Experimental archaeologists have rebuilt the most powerful and precise distance weapon of antiquity, a Bronze Age compound bow constructed by the Sintashta people of the Southern Urals.

Rebuilding archaeological artifacts can help us learn more about the lives, technologies, and ways of making things in ancient civilizations.

The Sintashta people were an ancient Indo-Iranian tribe who lived some 4,000 years ago, around the turn of the third and second millennia BC, and famously occupied the walled fortress of Arkaim, which is now just north of Kazakhstan’s border.

Researchers put together the 6.5-foot-long bow from pieces of horn found in three Sintashta burial sites.

Researchers at South Ural State University’s Dr. Ivan Semyan’s laboratory believe the Sintashta longbow is a composite bow with a variety of specific elements to boost mechanics and broaden functionality.

Dr. Semyan added: “Tests and simulations showed that the effective shooting of large Sintashta arrows required a bow tension of more than 28 kilograms [62 lbs], versus just 25 kilograms [55 lbs] for a modern Olympic bow for men.

“The result of our experiment was a bow 187 cm [74 inches] long with 29.03 kg [64 lbs] of tension.

“It can be used for target shooting at a distance of about 80 metres [262 feet].”

Indeed, the researchers found that the bow may have fired arrows capable of piercing both bone and horn plate armor.

The bow’s ergonomics suggest that it may have been intended for use from the body of a war vehicle, such as a chariot, although it might also have been used for hunting by aristocrats.

The original bow elements discovered in the Sintashta burial complexes, according to the researchers, had a high grade of preparation in the form of grinding and polishing.

They went on to say that the horn pieces are intricate in shape and took a long time to drill, saw, cut, and grind with bronze tools.

Not only would the bows be difficult to make, but they would also necessitate labor specialization.

The team indicated that various craftsmen would have worked on the timber and horn elements of each bow.

A quiver set would also necessitate the services of three specialists: a caster, a flint-splitter, and a bone carver.

“It was extremely important for us to strictly adhere to three principles,” Dr. Semyan noted throughout the experimental reconstruction procedure.

These, the author added, were “to use authentic materials, authentic technologies, and not to exceed the level of technical thought of the ancient masters”.

He added: “Therefore, only four materials were used: wood, horn, bone glue, and sinew.

“In total, we tested four versions of the design: two from our colleagues and two of our own.”

Dr. Semyan revealed that during test firings of their replica bows, the bow not only displayed high mechanical power but also stability over 300 shots, with no harmful vibrations in the design.

The most intriguing part of the bow identified in the original items, according to the experts, is what they believe is a “arrow shelf” made up of two slats.

Based on their research, the team believes the lower bar was utilized when the archer was shooting targets up to 66 feet away, after which the higher bar was used to lift the arrow and fire it further.

The study’s full findings were published in the journal EXARC.

Image Credit: Getty

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