Stone Age Bows and Arrows

Very few bows or arrows from the early Danish stone-age exist today. Even fewer are sufficiently intact for a just reconstruction.















Above: The remainders of the Blak bow seen from one end.

The marine archaeological group, Roskilde Fjord Gruppen arrange a series of discussions and trials directed towards some of the theories that have been put forward on the subject of how arrow points have been fastned and situated on the arrow shafts 7000 years ago. Specificly the discussion takes aim on reconstructing a number of "Villingebæk"-type arrows and investigating results of shots into a substance similar to stone-age hunters prey.

Obviously reconstructions of stone age bows are used for shooting the arrows.

The webmaster of this site reconstructs stone age bows based on the best possible data, this being e.g. measurements and photoes of the bow in question preferably supported by sketches indicating annual rings, growth layers, marrow and similar details seldom visible on photoes.

Moesgaard Forhistoriske Museum and the regional museum "Færgegården" has been kind enough to allow a such measuring and sketching of the tybrind vig bows, the ringkloster-bow and the blak-bow.

Danish Bow- and Arrow- Finds from Mesolithicum
Cronological List

Bows

FIND LOCATION WOOD TYPE AGE LITERATURE

Vedbæk boldbaner (Maglemosegård) Elm, L=1,94 cm (estimate) Early ertebølle "Vedbækbogen", ISBN 87-87113-27-9, P72 ff
Muldbjerg (Åmosen) Elm, L=ca. 160 cm (estimate) Ertebølle (Find settlement dated 2.820±80 b.C.(?)) Aarbog for Nordisk Oldkundskab og Historie 1959
Tybrind vig Elm Ertebølle (4.600-3.200 b.C.) Journal of Danish Archaeologu, vol. 4, 1985
Blak
 Elm (estimate) Kongemose Not published (mentioned in the magazine "Buejægeren" nr 1/94, ISSN 0906-2963)
Holmegård
Ringkloster


Arrows

FIND LOCATION WOOD TYPE AGE LITERATURE
Gamborg fjord Unknown probabely erteboelle The Danish hunters magazine "Jæger", November 2002
Vedbæk boldbaner (Maglemosegård) " Kvalkved", water rice Early ertebølle "Vedbækbogen", ISBN 87-87113-27-9, P72 ff
Muldbjerg (Åmosen) Ash wood (Fraxinus excelsior L.) diameter varying from 0,8 to 1,1 cm Ertebølle (find settlement dated 2.820±80 b.C.(?)) Aarbog for Nordisk Oldkundskab og Historie 1959
Tybrind vig Hazel wood("Blunts") Ertebølle (4.600-3.200 f. Kr.) Journal of Danish Archaeologu, vol. 4, 1985
Vinkel

 Split fir (Pinus Sylvestris L.) diameter varying from 7 to 9,7 mm Early maglemose, 6000 b.C. Aarbog for Nordisk Oldkundskab og Historie 1961
Fippenborg Fir (Pinus sylvestris L:) L=90-100 cm, ø 10,1 to 8,5 cm Maglemose (6.230±140 b.C.) Acta Archaeologica
(Loshult) Fir (estimate), L=88 cm, ø 0,85 to 1,0 cm Boreal (7.900-6.800 b.C.) "Die Mikrolithen in dem Pfeil-Fund von Loshult", Mats P. Malmer

(Stellmoor) Fir, 2 parts Ahrenburg (8.000 b.C.)