Weapons Systems

Mongol Bow

Also Known As Recurved Composite Bow

Medieval, Mongol Empire

Citation Formats

General Reference

War and Military Atlas. "Mongol Bow." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://military.interactiveatlas.org/weapons-systems/mongol-composite-bow.

APA Style

War and Military Atlas. (n.d.). Mongol Bow. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://military.interactiveatlas.org/weapons-systems/mongol-composite-bow

BibTeX

@misc{warandmilitaryatlas-mongol-bow,
  author = {War and Military Atlas},
  title = {Mongol Bow},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://military.interactiveatlas.org/weapons-systems/mongol-composite-bow},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Mongol bow was a laminated recurve composite bow with a bamboo core, horn belly facing the archer, and sinew back, bound with animal glue. An inscribed stone from 1226 records that Esungge, a nephew of Genghis Khan, shot a target at 536 meters, a famous, precisely dated demonstration of its range. Because animal glue dissolves in water, bows were wrapped in birch bark for protection when not in use.

Facts

Weapon Class

Recurve composite bow (horse archery) 1

Cross-Tradition Connections