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[–] 48 points 1 year ago (3 children)

They rely on artifacts and art. So yeah, it's quite possible the bow was invented earlier, probably a bunch of times in a bunch of places.

People are smart, but we're smart in pretty regular and repeatable ways.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    i'd also say there's a difference between people making notches in a stick and tying a piece of string to it, and actually carving a bow and drying it.

    Anyone can come up with the idea for and build a simple bow to test their idea, but figuring out how to make a proper bow takes iteration and is an investment.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    also bowstring is a hell of a lot more sturdy than twine. probably took a lot of different iteration to find the right fiber/gut to use for the string, the right wood, just beyond getting the idea

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    Nettle fibres are pretty easy to make into a string that would be suitable for using with a bow. Making a bow is a lot easier than making the perfect bow. It would have been an iterative process, improving over time.

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