<P> The earliest longbow known from England , found at Ashcott Heath , Somerset , is dated to 2665 BC , but no longbows survive from the period when the longbow was dominant ( c. 1250 -- 1450 AD ) , probably because bows became weaker , broke and were replaced , rather than being handed down through generations . More than 130 bows survive from the Renaissance period , however . More than 3,500 arrows and 137 whole longbows were recovered from the Mary Rose , a ship of Henry VIII 's navy that sank at Portsmouth in 1545 . </P>
<P> The earliest longbow known from England , found at Ashcott Heath , Somerset , is dated to 2665 BC , but no longbows survive from the period when the longbow was dominant ( c. 1250 -- 1450 AD ) , probably because bows became weaker , broke and were replaced , rather than being handed down through generations . More than 130 bows survive from the Renaissance period , however . More than 3,500 arrows and 137 whole longbows were recovered from the Mary Rose , a ship of Henry VIII 's navy that sank at Portsmouth in 1545 . </P>
when did the english start using the longbow
when did the english start using the longbow
2665 BC
2665 BC