Making Traditional Bows

MVAC friend Loren Cade returns in this follow-up to his traditional arrow-making video (link below). Here, he shows the sophisticated process behind making a traditional bow similar to those Indigenous peoples in Wisconsin began crafting over a thousand year ago. Dr. Jim Theler provides a brief background on the topic before introducing Loren. A quick note on terminology: People in the recreational archery community use “traditional archery” to refer to simpler bow forms without sights or other mechanical or modern additions, and they often use “primitive archery” to refer to traditional bows and arrows made of all-natural materials. Nonetheless, the knowledge, technology, and process involved in making them are quite complex.
Here's what the video covers, and some links for further information:
Timecodes
00:00
00:05 - Introduction (Cindy)
01:37 - Introduction - Dr. James Theler
05:38 - Creating Bowstaves
08:00 - Removing Bark
09:22 - Trimming the Bowstave
14:08 - Tillering the Bow
15:36 - Sanding and Finishing
17:20 - Bowstrings
23:41 - Different Bows
26:17 - Summary and Resources
Related MVAC webpages:
-Mississippian & Oneota Traditions - Mississippian Tools & Pottery: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Mississippian & Oneota Traditions - Oneota Tools: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Native Knowledge: Games of Dexterity - Archery: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Points: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Rock Art (including depictions of bows and arrows): www.uwlax.edu/...
-Woodland Tradition - Tools: www.uwlax.edu/...
Related MVAC videos:
-Making Traditional Arrows - Loren Cade demonstrates the complex and fascinating process behind making a traditional arrow: • Making Traditional Arrows
Artifact Identification
Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse works mainly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and can provide information related to that region. If you would like information on artifacts, email a description of the item and where it was found, and attach a picture of the artifact with a scale to show its size. For more information visit MVAC’s website at: www.uwlax.edu/....
For information on other regions, we suggest contacting the appropriate state archaeologist from the following list: sites.google.c....

[@danielseurer1020]

Absoutely fascinating!!!

[@chrisinkansas8507]

Ever used Osage Orange?

[@uwlmvac]

In the Wisconsin region and east, hickory was a favored wood for bows. The earliest preserved Native American bow, the Sudbury bow, circa 1660 from Massachusetts, is made of hickory. However many other woods can be used for bow making including elm and ash. Osage Orange, a favored wood for bows where available, has been widely introduced north of its historic range, it is not native to the northern Midwest. Loren has not used Osage Orange wood for making a bow.