No one really knows when the bow was invented, or where, but it's use goes back at least 30,000 years, and probably much longer.
The "Iceman" a body found frozen in the Alps, which dates back to the late Stone Age, had a bow and quiver full of arrows which were virtually identical to basic "Self" (one-piece) bows made today, so the weapon was fully developed even then. X-ray examination of the body found a flint arrowhead embedded in his shoulder, so he was shot with an arrow shortly before his death!
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Although the crossbow saw its heaviest use during the Medieval period and was even used during the time of the Roman Empire...
The first instances of crossbow usage ever recorded were in China, they were using handheld crossbows as early as 678 BC!
Thought to first exist at around 400 BC. Much newer than bows, which were believed to exist at about 18000 BC.
YMT