Archers were an essential part of the fighting force in Ancient Egypt.
The gently curving bow on display is broken in half and would have originally been almost as tall as the archer who held it. The break occurs just below the centre of the bow.
It is made not from a single piece of wood but from a composite mix of layered wood, bark and ivory which would have increased its strength, enabling the archer to fire an arrow 250 metres. It is narrow, being only about 5cm wide in the centre where the archer’s hand would grip it, and tapering towards the top and bottom where the string would have been attached. When strung and drawn back, the bow would have been bent into a triangular shape.
Next to the bow is a quiver, which was a portable case for the arrows and was carried slung on the archer’s back. It is a slim, straight cylinder, 145cm in length, and is painted white with irregular splotches of black. The lid on top is painted brown and there is a row of stitches painted in a line down the back of the quiver.
Originally the quiver would have been hollow and made of leather or animal hide stretched and sewn over a wooden frame. It would have been durable and light and easy to carry. This quiver is made of solid wood and painted to look like black and white cow hide. The weight is not important as it was made not for fighting but to accompany a dead person into the afterlife.