What is Archery?
{{sports}} {{Other uses}} {{redirect|Archer|the animated TV show|Archer (2009 TV series){{!}}''Archer'' (2009 TV series)|other uses}} [[File:WA archery target with arrows.jpg|left|thumb|upright|In Target Archery, the object is to hit targets to score points. These arrows score as an X (inner 10) and a 9.]] '''Archery''' is the practice of using a [[bow (weapon)|bow]] to shoot [[arrow]]s. Archery has historically been used in [[hunting]] and [[combat]] and has become a [[wikt:precision|precision]] [[sport]]. A person practicing archery is called an ''archer'', and one who enjoys or is an expert at archery is sometimes called an toxophilite.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Timeline of the History of Bow & Arrows - Video & Lesson Transcript|url=https://study.com/academy/lesson/timeline-of-the-history-of-bow-arrows.html|access-date=2022-07-02|website=Study.com|language=en}}</ref> ==History== [[File:Thrill of the hunt.jpg|thumb|left|Safe archery techniques while aiming an arrow]] [[File:DEGAN Gabin ( archery).jpg|thumb|left|Female archer in [[Benin]].]] The earliest evidence of archery dates back more than 9,000 years. The [[bow (weapon)|bow]] probably was used in [[hunting]] first and later adopted as a [[tool]] of [[war]]fare. It was one of the earliest forms of [[artillery]]. Classical civilizations, notably the [[Persian Empire|Persians]], [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonians]], [[Nubia]]ns, [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]], [[Parthia]]ns, [[History of India|Indians]], [[History of Japan|Japanese]], [[History of China|Chinese]], and [[Korea]]ns, had large numbers of archers in their armies. Archers in [[chariot]]s were especially important in armies of [[ancient Egypt]]. Arrows were very destructive against massed formations, and the use of archers helped win battles. One of the primary sub-genres of archery is mounted archery. Japanese [[Samurai]], North American tribes, Turkish nomadic groups, Persian armies and more honed the skill of hunting and warfare through mounted archery. The army of the [[Mongol Empire]] was mostly a