The name composite bow was descriptive of a bow constructed of three basic layers of different materials, usually wood, bone,
and sinew. The term “compound bow” was also used to refer to this type of bow, but since it did not become popular as a term
until this century, it is not useful here. Composite bows were constructed in a fairly labor-intensive process. Basically, bone and
sinew layers were applied to a wood core; each layer would enhance the elasticity of the others. The wood core generally
consisted of three pieces: one for the upper part of the bow, one for the lower part, and the hand grip. Two strips of horn would be
glued to the belly (side toward the archer) of the wood core, and a strip of sinew would be glued to the back (side toward the
target) of the wood core. The elastic properties of these materials working together allowed a smaller bow to fire an arrow farther
and with greater force. Turkish composite bows were considered to be the world’s best bows until synthetic materials were used
in bow construction, just this century. The greatest distances for an arrow shot from a composite bow were recorded in the 19th
century: 660 yards for special arrows, and 440 yards (1/4 mile) for war arrows.