HISTORY OF THE CROSSBOW— WILBUR 433 



Both China and the classical world did, indeed, derive numerous 

 weapons, items of equipment and military systems from the region 

 lying between — that area including Persia, northern India, south 

 Russia, and Central Asia. But apparently the crossbow was not one 

 of these. It is not reported from the extensive excavations of Scy- 

 thian and Sarmatian graves around the north and east of the Black 

 Sea ; nor would it be likely to develop among those nomadic people 

 who so skillfully handled the bow on horseback, and for whom the 

 crossbow would be a cumbersome weapon offering few advantages. 

 Likewise, their cousins in culture, the Hsiung-nu, another nomadic 

 people, living to the north and northwest of China, did not use the 

 crossbow, though they regularly found it employed against them by 

 stalwart Chinese foot-soldiers. I cannot find it mentioned or figured 

 as a weapon employed by the Achaemenid and Seleucid Persians, 

 nor among the Parthians, who maintained their kingdom from B. C. 

 248 to 226 A. D. And it can probably be ruled out for northern 

 India, since it is not mentioned in the graphic accounts of Alexander's 

 campaign there; nor is it depicted among the weapons figured on 

 Indian coins, or on the topes of Sanchi (first century A, D.), Amra- 

 vati (some 300 years later), and on the hill caves of Orissa, dating 

 200 B. C. to 474 A. D. So it seems there is nothing but negative evi- 

 dence for the whole region of Central Asia and the Near East; but 

 this is supported by the positive evidence that even after the cross- 

 bow was weU known in those regions, it was never wholeheartedly 

 adopted in preference to the indigenous powerful composite bow. 



THE CROSSBOW IN EUROPE 



The Middle Ages in Europe saw the crossbow at its greatest de- 

 velopment. The Museum has two excellent specimens made in Ger- 

 many during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries (pis. 4, 5). Be- 

 ginning in the tenth century, shortly before the Crusades, the 

 "arbalist" or crossbow begins again to appear in Europe. There is 

 actually some evidence that the Saracens may have introduced it. 

 From 1200 to 1480 it developed rapidly, progressing through several 

 stages to become a powerful and deadly weapon.^^ At first the bow 

 was of the compound sort, made of horn or whalebone, yew, animal 

 tendon, and glue. During the fourteenth century, however, a power- 

 ful arc of steel was introduced which necessitated an extra contrivance 

 to draw it. Earlier ones, such as the larger specimen figured (pi. 4, 

 fig. 1), had a metal stirrup fixed to the front end of the stock, and 

 the crossbowman placed one or both feet in this stirrup. Attached 

 to a belt around his waist he had a heavy leather thong and a pulley 

 which he fastened by a hook to the bowstring. This system reduced 



" Full details of the development of the crossbow In Europe are given with Illustrations 

 1 ; Payne-Gallwey, The crossbow. 



