Oldest Known Bow Recreated by Professional Bowyer

The Holmegaard bow is the oldest complete bow ever found; dating to roughly 7,000 BC (Mesolithic Period - Middle Stone Age). It was found alongside several other bows recovered from a bog in Denmark in 1963.
The Holmegaard bow is frequently mistaken for and/or used interchangeably with the Mollegabet artifact, but they're quite different. The Holmegaard is a fairly straightforward flatbow with a time-tested, pyramid-like limb profile. The Mollegabet, on the other hand, is kept wide for approximately 60% of its limbs before abruptly tapering to unusually narrow, rigid levers.
The design was trusted by the ancient hunter-gatherers; and remains in widespread use today. A well made Holmegaard is a solid hunting bow, with excellent durability and a quick, smooth cast. If you've never built one, I encourage you to give it a try. If you have, let me know your thoughts on Holmegaard bows in the comments below!
Instagram: @organic.archer
Website: www.organicarchery.com

[@gregfromguam]

Thanks!

[@organicarchery]

@@gregfromguam I can’t thank you enough for the support. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! Everything this channel makes is reinvested into creating more and better quality videos. 🙏🏼🏹

[@philippbrugge5924]

I'm an Achaeologist myself and the Study of prehistory had originally inspired me to start building bows myself... but I've never managed to build one of the Holmegaard or Mollegabet style bows. You've just inspired me to give it a try!

[@organicarchery]

Many of the step-by-step bow building tutorials online can help you produce a good Holmegaard bow, since it's got a profile fairly similar to the common "pyramid bow".

[@GrumpyGenXGramps]

Using modern tools or flint and bone tools? That’s the impressive part to me.

[@jonathanbennison9220]

I'm obsessed with that mollegabet style. It just looks so awesome. And of course, it's genius, engineered, fantastic. But it's got such a unique design compared to the humble elnglish Longbow yew stick.

[@jonathanbennison9220]

7:43 Chalk, was a very cool tip.

[@jonathanbennison9220]

15:12 The permanent knocks, are jute twine? Fascinating. I kinda love that.

[@acgsmith5937]

I love the zip of the arrow passing by.

[@eddy4112]

Your attention to detail speaks volumes even when you are silent !!

[@organicarchery]

I really appreciate that! Thank you!

[@hallvardjrgensen2452]

Thank you. There is something deeply good, harmonius and healing about traditional crafts.

[@RileyReneau]

Just got into Archery this year. Shot a ton as a kid. 27 Now. Found a great local shop that helped me get started. These videos are wonderful! Thank you!

[@rudolffaustmann1416]

I have been building primitive bows for many years. This year I was faced with the challenge of building a Holmegaard bow to serve as a showpiece for a historical event. The bow was finished within 2 days and the first test shots were very satisfactory. This bow will be demonstrated at the presentation of a recently restored circular ditch with two ramparts in eastern Austria. I also made the arrows for it. They consist of barrelled shafts with flint tips and natural fletching made of whole feathers that were split and shaped with fire. I also made quivers in the Ötzi style. The entire set fits quite well into the desired time frame.

[@freyatilly]

Nice work. Interesting. How did the event go?

[@rudolffaustmann1416]

@@freyatilly The event will take place next September. I still have time to make and test more bows & arrows :-)

[@organicarchery]

Love it!

[@blackz9058]

@@rudolffaustmann1416 Aha, wo umd wann genau? Prost aus Wien!

[@asmith7876]

Whichever genius invented the bow, did he/she imagine a world where we have footprints on THE MOON but we're still using their invention? Brilliant, timeless.

[@johnfisher7143]

He

[@asmith7876]

@@johnfisher7143 We can be sure that if a woman invented the bow, or the wheel, or making friction fire a man took the credit!

[@AsianSupport]

The bow was invented multiple times independently throughout many separate regions in the world. If your neighbors had them and they were nice you could learn it from them. Later some pastoral people got creative in bow making techniques and made upgraded composite bows.

[@Tyrfingr]

@@asmith7876 There is a long list of female inventors going back to the antiquity.

[@aranha9365]

Footprints on the moon, interspace phone call....the 60's and 70's tech was so much better.

[@asmith7876]

I've seen a few bow making videos, this is next level. That thing is ART, ought to hang in a museum! Whipping the ends for the string is something I haven't seen before and seems brilliant! Beautiful work.

[@organicarchery]

Very much appreciated!

[@jamiemacleod4216]

😅😅😅

[@DonanKlooz]

Imagine using only stone and bone tools to make this.

[@HRush953]

I really like the “handle” tapering on this one. Thanks for sharing.

[@amirg5912]

Great work Correy, the videography and the natural soundscape really transport the viewer. Keep the magic going!

[@tacfoley4443]

That's a wonderful piece of craftsmanship from a long-gone age. It is a real delight to see you at work, recreating past skills that are shared with only a few similarly-skilled people today. No machinery, just hand-tools that might easily translate into those of the day when this original bow was made, by somebody a lot like you. Thank you for sharing.

[@organicarchery]

Machinery dilutes the romance of the craft, in my opinion! Thank you for the support!

[@tacfoley4443]

@@organicarchery Agreed. I build railroad cars, modelled on the Colorado three-footers, in 1/20.3 scale. Apart from the necessary hardware, the car-body is made from coffee stirrers and lolly sticks. Two gold medals and a silver tell me they look okay.

[@johnnicholoft6163]

Hand tools that are orders of magnitude above what the ancient bowyer had. Plus I would think the bowyer had to make his own tools. NTL, really enjoyed the vid and especially impressed by the shooting skill.

[@glenharrison123]

That's a beautiful bow mate,well done! Cheers from New Zealand!

[@MichaelWallace-g9r]

Nice work mister Organic. Shot a recurve for 35 years. Bowhunted and target archery. Most traditional archers shoot constantly so as not to loose their keeness. It's a dying art. So is your craftsmanship. Your still a young man and I hope you continue for many years

[@georgewhitehead8185]

Great bow, made by a wonderful Bowyer. It is also fantastic that you made it as much alike to the ancient bow as you could. Congrats!! Dr. George Whitehead (shooting a bow for 70 years)

[@quetzalt.v.1093]

Apart from your skills in bow making, it´s nice to see a clean well organized shop. Shout out from Mexico.

[@organicarchery]

Creative energy flows better through a tidy shop. Feng Shui.

[@billwessels207]

A neat workspace is the sign of a sick mind! Just teasing!

[@StevenCummings-bo4ez]

I don't know why the algorithm brought me here to you but I'm glad it did. I just spend a few hours watching videos. It makes me want to find a local place to source wood. Super cool

[@MrScipio72]

Practical archaeology - the best kind. Thank you

[@BimbleSKOL]

Just found this channel on my algorithm and this looks like hard work, but very therapeutic!

[@kelroundell6304]

Awesome video. This was the first one I watched. Thanks for explaining it so well especially being new to the art.

[@123colinfrost]

New to your channel. That was 19 minutes and 49 seconds of pure pleasure just watching your bow come to life. Great video.

[@organicarchery]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TineBeo]

Epic craftsmanship there pal. What a beautiful bow. Big up from the West of Ireland

[@KelvinNikkel]

Just finished binge watching all your videos and totally love the way you show how you build your bows. Thinking of getting into trying my hand a building my own bow in the very near future. It would be fantastic to have won one of your bows. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to future videos.

[@roberttaylor631]

Elegant, simple, effective, beautiful! Love the video and a beautiful bow!!

[@MegaRaybob]

Hello! I’m a bow hunter and I truly appreciate your work! I especially love the Ötzi, Nordic and English bows! I be extremely honored to win one of your bows! I would use it for what it was intended, hunting deer and other game to feed my family. I appreciate your skill and craftsmanship as a bowyer. Thanks for the videos.

[@snake2261]

That is beautiful!! So much character in the wood. Excellent work sir!

[@seancassidy4812]

Both fascinating and satisfying to watch, causing me to conjure up visions of a man sitting at a fire thousands of years ago making one of these. Fair play to you man.

[@BaerWyldeModernAgePrimitives]

The original Holmegaard Bows were made of elm that were the length of a man. This is known from several settlements of the Ertebølle period. Stone Age hunters used a thin elm trunk to make bows, as Yew had not yet begun to grow in Denmark. So the bows were shaped in such a way that the flexible sapwood was at the back and the harder heartwood was at the front or belly of the bow. The remains of Europe’s oldest and best-preserved (five) bows, dating to around 7000 BC, were discovered at a Stone Age settlement at Holmegårds Mose on Zealand in Denmark.

[@SStesta90]

I love it, it looks so simple and clean. very impressive.

[@kanyinak]

Just discovered your channel and really enjoying it. I'm an avid archer and I think I'm getting to the stage where I want to start making self bows.

[@alanpilkington6223]

Really admire your work; a wonderful bow. I'm a traditional archer who shoots an osage orange bow and I have respect for simple, effective bows like these.

[@gregfromguam]

I watched this video yesterday, and first thing I thought was, "why so serious?" But, seriously, your craftsmanship is utterly amazing. I went and watched the Otzi bow build and again it just blew me away. I'm an old guy now, but a long time ago I tried to build a native-american composite bow with water buffalo horn and deer sinew(and rattlesnake skin as limb covering). The wood was osage orange. It was my very first attempt and I never did complete it sadly, but the journey was eye-opening. Life is funny that way. Watching you build those bows brought it all back. It's why I went to Mongolia back in the 90s, a beautiful place seemingly harking back to another time on earth. Anyway, enough out of me, please produce more videos with time willing, and only success for you and yours.

[@organicarchery]

@@gregfromguam an osage bow with horn and sinew is no small task for a first bow build. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out, but I enjoyed your story nonetheless, Greg! I’m not really a serious person but can see how my “determined” eyebrows while working make it seem so! Thanks again for your contribution to the channel! I’ve been immersed in our last few bowmaking workshops of the year and haven’t had time to film, but there are more videos coming in the very near future.

[@ImaOkie]

Beautiful work , enjoyed the video !

[@davidhuth5659]

Love to see ancient history recreated...with a modern spin. Beautiful bow!

[@joem1413]

good job, that is the best finish I've ever seen on the bow.

[@Woobieeee]

Just stumbled onto your channel. Dont even care about archery. I really enjoyed this. Thank you very much.

[@tuffymartinez]

Thank You Cory... Very nice, exceptional bow! Always find it educational to watch when you get focused on your design... TM

[@barrypope4358]

I'm going to have a go at making this my first bow. Thanks for the upload.

[@mrScififan2]

Very very impressive work. I recently started archery. I wish I had your skills at building bows.

[@babetopaz]

Wow, don't know a thing about Bows, but found this interesting and oddly inspiring, thank you.

[@M.Campbell]

I used to shoot quite a bit when I was much younger. I always liked the primitive bows best. Subscribed.

[@labshire]

These videos are such a delight. Thank you for sharing

[@johnrumbles3068]

What an absolutely stunning object ! such a pleasure to see a craftsman producing something so exceptional.

[@organicarchery]

Greatly appreciated! Thank you for the support.

[@johnrocha1099]

Dude that’s just what I have been working on for months ! Thank you I was running out of ideas and you inspired me .

[@Greeves421a]

So interesting and relaxing to watch, ASMR is great too. Please keep these vids coming.

[@jdholbrook33]

our ancestors could definitely put food on the table with that. Outstanding work. Thanks for sharing.

[@george1la]

I love watching a master work. Then to see the work do its job perfectly. Thanks.

[@monesee]

captivating, from the build to your expertise shooting..

[@karejonnyhgberg6659]

Back to basics, beautiful work🥰 Thank You from Norway😌🙏

[@leopoldbloom4835]

Amazing, the craftsmanship as well as the archery.

[@sanderbaes1]

I'm an viking reenactor and always have been interested in archery, but it has gotten nowhere because of several reasons. Love to see how bows are handmade and really like how this one turned out!

[@organicarchery]

Sounds like you need a proper Viking bow!

[@sanderbaes1]

That would be a very nice addition!

[@martymcfly6098]

The sound of a arrow in flight is amazing!!

[@daviddecker8884]

That thing's a beaut! Thanks for putting these videos up : )

[@praetorian3959]

Imagine how many bows there were before that complicated one.

[@feralcrow4342]

This is exactly what I need done. And I've been working on this for a month now. Seeing this video feels 100% like deja vu

[@UlyssesFiles]

Love this - you did a great job recreating the Holmegaard bow!

[@akknight1971]

Another fantastic video and one beautiful bow. Keep up the fantastic work.

[@dezzyd1]

Beautiful work of art and very impressive skill!

[@Jon-tsuki-geri]

Wow what a beautiful grain pattern, very nice bow awesome 😎

[@Jon-tsuki-geri]

Would still like to see you make a Bhutan bow bro

[@markjohnson5718]

Another good looking bow, and a great shooter! 🤙🏼

[@guyhummel2847]

And to think they didn't have any modern tools like we have today!!

[@Buran01]

Saw a video of a guy which made a bronce axe with primitive tools, then used it to build a primitive bow just with wood and stone tools (took him months to dry the wood) and then used it with wooden arrows and stone heads and sinew to funt a deer...

[@stevenkeil7869]

Love this style of video! Keep them coming. You should get a chronograph and sling some arrows through it with the finished bows.

[@organicarchery]

I got the chance to shoot my personal 53# Holmegaard through a chrono recently. It averaged 165 fps with a 580 grain arrow. In my opinion, that's a good speed for a hunting bow with a heavy arrow and heavy string!

[@bobdoodle6527]

Beautiful and well crafted bow.

[@BenjiBatchelor]

I've been wanting to make a self-backed bow like this for a while. The simpler the better I think. Very well done and thank you for sharing!

[@organicarchery]

Agreed! Glued backings complicate things!

[@shinyshirt]

Your vows are sick my man. Beautiful. They also shoot crazy well it looks like😮‍💨

[@paulsims]

Thank you very much, I've not seen wrapped nocks before. Beautiful. Greetings from England.

[@MasonHoeft]

Very nice! Giving me some motivation to build another myself.

[@tombailey2210]

Beautiful workmanship!

[@TheWind213]

You sir are a true master of your craft.

[@kelvinsparks4651]

This is the most accurate replica I've seen on KZbin . well done you've made a great job of it . That elm looks lovely when the stain was applied and it seems to shoot very fast 😊

[@organicarchery]

@@kelvinsparks4651 very much appreciated!

[@susandempsey8139]

New to your channel and I love it! Had no idea of all the work that went in to a bow. Thanks!

[@plugs313]

Now that is a work of Art... Very beautiful!

[@trcass1]

what a wonderful piece of art. its a beautiful bow. nice job.

[@dobraydien7242]

I like this style bow over the new compounds. More so if it's hand made. Nice job on this one

[@TheZooman22]

Simply amazing! I have always wanted to practice archery.

[@kegelschneckenmett2026]

Love your content and your hand made bows, cheers from Germany.

[@kelroundell6304]

I just subscribed. This video was excellent! The way you show everything you do and explain without rambling on and on. I find some people’s videos are good but with too much talking the important info gets lost and I have to rewatch. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Would this bow be considered a “board” bow? Forgive my ignorance, just learning. I’ve had a composite before. I ran across something on Facebook and it got me interested in buying a bow again but like yours and making my own one day once I can afford the tools. dad taught me to love different woods and if he was here, he’d be so into your channel too! Now I don’t have a heat source as you do in this video but the process is still very informative. This is my favourite channel now so I’m on a mission to watch all your videos. Your instruction is a perfect fit for me. Is there a place where I can donate monthly to your channel? I’m not sure how to do that?

[@George-l5z]

Wonderful craftsmanship.

[@TheDukeBoxer]

Bravo Sir! One of the best bow making videos I've seen. I've never seen tip nocks like those before but I'm definitely going to try them on my next bow. HUGE thanks for the rich content.

[@organicarchery]

I appreciate the support! Tied on nocks were quite common historically. They're relatively easy to make, remarkably durable, and simple to replace if one were to get damaged in rough country.

[@lylemacdonald6672]

Simple is beautiful. Hard not to imagine our ancestors 9000 plus years ago hunting with this bow.

[@Gronicle1]

Very nice looking bow. Seems to shoot well also. I really like the jute string knocks...they seem so efficient without weakening the tips. Thanks for the video.

[@organicarchery]

Wrapped nocks were fairly common on Prehistoric and Native American bows. They're remarkably durable and would be easily replaced if damaged. If a cut-in nock is damaged, the only option is to pike the bow and carve a new nock!

[@narkash]

Beautiful bow, as always

[@MONKLJ]

Great job, love this video, and love the bow, how it finsihed out for you, thumbs up.

[@grimnirtyrson8510]

What a beautiful bow! Well done. Videos are incredible good!

[@jumperzee9161]

Very nice. Glad I found your channel. Thanks for sharing

[@earthknight60]

I really wish we had examples of older bows. It's pretty certain that bows are 60-70 thousand years old, and the shape of this bow reveals a pretty sophisticated design that is obviously the result of a lot of refinement. That makes sense as it is 53-63 thousand years after the development of bows.

[@organicarchery]

I believe they're far older than we anticipate, too!

[@Mike-zx1kx]

Homo Sapiens left the African continent first time 65.000 years ago. Other species were around the planet, Pygmie species and Neanderthals and more but I do not think anyone ever have documented bows from species earlier than Homo Sapiens. The largest brain size documented from any "human style species" have been Homo Sapiens and our brain development from apes came with 3 different periods of brain evolve/enlargement stages also affecting the skull. I am in no way insightful into bow history but I am not sure I find it plausible that Homo Sapiens should have invented the bow thousands of years before leaving African continent for the first time if going with your higher end estimate. There have been found cave drawings on at least 2 continents that have been interpreted as Homo Sapiens driving animals into cornered cliff edges and/or ravines to have them corned so close proximity injuries could be applied or they were killed by falling into their death. Had bows been invented at that time of plenty these animals could have been taken down as need for meat arose. Indicators like these tells me it were most unlikely bows were present. One could also wonder separately that we also know that the Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens had sex and reproduced, we have around 3% Neanderthal DNA in us even today because of it, and would it not have been a more likely outcome that they had died out long before if Humans had ability to hunt from the distance thus had less need for the Neanderthals "lesser brains/ more muscles" characteristics? You could be right but I would say there are major indicators that point to that it are not so. Just my 5 cents. If you have some backed up facts from finds or circumstantial indicators indicating otherwise I would like to read and learn and develop my knowledge base.

[@Mike-zx1kx]

@@organicarchery Really enjoyed this production, both video and bow. Please see my comment to earthknight60. If you have any suggestions of finds or circumstantial indicators that you can share to date the bow long back (as long as you believe you have indicators for) I would love to learn more. But read my 5 cents and comment if you like. As said my bow, and bow history insights are low. I just find the comments timeline unfounded based on my insights. I will happily adjust my beliefs if presented with anything plausible. No doubt the Holmegård bow are not a first generation bow but....there´s a long way from 7000 BC to pre leaving African continent for the first time.

[@earthknight60]

@@Mike-zx1kx A few corrections. Neanderthals had larger brains than H. sapiens, and we don't know about Denisovans yet, but given some of the remains we have found it's likely they were on a par with Neanderthals size-wise. For H. sapiens, 65,000 years ago was just the last major exodus from Africa. INcreasingly it's looking like H. sapiens we leaving Africa in decent numbers from around 120,000 years ago in waves separated by roughly 20,000 years, probably as a result of the cyclical nature of the Sahara being wet or dry. The first hybridizing between early H. sapiens and Neanderthals was around 200,000-250,000 years ago, so there were at least some waves of H. sapiens leaving Africa even back then. Pygmies are not different species of humans, they're fully within H. sapiens. They're just a result of local genetic changes that are not enough to result in them being a different species.

[@CheeseOfMasters]

@@Mike-zx1kx Neanderthals had larger brains than Homo Sapiens.

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

*Happy squeal for seeing Holmegaard Bow recreated*

[@dcarter001]

Simple modern tools, I wonder how they created these 10,000 years ago? I would be fascinated to see those tools, Great learning lesson. I couldn't replicate it but I am glad you shared this build with the world. The shot grouping, excellent!

[@organicarchery]

The technique of making a bow hasn't changed. Take away any wood that isn't a bow; then scrape the stiff areas until the bend is even. It was just much slower with stone tools.

[@MICHAEL-lx5cy]

Just found your channel!!!!!! Great job!!!!

[@ratroddiesels1981]

your videos make me calm and restful.

[@dannywayne7988]

Sweet bow . Nice job you did with it .and really fine shooting to boot

[@theBokken]

This is an awesome video, I enjoyed every bit of it, and it was the first video for this channel I've seen looking forward to watching all the others :)

[@organicarchery]

Welcome aboard and thank you for the support!

[@dejavu666wampas9]

You have skills, for sure. Excellent work. I can’t imagine doing this with just a couple sharp rocks.

[@peltona]

Functional Art. Absolutely stunning.

[@francois-xaviervien2357]

Man, i dont know what makes your arrows sound so good when they fly by, but holy cow does it sound good. Really nice work. It obviously shoots well on top of looking awesome

[@organicarchery]

Shoots as good as it looks is the mantra for every bow! :)

[@frankd5871]

Very good, well presented vid. Thank you.

[@VinceW187]

How did I miss this video????? Awesome to see you recreate this bow. I just bought my first book on bow making. Looking forward to my first attempts

[@organicarchery]

Good luck with your builds and don't be discouraged if the first coupe don't work. Take what you've learned and apply it to the next. Before you know it, you'll have a keeper.

[@riaanaucamp1472]

I truly appreciate and love the craftsmanship in these kind of videos. One thing all these videos alway miss on, is making a period accurate string. The strings in all these kind of videos are always a modern string. I wish someone would make an ACTUAL period accurate bow AND string video sometime... Please consider it if you haven't already 🙏

[@robertfair8340]

Its crazy to read that people werent claiming these beautiful bows! Awesome video and another great looking bow!

[@organicarchery]

I couldn't believe it either! It's unfortunate, but it is what it is!

[@asmith7876]

@@organicarchery Uh, well, if you have any left you can send them to ME! 😂😂😂. Gorgeous work!

[@kirbyn2010]

That is a beautiful tool and a beautiful piece of work. Yep, that says it all.