How do scholars discern hornbows from other bows?

[Sinsigel]

When reading articles and books about traditional archery equipments, I wonder how do scholars classify the bows' type when there aren't much historical sources left.

For instance, although we can see numerous archers of antiquity(including scythians, greeks, persians, huns, etc.) depicted in pottery, drawings, bricks and other ornaments.

However, the historical sources that elucidates the exact materials and constructions of their bows are rare, and in most situatuions, only pictorial evidences are present.

Although pictorial evidences suggested that such ancients mentioned above used heavily or less reflexed bows, hornbows aren't the only ones that are reflexed.(Japanese laminated bows or some of the sinew backed korean bows also show fair degree of reflex)

On deciding whether the bow consists of horn or not, I think more than pictorial evidences are needed.

In such situation, how do scholars figure out whether the ancients used composite bows of horn or not?

[Bede]

There are several books that go into historical identification of bows in detail. There is a lot more material on this subject than is available on the net.

You have asked a very deep question. It is the kind of thing to write a PhD thesis on.

[jack farrell]

Sinsigel; We love hornbows and want all composites to be hornbows. For certain purposes, hornbows can be considered best. But if one is trying to tell from artwork whether the bow is a self bow of one piece of wood or a built up bow of differing materials and layers, the decision is easier.

Generally speaking, a bow's construction is recognizable from the profile view, the most commonly shown view in rock art, metal arts and other medium from the ancient world. Because of the scarcity of actual ancient bows in good scientific context (or in any context), these can hardly be dismissed. So the discussion takes place comparing the complexity of the curve and the overall size of the bow compared to the archer. There is no general agreement, only differing opinions. What is for sure is that it was common for hunters and others to continue using wood self bows from the neolithic to the present and that their weapons are shown in art as well as composites.

Not all composites are hornbows. A backed bow can be made to look exactly like a hornbow in the strung and drawn positions, but not in an unstrung position.

In this rockart panel from Samarkand, 1st century BC to 2nd century AD, an archer with a selfbow defeats one with a composite. From: Sakian Archery Scenes... TB magazine, my copyright -j-