ATARNarchive

Original asiatic horn material

10 posts2010live thread
Dusan
When i "hunting" in Russian sites i found many beatiful pics big animals , who have in his heads probably most oldest original horn material for all oldest composite bows from Skitas to old Turcich tribes.

Today its big problem buy this so beatifull horns. In Russia was prohibition hunting Argals and Ibex from 1934. In Kazachstan hunters can kill 2 Argals in year. Only in Central Mongolia can hunting Argals and Ibex vithout problems (about 30 pieces in year ) I found one seller in Russian sites . Russians very quickly introduce "world" price - two Ibex horns (135 cm ) - 1000 euro!
In Hunters Russian org. you can pay about 80 000 dolars for big Argal. Enjoi this great pics an gigant horns .

Rusian special name "Tur" Argal

[external image]

[external image]

Altaj Argal have long horns . From 130 to 160 cm

[external image]

[external image]

Mongol Altai Ibex - 130-160 cm

[external image]

Mongol Gobi Argal

[external image]


Kirgiz and Tadjik " Marco Polo " Argal - bigest from all this animals 100 - 200 kg and up to 160 cm horns

[external image]

China "Sailsky" Argal

[external image]

Kirgiz Ibex 110 - 150 cm

[external image]

Mongol Gobi Ibex

[external image]


Dagestan Ibex 120 - 150cm


[external image]

This animal Bazoar Ibex - is maybe chance for Turkish anf Iranian bow masters - live in his countries. 140 170 cm (!)

[external image]

Pkistan Ibex


[external image]

Turcic Ibex

[external image]

Nubian Ibex

[external image]


Our European Alpas Ibex

[external image]

To the end - this is mi nightmere dream - many, many Argali and Ibex horns...

[external image]
Dusan
In Russian sites i found another posible horn material for composite bows . In articles about Yakuts- tunguz tribe in Siberia talked about revolution archeological found bovine skull:

[external image]

Intersting on this scul was that its the same animal- Boss etruscus whoo was found to this time onli in Italia :

[external image]

This special aborigen cows live in Yacut territory .

[external image]
Bede
Dusan,
Your pictures show that large horns were available through much of Central and Eastern Eurasia. Perhaps they are not available to us now, but it shows the quality of material available to the old archers.
redhawk
I don?t like these hunter pics.

In another thread I?ve mentioned some weeks ago, that more amd more farmers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy...........do more amd more cross in old races. They?ve made the sad experience that the common races are becoming more and more sick, the old gene are heavily needed. It is also a way to avoid genetic manipulation.
Where I live(Black Forest) it is more and more common to see mufflons among common sheeps, yaks, Scottish highland cattle and other cows you?ve never seen before.

A customer of mine who lives in the very south of Italy told me that the farmers there go more and more to substitute their usual cattle by a cattle breed originated in Anatolia. They have really big nice horns. I guess it?s the same breed the Osmanian bowyers used for their hornbow too.

Michael
Dusan
Maybe farmers are right...in article about yacut cows said that this species havnt any of most modern sicks in our cow breeds like f. ex. brucelosis. Sumer is + 30C winter -40-50.He haves long hair and in winter hair grow more than 8-10 cm...
KenH
Modern breeds of cattle, sheep and goats, have been bred to specific attributes - more or better milk, more or better meat - not survivability in nature-gone-wild. From our viewpoint as bowyers, one of the things they have sadly bred out is large pointy horns that can injure ranchers.
Duncan
Here in Texas we have sheep breeds from around the world that have been brought in for hunting (fair chase as well as canned, I am sorry to say. :oops: :evil: ) and one breed that I would like to know if it could be used for bow making would be the Aoudad sheep of north Africa also known as the Barbary sheep ,any ideas?
Dusan
Wauuu, new animal for me. Why not ?! Horns looks great ! Its like bufalo triangular shape - only the concave plate is in top side of horns. Very impresive horns . If its not cost much money... go on !

[external image]

[external image]

[external image]
KenH
Can't think of a reason you could not use Aoudad horn. Years ago I did a fair-chase hunt for a magazine article, and bagged a huge Catalina goat, who's horns would have made good bow material too.
Duncan
Got ONE once horns on the small side but man what a hunt!