How The Long Bow Became The Deadliest Weapon Of Its Age

Evidence of humans' use of the bow can be found all over the world, from cave art in Algeria that shows a man shooting a slightly curved bow to the mummified body of Ötzi the iceman - a 4,000 year old murder victim discovered in the Alps with an arrow embedded in his shoulder and a collection of his personal possessions including an unfinished long bow along with a quiver containing 14 arrows.
But it's here in Britain, where the oldest complete bow ever was discovered, at a place called Star Carr.
Join Ray Mears as he goes on a personal journey to uncover the origins of the bow, from its early use in hunting to it's development as the first true weapon of mass destruction.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.
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#historyhit #raymears #bowandarrow #ancienthistory

[@MrMh722]

Ray: "I'm a bit rusty, it's been years"... straight into the heart on the first shot! 😳

[@harrrybee4715]

splits the first arrow like robin hood 🤣🤣🤣

[@a.azazagoth5413]

He’s a brilliant archer no doubt!

[@jamieglover4853]

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

[@anonymous2513456]

you just know he had a cheeky practise before he turned up that day

[@willyum3920]

hahaha I scrolled down to the comments to say exactly this at exactly that point in the video and you beat me to it. Ray Mears, what else can we say.

[@euruski]

Who knew we needed a History Hit & Tod's Workshop crossover with Ray Mears!? Brilliant video.

[@jamesjross]

where hyas ray been? why does bbc/itv no longer commission his programs?

[@CoffeeFiend1]

@@jamesjross He's straight, white, he's also male amongst other 'absolute bastard traits'.

[@HistoricalWeapons]

Such an Anglo centric video. There is no complete history of archery

[@markhuckercelticcrossbows7887]

dont rely on TOD! ive messaged him 3 times, about the uk govs proposal to ban ALL styles of broadhead arrow, ive not had one reply, on helping spread the word about the petition or posting my links! Nothing from sprave, nor uk archy olympic team. if your the little guy, your on your own, they only care about there own business empire!

[@kristiangustafson4130]

@@HistoricalWeapons I largely agree. Mears though is pretty unapologetically British. And the tone of the video does not pretend to be a global history--its Mears' normal focus on British things.

[@1916JAD]

Ray is a national treasure. He is criminally underused by mainstream tv.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

I if I was him I'd be semi retired tbh.

[@vattmann1387]

He's been screwed over / embarrassed (not by his fault) by the media a fair few times :( eg. Graham Norton show where he was asked to make a fire , but the entire area had been sprayed with anti inflammatory substance for safety. Or the time the tabloids called him a bloodhound in the hunt for Roul Moat aka Moaty in the North East :(

[@bennaz123]

It doesn’t get better than Ray Mears, who else loved his docs throughout their childhood?

[@harry6583]

i'd love to meet him one day!

[@requiscatinpace7392]

For me it’s a Man Crush 😂!!

[@David-th2ug]

Who would you have to dinner? Who else?

[@nickdavison9771]

Ray is a legend, very knowledgeable guy and so interesting to watch.

[@jackbrown3689]

hes certainly looking good on it, hasnt changed in 30 years

[@pheart2381]

Someone explain to my cat why his supper will be 1 hour 6 minutes late.....

[@thomasbell7033]

Get over it, Kitty. There are some things the world simply must stop for.

[@Yungbeck]

Hahaha

[@brigidsingleton1596]

Feed your feline beside your chair It will purr and your kindness will always be there Feed it late and unkindly you'll not negate The feeling you know to it you can relate To a bow and an arrow... Practicing Oooh you let it go too late... No archers cider for you... Longbow, composite, crossbow, oh-oh?!

[@user-ib3zn4zb5i]

😂😂

[@jmcw9632]

Meow, meow meow, meow meow meow meow, meow

[@ineedabetterusername7424]

1:48 WHAT?!! Joe Gibbs, Ray Mears, and Todd fom Todd's Workshop all in the same archery jam session, just chillin together like legends? THIS IS THE GREATEST CROSSOVER IN THE HISTORY OF FILM!!!

[@saltaiaw]

I grew up as a young lad watching Ray, I even made my own bow and arrow after watching him make one. I used slate that I nicked from the garden for arrow heads. It's great to see he hasn't changed one bit and still has a love for what he does. Please more of Ray!

[@deejannemeiurffnicht1791]

He just got fatter is all

[@CMillz884]

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that Ray still gets recognition. His knowledge and more than that, the way he explains what he knows is unmatched. I have grew up watching Ray and he makes me proud to be British. Also he would have been a deadly archer

[@exploatores]

Listning to him is more like listning to a friend. tellling a story. then listning to someone who thinks they have to make a show to get pepoles attention.

[@deejannemeiurffnicht1791]

It's almost like he demonstrates what we might now call experimental archeology. That is, he explores the past, and our evolution by experimenting hands-on with their technologies from a first-hand basis. So it gives him a bit more authority than having read a book on, say, Longbow archers, or seaisde hunter gatherers, as he has hands-on knowledge of how to do these things himself. This also makes it easy for him to talk with the various experts, as his skills crossover and transfer across various fields so well.

[@Flipendo64]

I could watch Ray Mears documentaries all day

[@theguywitheyebrows]

in the lung and in the heart, Ray's still got it!! glad to see new content with his smiling voice in it

[@jamesbatten8659]

I helped in the construction of the museum on the Mary Rose and I would sometimes be onsite until two in the morning , I would just sit with the ship when the dock was empty . Sat with her by myself I would feel this great sense of sorrow , the fact that she’s not just a ship but also a grave . The souls of those sailors is in every inch of that wood . Strange the feelings you can have when you have a personal moment with such a piece of history .

[@LoreTunderin]

Thank you for sharing this. It's easy to unintentionally overlook the human element of historic sites and events, getting swept up in the numbers and the technology. Too few experience those moments of quiet, uninterrupted reflection, particularly in proximity to such historically significant sites and artifacts. Tours and exhibits are awesome, of course, but nothing compares to the overwhelming power and emotion that can only be experienced when you're alone with your thoughts and surrounded by history.

[@Wardads1]

I have a tiki dating back to the Maori wars .Its a family heirloom carved from a bone belonging to a British trooper.My missus won't touch it ,reckons its evil but my eldest son and I can feel the direct connection to both our ancestor and his former enemy whose mana he respected to the point of possession.

[@captainflint89]

this man and his craft is a big part of why i make arrowheads and bows/arrows today , as a boy ray inspired the hunter and craftsman in me and for this i am forever in debt to him

[@jameshazen2907]

I had some different influences but what a great hobby it is!

[@mathewmullen288]

I would put Ray Mears on par with Sir David Attenborough.Such an inspiration. And Joe and Tod what more can I say awesome.

[@aaaa-eg4ck]

When Attenborough is gone, Mears should be the one to pick up the flag

[@Haasenpad]

Ray Mears remains the best presenter on any subject. What a legend!

[@MrEolicus]

Fascinating. And a real pleasure to meet Ray Mears once again. Not to mention Barry, Nicky, Joe, Tod, Mark, Chris, Jo and Alex who lent their expertise in the most charming fashion. Cheers.

[@marcusfridh8489]

Only missing Mike Loads

[@johnclark1925]

When you see Ray holding a bow, touching a yew tree, saying how the forest emends him of when he was a boy… one sees that boy… still doing boyhood things… in a wood, with bow, making arrows, fletching and shooting. ❤️Stay true to what you are.

[@dasiksupahuman]

This is my first Ray Mears documentary I have seen and literally as soon as I saw Joe and Tod. I paused made a cup of English breakfast tea and sat back down because I am not getting up until this video is done.

[@a.azazagoth5413]

You’re lucky to have so many Ray Mears documentaries to watch!

[@poolie-mag8282]

Hope you have plenty of time and plenty of tea. Ray's got plenty of documentaries

[@Kefuddle]

Gotta love Ray. He presents so effortlessly with a gravitas of knowledge and experience few can match.

[@jamesjross]

can anyone answer why UK TV stopped commissioning Ray Mears? I cannot be the only person that watches everything he makes.

[@vattmann1387]

He's been screwed over / embarrassed (not by his fault) by the media a fair few times :( eg. Graham Norton show where he was asked to make a fire , but the entire area had been sprayed with anti inflammatory substance for safety. Or the time the tabloids called him a bloodhound in the hunt for Roul Moat aka Moaty in the North East :( As far as I can tell unfortunately He's said in past interviews he'd love to work for the BBC on nature documentaries etc.

[@Squarepeg57]

Ray Mears is a great presenter. Knowledgeable and with a real passion for the subject. He’s a great guy in person too!

[@MithridatesEupator412]

Great seeing more Ray Mears again, I just finished the episode on the invasion of Britain by the Romans which he hosted.

[@ironmikekendall2506]

Awesome to see Joe and Todd with the legendary Ray Mears. Ray Mears is a national treasure. He's with the likes of Steve Irwin and Mr.Rogers 🙂

[@MrRockheaddevon]

I would love it if you did a journey around the world comparing different designs and methods of archery. From tribal double bow, syrian horse bows to japanese yumi

[@pheart2381]

Good idea!

[@sjohnson4882]

This should be renamed "The Partial History of Archery in England With Ray Mears."

[@marcusfridh8489]

Mike Loads did an 1 hour 12 minutes long documentary of the history of archery years ago, still in youtube to this day, i have it on my main miscellanious playlist

[@sjohnson4882]

@@marcusfridh8489 Yes, I have seen and enjoyed it.

[@sjohnson4882]

@@marcusfridh8489 It is possible that the title was changed from "The History of Archery," to "The Evolution of Medieval Archery." This is a much better title.

[@georgeeckenroth5315]

Ray Mears is just the best. I'm enthralled by his knowledge, skills and passion.

[@AntFilledBeach]

This has been an incredible documentary. The voice and nature of Ray Mears is absolutely perfect to describe the delicate and yet powerfull impact of archery in history. Tod and Joe was just icing on the cake to see. Thanks very much for making this come together and sharing with the world.

[@paulcheney3636]

Ray you really are a national treasure! A title thrown about too much currently but one Ray Mears richly deserves

[@lemon_j22]

Love it. Ray Mears rocks!

[@TheLegendMaster]

This is brilliant, I've loved Ray Mears since I was a teenager and I've been subscribed to Tod's Workshop for years too. To see them together is almost as good for me as when Ray was on Talking Pints with Nigel Farage!

[@BH-rx3ue]

Love a bit of Ray Mears. Ahh, lovely nostalgia. Nice to see Tod and Joe in here as well

[@dreamjackson5483]

I really like how Ray is always putting himself in the shoes of the people in the past. And vice versa. I think it's a good exercise, and enjoy it alot!

[@TheEskimosPantry]

Oh, Amazing! Thanks so much for this content. Ray is a national treasure, can't wait to see more with him.

[@danpatterson7108]

"I haven't done this for ages"... Double tap straight to the heart...

[@Remigrator]

I will watch this episode with the highest level of scrutiny.

[@willyum3920]

excellent programme thank you. Ray Mears in his element, doing his thing brilliantly as always. A joy.

[@SpindlyScoudrel]

Always good to listen to Ray

[@MysticChronicles712]

How incredible! Your content is much appreciated. I can't wait for more Ray; he's a national treasure.

[@EmptyGlass99]

Ray Mears is always a joy to watch. He is so passionate about bushcraft, it's infectious. I am old enough to remember the Mary Rose being lifted - the preservation on those bows is astonishing.

[@Calum_S]

It's a shame Robert Hardy is no longer with us. He was very knowledgeable on this subject.

[@WimJilf]

Absolutely superb. Thank you Ray and team.

[@b.elzebub9252]

13:18 It's so incredibly valuable for our understanding of pre-history to have someone like Ray with all his knowledge, experience and time spend with peoples who still life in the traditional ways. It's amazing how he can look at a shard of petrified wood and go 'Oh, it's probably [..]. I've seen something similar with the [..]people of [..]' Truly an amazing man!

[@jasonbennett60]

Great documentary! Ray is excellent as host and it’s always great to see Tod and Joe.

[@TXGRunner]

This is the sort of unapologetically British documentary I grew up watching in the US, "...our island home..." & "...Britain was known for...", not any sort of false or showy patriotism, just a subtle and casual reference to your sense of nationhood/community and shared history of which you can be justly proud. I honestly shocked somebody didn't edit it out to placate the mob.

[@marks6928]

Absolutely loved this. Ray is as brilliant as ever, and he’s the perfect person for this topic. Fantastic.

[@uncletoad1779]

Nice to see Ray in action again!

[@BionicRusty]

As a novice archer, I love this. Compelling viewing 👏👏👏

[@Lutz101]

Enjoyed this. Ray Mears has also written a bunch of superb books and has his own website.

[@sirbobulous]

It's Tod! Great to see the collaboration.

[@marcusfridh8489]

I like to think that Ray did follow the arrow vs armor series

[@paulsimeone2708]

Fantastic, Ray is the best , the knowledge is priceless

[@johnrochford4031]

I miss Ray. Good to see him back in stuff.

[@pensnut08]

A fantastic journey into history!!

[@Veronika7777]

I am just 26 mins into the video and I must say, this was extraordinarily well done. Well presented, narrated, edited, shot, etc... Just a bang-on solid job. 💜

[@brodiedavisalmostprimitive1262]

So good to see Ray!

[@paulprior9875]

Awesome to see Joe, Todd and Ray in one film!

[@Labroidas]

Amazing documentary, it was a pleasure to watch! I also very much enjoyed Tod's Workshop and Ray Mears joining forces, I've been a big fan of both for a long time. Just one correction for Ötzi: he is 5300 years old, not 4000, as mentioned at 4:15.

[@Pedro8k]

Best video i have seen on the subject good to see ray again i have shot with a longbow for well over 30 years and still enjoy it there is a lot of skill in making bows and arrows and there use

[@jacksawild]

Ray Mears is just incredibly watchable

[@stephentodd6936]

F#@king amazing, cheers Ray, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes. X

[@paul_k_7351]

Love the video. Ray Mears is the best ❤️

[@resh..]

Absolutely phenomenal documentary.

[@nickdavison9771]

Great to see Ray back on the screen, that lime bark quiver is impressive, I have made one myself but it was nowhere near as neat.

[@michaeldmckenzie]

It sure doesn’t look complete to me. But , it’s intriguing and I’m glad you’ve told us this story.

[@stevemull2002]

great vid, thanks, i enjoyed that

[@maniachill3069]

Ray!. Great to see you Brother! Hello from Maine, USA

[@sunflowerbadger]

Ray "Hawk Eye" Mears getting giddy at the sight of the Mary Rose bows ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

[@johnnyretro1975]

RAY YOU ARE AN AMAZING MAN

[@Templar7832]

This is superb love it! My Dad and I both have longbows made by the legend Steve Ralphs. I just love archery it's so cool. More vids on archery please!

[@vattmann1387]

Good to see Ray back in the media :) He got me into bush craft stuff back as a kid in the 90's. It pisses me off he got screwed over a bunch of times by the media :/

[@JohnAdams-kc8wx]

What a legend Ray Mears is !

[@jamieglover4853]

Ray needs to be knighted. Arise, Ser Raymond Mears.

[@draganjagodic4056]

Sincere respect for salvaging and restoration of the ship.

[@williammills3632]

Thats the fastest Ive ever hit the like button. EPIC video 🏹

[@fourshore502]

it sounds to me like the arrow to the eye story could have been mixed up with harald hårdråde, who was supposedly also killed by an arrow to the eye, or neck just a few days earlier.

[@Galois32]

You can tell Ray is an incredible bushman as he always looks well fed

[@Alan-in-Bama]

Excellent episode ! - From a fellow archer across the pond.

[@sckl4635]

I think Ray Mears should present all the videos for this channel.

[@Ayns.L14A]

we need more Ray............

[@draganjagodic4056]

Great docu, great research.

[@TheAmericanDane]

History hit X Tod’s Workshop X Ray Mears! What a treat!!

[@oprecourt]

Someone said we started losing our bravery the day we could kill our enemies without looking in their eyes

[@BlandMarkComedy]

Ray and Tod? Fantastic!

[@johnslaughter5475]

I loved this video. I used to shoot a 50# Grizzly Bear, a recurve. I wasn't bad. Seeing Mary Rose was a special treat. There is so much history in that ship. The remains found in her were not limited to the bows. Remains of her crew. Remains of barrels with food in them. Mary Rose was a time capsule. Henry VIII was supposedly standing on shore watching as she sank. There is a story that the captain's wife was standing next to Henry. When Mary Rose went down, she fainted and Henry caught her. The story is not verified. I would love for HH to do an entire episode just on Mary Rose. BTW, A young Prince of Wales, Charles, was among those who dove on her in the Solent. (sp?)

[@utube7930]

Ray backs up his knowledge with ability

[@dqgorman3436]

Nice helix fletching! 😊

[@TheUncarvedBlock]

More Ray please. I would also like to nominate him for Ambassador of Earth.

[@mgentleman1]

Amazing documentary, what would the string to complete the bow have been made of?

[@williamrobinson7435]

Ray Mears strikes again! Bullseye. 🌟👍

[@billjenkins5693]

Wonderful show!

[@thenoworriesnomad]

Fantastic video...👍👍

[@TheCastlesofEngland]

Ray Mears is the GOAT! 🐐

[@masonwillis708]

The literal and figurative flex at 24:25. Must have loved that! Haha

[@jonnycarrick7552]

What a find Ray mears on KZbin 🎉

[@arkagdyni]

Cześć Ray! Pozdrawiam z Polski. Lubię cię. Nie wiedziałem,że interesuje cię historia. Ja uwielbiam historię. Ostatnio przeszukuję karty historii na temat szlaków handlowych między Damaszkiem a półwyspem Skandynawii w epoce Viking. Zastanawiam się jakim cudem stal damasceńska( tworzona z rudy indyjskiej) była wytapiana w piecach w Damaszku ,a potem kawałki stopu stali wędrowały z bliskiego Wschodu poprzez morzem czarne,poprzez Dniepr,na półwysep Skandynawii... Tam kowale,młotami wykuwali wspaniałe miecze ,,ULFVERTH,,-oręż siejący śmierć w Europie. Szczyty oszczepów też były wykuwane z takiej stali... Najbardziej zadziwia mnie jak słowiańscy piraci Bałtyku umieli przezwyciężać Vikingów, zabijać ich i kraść im te miecze... Zdumiewa mnie też północny szlak handlowy cyny z epoki brązu... Czyżby Viking wiedział o rzekach i szlakach od pradziada z epoki brązu... Pewnie tak....

[@paulmanson253]

Make sure you watch Loades of History. The Secrets of Wootz Damascus Steel. Hope it at least subtitles into Polish.

[@jonathanowen8389]

Great stuff. Makes me want to take up archery again.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and wonderful historical coverage work shared by🙏 ( history Hit) channel. Coverage work about long Bow...a primitive weapon utilized from Mesolethic periods to medieval periods ...utilized for England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 definition to Conquistador of others countries ( France 🇫🇷) as example

[@superglx7028]

I have definitely gained a lot more passion to using this incredible Tool/weapon and the art of shooting it.

[@pieman3141]

Tod and Joe? Good selection of guests.

[@jammysmears4077]

Fun to watch Ray leading the witness and Marc having none of it.

[@daemonharper3928]

Great vid, great presentation - always a treat to have History Hit with Ray.....I literally finished reading his autobiography an hour before watching this. I started dabbling with archery over lockdown and have made a couple of ash bows as well as using modern - my yew collected with permission of the local diocese has been dried for 2 years now, so I'll have a go making a bow or 3 this year.

[@30035XD]

Todd and Joe! Nice!

[@tfjzz]

excellent, thank you!

[@ddoherty5956]

I love this guy, why has KZbin with held this video for 3 days! 😡