Citation

Sung L, Kesha K, Avedschmidt S, Root K, Hlavaty L. J. Forensic Sci. 2018; 63(1): 130-139.

Affiliation

Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13503

PMID

28605023

Abstract

Bows and arrows are ancient weapons that have risen and fallen as the preeminent armaments used by man. Because of the ubiquity of firearms, fatalities from archery injuries in the United States have radically declined. However, when deaths involving this weapon do present themselves, the paucity of reference materials can be a hurdle for forensic pathologists and other forensic scientists. This article will provide a brief history of the origins of the bow and the inception of the compound bow. Comparing and contrasting the structures comprising a traditional bow to those of the modern compound bow will provide insight into how these components function in unison to propel arrows.

© 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

arrow; bow sight; compound bow; forensic pathology; forensic science; mechanical release