The Stonebow in the Medieval and Victorian Periods

Added 21 March 1998

In the fairly near future, look for an overhaul of my crossbow, longbow and stonebow pages which will integrate and organize them better.

The stonebow is an overlooked weapon of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Periods. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the stonebow was never used as a weapon of war. Well, this series of web pages seek to pull the stonebow out of oblivion.

• About the stonebow
• A diagram of a stonebow
• Image archive of stonebows and parts of stonebows
• The bullet-shooting crossbow - a dissertation by G.T. GT sent this to me after a series of conversations regarding the bullet-shooting crossbow, and I found it to be very interesting and entertaining, so . . . Added 15 April 2000
• Crossbow diagram and crossbow/archery terminology - I dare say this is a rather extensive list of definitions.

Here are some books that contain information about stonebows. The first is a must read for anyone who want to know more about stonebows, including rather detailed instructions for making a stonebow.

Payne-Gallwey, Ralph, "The Book of the Crossbow", published by Dover Publications, Mineola, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-486-28720-3.

Paterson, W.F., "A Guide to the Crossbow", published by the Society of Archer-Antiquities, 1990. No ISBN.