the bow- finding of olon kurin gol
On Sunday the 20th of April on the German TV-Channel ZDF there was the telecast "The coming back of the ice- mummy" to be seen.
Cause I was to be seen there shooting one of my yet posted here Scythian- horn bows and reconstructing the bow- finding of olon kurin gol, I got a lot of emails from some of you ATARNOS and others.
I don?t have to much time to reply them all, so I decided to post here in the ATARNet as follows:
The olon kurin gol findings have been excavated by a Russian- German expediton in November of 2006 leaded by the former chief of the DAI (German Institute for Archaeology) Dr. Parzinger and Dr. Molodin from the Russian Academy of Science. Dr. Godehardt and me where invited by them to go to Siberia to check the bow-, arrow and quiver- findings. We?ve been there last February accompanied by Dr. Nagler, as the representative from the DAI and our translater, 2 photographers, Ferro Jell and my daughter( both students of archaeology, ethnology and history of arts). For some days Dr.Parzinger was with us too.
We?ve had a great time in Siberia, above all we are still overwhelmed by
the hospitality and seriousness of the Siberian Archaeologists.
For sure I?ll go again, maybe I?ll visit the Altai mountains next year for some weeks.
The russian and german archaeologists have done a great job, the bow is broken but almost every part of the bow could have been saved and so I had the opportunity to study it for one week.
First of all: it is a shootable asymmetrical bow built as an all- wood- lamination, its construction is very strange to all the bows I?ve done before and to all my knowledge as a bowyer. It took me 4 weeks to finish the first reconstruction of it, it is ready now, 3 other reconstructions will be ready the next weeks. Chronos and other tests will be done by Dr. Godehardt.
The arrow-findings excavated at the olon kurin gol- and other grave- sites are all of 26" in length, most of them with wooden tips ( we guess formerly covered with copper or bronze?).
The gorit- finding was made of skin, with 2 containers kept together at a wooden stick. Place enough for the strung bow, the shorter limb of the bow was placed at the opening. The gorit could be closed by a kind of a felt cap, the Russian archaeologists have excavated a lot of these felt caps at Scythian grave- sites.
Now the bad news: according to an agreement between Mongolia, Russia and Germany about the subsequent use of the findings I?m not allowed to publish to much details. In the upcoming fall there will be a publication about the excavation at the olon kurin gol grave- site with much more details. Within the next 2 weeks, some pics and the results of the first tests of my reconstructions will to be seen on my homepage.
My actual conclusions about the olon kurin gol- bow- finding:
It is a shootable bow.
Its construction is the missing link in the evolution from wooden to composite bows.
Its construction includes a kind of forerunner of the sinew- backing.
This construction has "disappeared", cause it is a very delicious job to make it allright.
All known reconstructions(including my own ones) of Scythian bows are looking allright, but its construction is wrong. The Subeixi bow is not a shootable bow.
The Russian archaeologists showed me some other bow and arrow- findings they?ve excavated all over Siberia within the last years.
But I?ll need some time to assort all these infos and details, before posting it.
Thanks a lot to everyone to make this experience possible and above all to the gone bowyers and archers of the valley of the olon kurin gol- river,
I?m overwhelmed by their skills and knowledge of bowery.
Michael
Cause I was to be seen there shooting one of my yet posted here Scythian- horn bows and reconstructing the bow- finding of olon kurin gol, I got a lot of emails from some of you ATARNOS and others.
I don?t have to much time to reply them all, so I decided to post here in the ATARNet as follows:
The olon kurin gol findings have been excavated by a Russian- German expediton in November of 2006 leaded by the former chief of the DAI (German Institute for Archaeology) Dr. Parzinger and Dr. Molodin from the Russian Academy of Science. Dr. Godehardt and me where invited by them to go to Siberia to check the bow-, arrow and quiver- findings. We?ve been there last February accompanied by Dr. Nagler, as the representative from the DAI and our translater, 2 photographers, Ferro Jell and my daughter( both students of archaeology, ethnology and history of arts). For some days Dr.Parzinger was with us too.
We?ve had a great time in Siberia, above all we are still overwhelmed by
the hospitality and seriousness of the Siberian Archaeologists.
For sure I?ll go again, maybe I?ll visit the Altai mountains next year for some weeks.
The russian and german archaeologists have done a great job, the bow is broken but almost every part of the bow could have been saved and so I had the opportunity to study it for one week.
First of all: it is a shootable asymmetrical bow built as an all- wood- lamination, its construction is very strange to all the bows I?ve done before and to all my knowledge as a bowyer. It took me 4 weeks to finish the first reconstruction of it, it is ready now, 3 other reconstructions will be ready the next weeks. Chronos and other tests will be done by Dr. Godehardt.
The arrow-findings excavated at the olon kurin gol- and other grave- sites are all of 26" in length, most of them with wooden tips ( we guess formerly covered with copper or bronze?).
The gorit- finding was made of skin, with 2 containers kept together at a wooden stick. Place enough for the strung bow, the shorter limb of the bow was placed at the opening. The gorit could be closed by a kind of a felt cap, the Russian archaeologists have excavated a lot of these felt caps at Scythian grave- sites.
Now the bad news: according to an agreement between Mongolia, Russia and Germany about the subsequent use of the findings I?m not allowed to publish to much details. In the upcoming fall there will be a publication about the excavation at the olon kurin gol grave- site with much more details. Within the next 2 weeks, some pics and the results of the first tests of my reconstructions will to be seen on my homepage.
My actual conclusions about the olon kurin gol- bow- finding:
It is a shootable bow.
Its construction is the missing link in the evolution from wooden to composite bows.
Its construction includes a kind of forerunner of the sinew- backing.
This construction has "disappeared", cause it is a very delicious job to make it allright.
All known reconstructions(including my own ones) of Scythian bows are looking allright, but its construction is wrong. The Subeixi bow is not a shootable bow.
The Russian archaeologists showed me some other bow and arrow- findings they?ve excavated all over Siberia within the last years.
But I?ll need some time to assort all these infos and details, before posting it.
Thanks a lot to everyone to make this experience possible and above all to the gone bowyers and archers of the valley of the olon kurin gol- river,
I?m overwhelmed by their skills and knowledge of bowery.
Michael
Interesting, since I build all- wood- lamination.
Itś VERY interesting information Michael Thank you . All bow -finding in this area is very interesting for me . I waiting all news !
Dusan
Dusan
Thanks for the update! Will await eagerly! Very interesting.