Bow — Middle Ages

The story behind the answer

The curved wooden stave strung with a cord and an arrow nocked identifies it: there’s no stock or trigger like a crossbow, no pouch and cords like a sling, and it’s clearly not a thrown spear. This is a hand-drawn weapon designed to launch arrows using stored limb tension.

In the Middle Ages, such arms—especially the English longbow—reshaped warfare. Crafted often from yew combining flexible sapwood and strong heartwood, they reached 6 feet or more and could exceed 100 pounds draw weight. Trained archers could loose 10–12 arrows per minute, showering bodkin- or broadhead-tipped shafts that threatened even armored knights. Famous victories at Crécy and Agincourt showcased their range, penetration, and devastating rate of fire, backed by laws that required regular archery practice among commoners.