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The Modern Reproduction of a Mongol Era Bow based on historical facts and ancien
Tom Dulaney:
Dear Bjoern,
Have you seen these bows, dated to the early first millennium? One bow has five strips of horn on the belly?
Am I missing something? It seems like you are saying the technique didn't exist until after the Mongol period -- yet this source apparently places it about a thousand years beforehand?
http://www.atarn.org/chinese/khotan_bow.htm
Tom Dulaney:
--- Quote ---
The belly of the limb, formed of five horn plates over wood. (Adhesive tape across the middle.) Lowest plate is missing.
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Bjoern Sofeit:
It's not a technique present in any bow from the conquest era, that's why I said "No such bows have been found from this era."
The bow that you posted here is about 1000 years removed from this period.
Earlier multi strip constructions aren't new, they come in all sorts an shapes. We know of a hun bow where they stacked 2 horn plates in each limb on top of each other.
Why I chose to say persian bows? They are the most numerous bows that were consistently made this way. Apart from them and in some crabs, there is not much evidence apart from singular finds (e.g a Georgian multi-limb bow) that this was a technique of choice.
I wouldn't have a problem with this article, if it was true to the original geometry and proportions and sourced them properly, or how they arrived at the designs that they used based on analysis of e.g. a usable picture. If you make an article with a claim to make a reproduction of an original bow (I know, it's not even explicitly in the text, beside the title), you have to outline why and what you do, if you make changes and for what reason.
Putting together random design parts of different cultures and times, because hey, it's an ancient technique, well. It's fun, but doesn't give you any meaningful insight into the subject.
NorthHeart:
--- Quote from: Bjoern Sofeit on March 10, 2018, 01:42:04 am ---It's not a technique present in any bow from the conquest era, that's why I said "No such bows have been found from this era."
The bow that you posted here is about 1000 years removed from this period.
Earlier multi strip constructions aren't new, they come in all sorts an shapes. We know of a hun bow where they stacked 2 horn plates in each limb on top of each other.
Why I chose to say persian bows? They are the most numerous bows that were consistently made this way. Apart from them and in some crabs, there is not much evidence apart from singular finds (e.g a Georgian multi-limb bow) that this was a technique of choice.
I wouldn't have a problem with this article, if it was true to the original geometry and proportions and sourced them properly, or how they arrived at the designs that they used based on analysis of e.g. a usable picture. If you make an article with a claim to make a reproduction of an original bow (I know, it's not even explicitly in the text, beside the title), you have to outline why and what you do, if you make changes and for what reason.
Putting together random design parts of different cultures and times, because hey, it's an ancient technique, well. It's fun, but doesn't give you any meaningful insight into the subject.
--- End quote ---
I got a lot out of the article as im new to composite horn bows, and their construction. Things like the center splice and how the siyhas are attached. Even if it isn't 100% accurate to the particular culture/region/empire/era he claims...it still gets the point across on methods of composite horn bow construction in a general sense.
I love history but i'm a bit fuzzy on the specifics, like when and where the exact empires existed, and what type of horn bow they used utilizing what method of construction. It would be cool if someone explained or mapped out the different empires(time period and geographic region), the specific details on their horn bows, and the methods of construction used in their horn bows for a more in depth understanding from us less knowledgeable folks. Maybe you could do that as you seem to know a lot about them:)
Bjoern Sofeit:
That's alot to write about, and many questions remain yet to be explored.
But we could pick a specific subject like e.g. the Tsagaan Khad bow and I can do a buildalong and compare it's construction to earlier or later bows that we know of. E.g. comparing this design to another long draw bow like a Crimean Tatar.
I've bought some ram horn and straightened it, with some luck it should produce strips that allow for similar dimensions of the original. Don't expect any fast builds though, this is something that might take more than a year.
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