Ancient bows from Mongolia from an exhibition in Bonn Pt. 2

JJ · Post by JJ » Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:36 pm

Zargalant

Bow length 134 cm. Probably measured tip-to-tip, not along curves. Wood identified as prunus family (eg cherry). 7. - 8.th cent. AD. All wood siyahs, quite bulky. No bone reinforcements there and in the handle. Strange winding of the limbs with only 3-4mm wide birch bark strips...

Arrows barrelled, nocks Turkish-style made by gluing on sidestrips, painted red in fletching area

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:06 pm

Another bow of the indigenous Mongol design. One sees the Hunn origins in the round siyah bend, oval cross sections. I would bet that the siyahs are not glued on but continuous to the limbs.

Here we clearly see the shape of the fletches, nocks. There is a space between the nock and fletch.

lurz · Post by **lurz** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:35 pm

Thanks a lot for posting this!
Very interesting bows, I will try hard to get to Bonn to see them for myself, and maybe try for a replica of the oldest one later. Very good photos to!
lars

daryush · Post by **daryush** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:32 am

Thanks a lot for posting all the photos JJ!

Thanks also to Jack for being able to spot the important identifying / chronological features in the bows!

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:31 pm

The break at the lower bow tip does not show any bone or horn reenforcement. It appears that a rawhide string was tied to the lower nock; the upper loop may have been close fitting one.

It is possible that a grip of this narrow shape would rely on a bone stiffener.

If the dating is correct, this would be a late Hunn bow of Mongolia. Not sure when the "Mongolian" ethnos is separable from Hunn. The three bladed points are also common to Hunns.

Nice birchbark wound skin.

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:02 pm

Of course the Turkic Khanate separated the Hunn from the Mongol periods so maybe this represents a Turkic period bow. Need to go back to my history books.

Same lineage though.

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:15 pm

Thanks for the pics, very interesting, especially the arrows and the nocks which look even a bit Ottoman style. Did you say 7-8th cc? Where was this found exactly? Is it not Gokturk?

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 4:04 am

Gokmen; I have not investigated where the site is. Whether this bow would represent Gokturks or their numerous enemies would be a difficult question to answer. Do you have an opinion? It would certainly be during this period.

background for others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G?kt?rks

Botondbow · Post by **Botondbow** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 11:51 am

JJ,
Those photos are excellent, many thanks for posting them!
Accidentally, don't you have a closer picture on the upper (not damaged) tip from a different position?

JJ · Post by JJ » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:09 pm

Thank you, all!!

Botond, here is another view of the upper siyah of this bow. It is pretty much round to oval in cross section.

JJ · Post by JJ » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:24 pm

Gokmen, it is in the western part of Mongolia, south of the lake Khar Us, near the city Chowd. The grave was in the mountain ridge south-east of the lake

http://g.co/maps/45mk4

JJ · Post by JJ » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:46 pm

In the grave were other finds that indicate a ancient turkic background of the deceased. There is a remarkable musical instrument, a kind of harp, which bears inscriptions of possibly runic signs. There are however some problems with the transcription of these. It is assumed that they are in Turkic language. There are also stirrups which belong into turkic context.

All this information comes from the catalogue of the exhibition.
A hardcover version is not yet available: http://www.amazon.de/Steppenkrieger-Rei ... 3863120116. For those willing to travel, at the exhibition a softcover version can be purchased, which is half the price only.

JJ

Botondbow · Post by **Botondbow** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:46 pm

JJ,
Thanks, it's a great pic like others!

JJ · Post by JJ » Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:09 am

2nd visit in Exhibition.

Some observations: One arrow shows a trace of glued on Nock wings, the others don?t. But it?s difficult to recognise. One arrow has a one-sided chamfering (?) approx. 10 cm long for fixation of a (bone? , antler?) arrowhead. Nocks are about 4-5 mm wide (indication of string thickness). One arrow is four-fletched.

JJ