Stone Age bows from Denmark.

[Buemaker]

In 2011 a Stone Age site which is now under water was excavated in Horsens fjord in Denmark. Several interesting finds were done and among them a well preserved Elm bow. It has been carbon dated to 5000bc.
If you want to make a real Stone Age bow this is it. The so called Møllegabet that many makes was just a small piece  and could just as well have been a beating stick for washing textiles. I’ll post a picture of the Møllegabet fragment in an answer to this post. Now that we have the bow from Horsens fjord the Møllegabet becomes more plausible.
Peter Svinkløv of Denmark have obtained the Horsens measurements and made a drawing of the original and one upscaled version that may suit today’s archer better.
Thank you Peter.

[Buemaker]

Soory, unable to post the Møllegabet fragment.

[Mad Max]

I’ve made one before but parallel in the middle limb and a thicker handle.
I will copy that  :thumbsup  Thanks

[Roy from Pa]

 

[KenH]

Many thanks, Bue.  Like MadMax I've made several Mollegabet style bows, but with parallel mid-limbs and squarer shoulders at the base of the levers.  Fun bows to make and shoot.  I've even made them as Two-wood  Composite bows with elm and ash.  The basic shape would make a great wood-glass composite "flat bow" too. 

[Pat B]

Thanks, Bue those are interesting and I have a piece of elm I got from the son of a friend after Tom passed. That might be an interesting project using Bue's sinew even though it probably wouldn't be historical. Been thinking about building as bow with that piece of elm anyway.

[Buemaker]

The thin levers are not completely stiff, but are bending a bit.Excellent shooter.

[Longcruise]

I made one of those from an oak board.  About a 20# for the kids.  It's still around somewhere.   Was a good shooter but too long for the kids.

[B-JS]

Built one several years ago.
Sadly Made the needles a bit toooo slim.
Did Last Just some dozends of shoots.
But IT was f***ing fast for a selfbow.

[willi]

thanks for posting the Peter Svinkløv  info.

https://marinmoesmus.wordpress.com/

has some info and this longer link translates

https://translate.google.com/translate?prev=/language_tools&u=https%3A%2F%2Fmarinmoesmus.wordpress.com%2F

this pic doesn't seem to show the tips, could some bowyers "artistic licence" have been applied when drawing the sketches? or maybe the tips were seen underwater but not recovered? or a tip recovered later or not shown in the divers blog?

https://marinmoesmus.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/2011-12-14-13-51-44.jpg

[Mad Max]

Bue Do you know what poundage this bow was?

It's 3/4" to 5/8" thick in the working area on the 65-3/8" one

[Buemaker]

Max. Peter made one after the measurement and it came close to 90 pounds at 26» Peter said that he is confident the width profile is correct, but thickness after thousands of years in mud and water- - -

[Mad Max]

Thanks Bue
I have both of them on my CAD program now

[Shredd]

Watching...  Nice bow JS...