Interesting Assyrian illustration

[david_colter]

I was in the British Museum and saw noted a couple of interesting details in the Assyrian reliefs from Nineveh, circa 700 BC:

In almost all the depictions of the Assyrians they are using what looked at first glance like a thumb draw (apologies for the camera shake, it is very dark in the museum)



But then I saw this:







Now, either the artist got it hopelessly wrong, and the king didnt mind, or its an accurate representation of a rather odd release style that nobody uses today...

[Bede]

You are complete right about it being an odd style, but it is used today with some modifications as the Mediterranean release. I don't believe this is an artistic error. Rather I think that this is one of the few naturalistic Assyrian reliefs. If you try this draw style, and i have, you will find that it provides a strong draw with a sharp release.

Those who advanced the theory that the Assyrians were using a thumb release could never explain why they almost invariably wore elaborate bracers. It is undoubtedly true that Assyrian attitudes to representation did not include rigid realism, but occasionally they do stray into realistic portrayal. Whether this has to do with who they employed to perform the carving or the taste of a particular king is hard to know.

What I think you were looking at was a method of gripping the string where the three lower fingers, the middle, ring and little fingers do the most of the work. The index finger is on the string, but I think its primary function is to keep the nock of the arrow from sliding up the string. The release is accomplished by simultaneously relaxing the fingers and turning the hand. The thumb served to purposes, either touching the nock as in the second relief or holding spare arrows as in other reliefs of the king hunting.

There are driving mittens from the tomb of Tutankhamen which have a three finger mitten for the lower fingers and a single finger for the index finger. The thumb passed through a slit on the side. This is completely compatible with the method of shooting indicated above.

The superficial resemblance to the thumb draw on many reliefs combined with Roman Ghirshman's misidentification of Luristani bronze harness buckles as thumb rings has generated a common confusion in the literature about how the Assyrians shot. Elsewhere on this site I have pointed out that with rare exceptions, Assyrian archers shooting right to left (backs to the viewer) are shooting with a finger release in the Mediterranean manner. I think the second picture shows the true method of the other Assyrian draw.

Congratulations on finding this series of reliefs and seeing their significance.

[jack farrell]

I forwarded this post and the replies to my friend Shelly Wachsmann, professor of archaeology at the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. This is his post and link to his interesting article which describes his positions on various draws;

Hi Jack,

I respectfully disagree with Bede on this this one. In my opinion this is an "exploded view" of a Mongolian Draw. Both the Egyptians and the Assyrians portrayed the Mongolian Draw in its components, almost like an explanatory image, particularly when depicting an archer shooting to the viewer's left. Assyrian artists seem to have had problems portraying the Mongolian Draw when the archer is shooting to the viewer's left, and therefore, usually,?but not always?replaced it with a Mediterranean Draw in the depiction.

Feel free to post the link to my article, "On Drawing the Bow" to ATARN. It can be downloaded here:

files.me.com/wachsmann/y1ni8g

In general, it is always imperative to remember when dealing with iconography that you are not seeing the actual draw, bow, ship, whatever, but rather an artist's interpretation of it. This can diverge from the original and requires an understanding of the relevant art form.

All best,

Shelley

[Bede]

The problem with Shelley's approach is that he sees things in illustrations are that are not there.

All Assyrian depictions of the draw show the thumb straight where the thumb is shown at all. They have no difficulties in showing the bow hand thumb sometimes vertically on the belly of the bow, another indication that the arrow is not being shot with a thumb draw.

It is easy enough to relate the Mediterranean draw to the draw shown in some Assyrian reliefs. However, it is very hard to see how a the Assyrians could have acquired the thumb draw without bequeathing it to their successors.

The real problem is caused by the similarity of the artistic representation of one type of Assyrian draw to a twentieth century development of the thumb draw in Mongolia. A National Geographic of the 1960s popularised a photograph of a Mongolian archer shooting with the last three fingers of the drawing hand splayed out. This image reoccurred in many descriptions of the Mongolian draw and ignored the many other pictures of the Mongolian draw with the hand closed. This has to be thought of in relation to the fact there are many contemporary literary descriptions of the thumb draw with the last three fingers of the drawing hand closed. On the other hand, there are none of it with the those three fingers open (i.e. the middle finger, the ring finger and the little finger).

[Uli]

I guess you know this image of Ramses
looks more like a thumb draw ? but he has a bracer..

[Bede]

The problem with this image and many Egyptian depictions is that they have standardised the hand position but have not worried about the bow string. If the bowstring had been shown going farther back, this type of image would be more useful.

When you see a bow drawn by the thumb, there are several distinct positions the string can occupy in regard to the hand mainly depending on the type of ring. Egyptian wall art is not capable of this level of precision and they were not trying for it. The figures were drawn from patterns, the proportions were fixed. However, you can extract information from these reliefs and paintings if you take the historical context into account.

If you note, the forefinger is curled and separated from the other fingers, which are also curled. This might be a stylised representation of the relationship of the fingers to each other in a Tertiary release or a Mediterranean one. It might even be a hybrid of the two designed to keep the arrow in place on a bumpy chariot ride.

This artist's impression of the original Egyptian work does not show how stylised the general run of these depictions are. While it was important to record the colours before they faded, it is just as import to look at the many other depictions.

Incidentally, my comments on the drawing style used are assumptions; they are not facts. I am presenting what I think is the simplest explanation that accords with all the known facts. It may not be right. Africa has so many ways of pulling bows there might be an artefact we would not even recognise being left out of these images. But I am trying not to imagine things I cannot see.

[lukostrelec]

Hi Bede (and all),

some weeks before I have stumbled upon this very interesting youtube video: http://youtu.be/8ZAuSJ1G4nk.
The author Hendrik Wiethase claims there that the 1st of the "rings" - a Gemini-ring is a Roman type.
I have discussed the video with some fellows of mine and one of them claimed that this is a not-so-well-crafted version of originally Assyrian type of release-ring. I became curious about the subject so I have searched the net and I have found this thread. I know the mentioned reliefs from BM well, I have them also myself......While studying the relief and comparing the video, the using of this type of Gemini-ring explains to me the positions of the fingers far better than the use of Mediterranean release.
As this is quite old thread, have you some additional information about Assyrian type of arrow release?

[Bede]

The device, called in the video a "Gemini ring", have been extensively studied on the name of "Etruscan bow puller". One large study has dozens of drawings of surviving objects. I have one original one myself. There are often traces of bindings on the ring sections. The prongs, whether three or four, are quite pointed when not damaged. They would destroy a linen bowstring in no time.

Regarding the Assyrian draw, there are many illustrations of clear Mediterranean draws, usually from the back of the archer. The illustrated one with the extended thumb matches the frontal view for the position of the digits. It is closest to Morse's Tertiary draw with the exception of the index finger which Morse would have had on the string below the arrow with its side against the nock.

Most early Mesopotamian "archer's rings" have subsequently been identified as a form of bridle buckle. Some old designations are still on line, including in the catalogue of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are also some venerable books turning up because they are out of copyright.

[lukostrelec]

Thanks a lot for the extensive answer, Bede.
Could you please post some pictures of yours version of this type of a ring?

[jack farrell]

There are also many thumb rings from burials in Nubia just next door to Egypt. The most compelling of Shelly's illustrations are the two of the student being instructed on the use of a self bow and the different technique being used on a composite. The hieroglyphic inscription says; "do it like this."

I have no doubt that different techniques were used along with all the rest stated being also true. Who ever heard of there being just one way to do anything?

[MupKo]

I have tried "Slav draw" from Arab archery, that is similar to draw depicted here. I find it hard to include little finger in draw (at least with short ktb bow) but otherwise it could work.
Is it possible that with "Slav draw" arrow was on right side of bow, since that way index finger outstretched down the arrow could keep arrow from falling. If arrow is on left side, then outstretched index finger on the arrow can be counterproductive.

[Bede]

This is the ring i was thinking of http://www2.metmuseum.org/Collections/s ... ings&pos=5. It is a very interesting design. These rings were identified as harness buckles several decades ago. A little thought will demonstrate that there is no conventional or comfortable way to use them to draw a bow. However, there are many buckles that employ this two post design. The end of a strap with a small slit cut into it is passed though the ring from the back and one of the small knobs is forced the slit. When the strap is pulled tight it is locked onto the ring. It would usually be the larger knob, in this case in the form of a head, that would hold the fixed end of the strap. The more hook shaped knob is used for the adjustable end of the belt.

[AttilaKosa]

Following a suggestion (by Bede) I have started a little Assyrian project, my study of the BM relief's has found no evidence of a thumbring used.

I have observed small detail such as;

(cordage?) serving to string loops,
recognisable bow sections (compared with known Egyptian, Sythian examples),
bracer(shooting glove?),
much realistic detail, very convincing to me.

The realism of the woven fabrics, basketry and much insignificant detail is very impressive, the many details describing the release style appear correct and realistic.

I have made 12 separate visits, more than 50 hours concentrated observation, many photo's and drawings made, sorry no thumb rings here...

[AttilaKosa]

Take note, 3rd photo from the top (above).

observe;

precise description of cordage grip.
bracer (shooting glove?)

such detail, but no effort made to describe thumb ring?

The cuneiform inscriptions that accompany the carvings state the king himself supervised the design and production of the palace carvings, why did he allow the ommittion of such an important piece of archery tackle as the thumb ring?

[AttilaKosa]

Two photographs;

1. from the lion hunt series, but the smaller low-level relief.
2. different series, different king, different era, poor state of preservation, relatively poor quality of carving (compared to Lion Hunt series).