Selfbow

A selfbow is an archery bow that is constructed from wood alone. it is the most ancient and venerable of all bows, going back to prehistory. There are surviving examples of selfbows that have been carbon dated to 7000 years ago. Perhaps the most famous of all the ancient selfbows is the yew wood bow found with the remains of The Iceman.Or|date=December 2007 Other remarkable examples would be the yew war bows found on the wreck of the English warship the Mary Rose which, having been submerged in sea water for hundreds of years, were intact and able to be shot.

There has been a resurgence of interest in making and shooting selfbows over the last 25 years or so, producing some remarkably efficient designs, as well as recreating ancient designs. There are a handful of master bowyers making selfbows as well as hundreds of hobbiest bowyers.