Bush Craft. Quiz. Hope you do better than I did

[HillBill]

Very few have been found but that is not proof of not being used. Willow bows have been reproduced that are very capable of taking out wildfowl. Yes, it's a poor material but in the early Mesolithic will have been one of the only materials available.

But, you are picking up on just one material of my more generalist statement - there are many woods used for extensive periods before yew and even when yew was available woods like ash and elm were still used very frequently - there just wasn't enough good yew available especially at the time of the Mary Rose. I can't remember the ratio but was it 9 ash bows to 1 yew?

We used to put a tax on ships arriving from Italy and other places... they must bring Yew staves with them to dock in our ports or similar, i'm going from memory. Our Yew was more stunted, twisted and knotty, while theirs was straighter... warmer climates, trees grew better... Far more suitable for bow material. I seem to recall the Amesbury Archer had a Yew bow, but it was of poor quality comparatively. Yew bows in the Neolithic/Palaeolithic etc were used for hunting larger game. Aurochs, Red deer etc, and not many could use them. It wasn't until much later did they become the first choice for a war bow. Even then... it took a lifetime to train an Archer to such a bow.

So i guess we we don't have a traditional bow material then? Yew is the obvious one folk will pick, as its what most folk know...and what history records as such.

 

[Toddy]

As I understand it, the best yew bows have both heartwood and older timber in their length....so since Yew grows outwards, and the heart is constantly coppiced, no wonder our trees look somewhat stunted. They still grow though, and it's pretty much impossible to accurately date old trees because of their habit.
The one at Fortingall 'could' be 4,000 years old, or it might just be 2,000

How long is a 'tradition' ?

It just needs to be an entrenched habit, piece of knowledge.

We know, because we can prove it, by the archaeological record as well as by later written accounts, of some timbers that are very much more appropriate for archery than others......and don't forget the arrowshaft wood too.....but we're humans, we're good at thinking outside the box. If we don't have something perfect we know how to make do, to adjust, to improve, what is available

 

[Broch]

... making do would have been an art for the Mesolithic; they couldn't have said 'there's no good wood we'll not bother with the bow and arrow then'.

Arrow shafts are a good example. In Northern Europe (IIRC) the majority of early arrow shafts were Viburnum. But, in Britain, we only have two native Viburnum species, one (Wayfaring-tree) was only found in the South, and the other Guelder-rose doesn't make good arrows (in every attempt I have made). So, I suspect, for small game at least, they 'made do' with straight seasoned hazel - we have had great days just shooting hazel arrows

One doesn't need 'perfect' to put food on the 'table'.

But, we have wandered, as is our wont

 

[HillBill]

As I understand it, the best yew bows have both heartwood and older timber in their length....so since Yew grows outwards, and the heart is constantly coppiced, no wonder our trees look somewhat stunted. They still grow though, and it's pretty much impossible to accurately date old trees because of their habit.
The one at Fortingall 'could' be 4,000 years old, or it might just be 2,000

How long is a 'tradition' ?

It just needs to be an entrenched habit, piece of knowledge.

We know, because we can prove it, by the archaeological record as well as by later written accounts, of some timbers that are very much more appropriate for archery than others......and don't forget the arrowshaft wood too.....but we're humans, we're good at thinking outside the box. If we don't have something perfect we know how to make do, to adjust, to improve, what is available

Not heartwood and older timber (older timber is the heartwood) a Yew bow comprised of both heartwood and sapwood. One resisted compression, the other tension. Together they worked in unison. Knots were weak spots. Even if you follow the grain around the knot it created an area of unequal compression/tension, The belly of the bow (the side facing the archer, was the heartwood. It resists compression. The back (outer part) was the creamy coloured Sapwood which works well under tension. Just like a tree would. Yew being Evergreen, it will get blown about a bit having 'full sails' all year round. So the outer must stretch, and the inner compress for it to survive the winter blows. And so it was recognised for bow making purposes. Issue was, because of our climate, it grew more slowly, so knots/weak spots were more condensed along the height of the tree. The grain was tighter, so it was stiffer as a result and basically made a bow which was weaker in both structural strength, and throwing force for the same pull exerted. Hence the trade tax, for better quality material.

 

[Toddy]

But they didn't have trade tax in the Meso and Neo lithic and if they didn't have Yew, well at least there was willow.....

Caveat; not here, perhaps in the Aegean, Fertile Crescent, China

 

[HillBill]

... making do would have been an art for the Mesolithic; they couldn't have said 'there's no good wood we'll not bother with the bow and arrow then'.

Arrow shafts are a good example. In Northern Europe (IIRC) the majority of early arrow shafts were Viburnum. But, in Britain, we only have two native Viburnum species, one (Wayfaring-tree) was only found in the South, and the other Guelder-rose doesn't make good arrows (in every attempt I have made). So, I suspect, for small game at least, they 'made do' with straight seasoned hazel - we have had great days just shooting hazel arrows

One doesn't need 'perfect' to put food on the 'table'.

But, we have wandered, as is our wont

I expect arrows were made from all kinds of wood... the straighter growing the better. From what we actually know historically, ash and poplar were more favoured. But i can see how Hazel would have worked for straightness. Ash was heavier, and preferred for longbows having more oomph in them. Standard war arrow really, Hazel was middling, poplar the lightest... The arrows will have matched the bow i expect. I wonder how many arrows exploded on release from a yew bow until the found the right one? I wonder how many weaker bows struggled with a heavier arrow until they found the correct one for them? So much trial and error has gone on in unrecorded history. I feel we take it for granted today with the internet etc.

 

[matarius777]

You can make soap from birch and ivy if I recall, but not nettles as that can sting the nether regions.

That’s the only answer I got wrong, I said Beech.

 

[Springchicken]

I was given 90%. I slipped up on the soap'n'birch leaves (personally, I'd sniff out a horse chestnut for washing) and the glue question. I'm not sure about some of the 'challenges', such as 'who tells the best stories?', as subjective answers aren't a useful guide to bushcraft skills and knowledge; however, it was a fun break from putting up curtain poles!