeters (0.4 inch). To understand exactly how the points were used, co-lead study author Laure Metz, an archaeologist at Aix-Marseille Université in France, and her colleagues undertook a series of experiments with replica weapons.

Early humans used a ballistic technology.

The study team made 82 replica flint points and attached them to shafts of wood using natural glue made from tree sap, beeswax and the mineral ocher, the residues of which had been found on some of the flint tips. In total, the researchers made 82 projectiles.

Metz worked with a skilled archer, who fired the arrows and spears at a goat carcass — nine were tested by hand and 73 with a spear thrower and a bow made with a deer tendon. The team found that the small size and weight of the flint points meant the points worked best when fired with a bow.

The researchers replicated arrows and spears that were made 54,000 years ago.

Arrows shot from a bow penetrated much deeper — more than 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) deeper — than the points launched with a spear thrower, with 10 of the arrows passing all the way through the goat carcass, according to the study.
Hand-thrown spears rarely penetrated the animal’s skin, the researchers wrote.

Fracture marks on the replica flints shot with a bow also closely matched the pattern of wear on many of the points excavated from the cave, revealing them to be the result of a “ballistic technology,” such as a bow and arrow, the study said.

“When you have these light weapons you need to correct this low kinetic energy with mechanical propulsion. And the only way to make these fractures on the really tiny arrows … was with the bow,” Metz explained.

While the points were tiny, Metz said they were likely used to hunt relatively large animals such as a horse, deer or bison, the remains of which have been found in the cave. However, she said she had not ruled out the possibility that they were used as weapons to cause harm to other humans.

Chris Stringer, research leader in human evolution at the Natural History Museum in London, said he agreed that the tiny points would only have been effective as arrowheads rather than spear points. He was not involved in the research.

The arrowheads were found in Grotte Mandrin, a cave occupied by early modern humans and Neanderthals.

The earliest clear evidence of the use of a bow and arrow is in South Africa 64,000 years ago — a pivotal moment in human history. Early humans also used the technology in what’s now Sri Lanka to hunt forest animals 48,000 years ago.

Prior to this latest discovery, the earliest hard evidence of the use of bows and arrows in Europe was from wooden bows and arrow shafts found preserved in peat bogs in Northern Europe that date back about 12,000 years, the study said.

Neanderthals stuck to their traditional hunting tools. Grotte Mandrin encapsulates a particularly interesting chapter in the human story because it’s one of a very few archaeological sites that was occupied by alternating groups of early modern humans and Neanderthals: a tooth belonging to a young Homo sapiens found at the cave was sandwiched between layers of Neanderthal remains. Before this, the prevailing scientific wisdom was that modern humans arrived in Europe around 40,000 years ago, around the same time Neanderthal went extinct.

Did our Homo sapiens forebears and Neanderthals hang out together in this cave overlooking France’s Rhône valley 54,000 years ago? The researchers don’t have any hard evidence of interaction between the two groups at this place in time, although we know from genetic studies that the two groups did encounter one another and have babies.

Metz said there was no sign that the Neanderthals who lived in the cave after the makers of the tiny arrowheads adopted that method of flint knapping — and by extension bow and arrow use — even though they may have come across the arrowheads scattered across the cave floor. The stone tools and points associated with Neanderthals, known as Mousterian tools, are much larger and chunkier. Neanderthals hunted massive elephants that once roamed northern Europe.

“When you have a bow and arrow it’s more precise and less effort to use and easier to transport with you. You can take many arrows with you — not just one or two spears to hold in your hand. You can shoot many of them in a very quick operation. All this and you can be alone hunting by yourself,” Metz said.

“What is incredible to me is that they (the Neanderthals) didn’t use, they didn’t develop this type of weapon. They continued to use their traditional weapon — spears thrust or thrown by hand.”


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