Archery: Thumb Rings

As the bow and arrow developed in various regions of the world, a number of techniques were created for drawing the bowstring and releasing the arrow. Many Asian cultures historically used a technique referred to as the “Mongolian release”, a method common in areas such as China, Japan, Korea, Persia, Turkey, and India, as well as various areas of North Africa. The Mongolian release necessitates the use of a thumb ring or guard, usually in the form of a cylindrical or lipped ring. Early examples of archer's thumb-rings have been found in Zhou dynasty graves in China. (1100 - 221 BC). These early thumb-rings are a version of the lipped form, but do we have any evidence for their use in Roman Britain?

Auxiliary archers known as Hamians are attested in Britannia. Being Syrian, they were probably using the thumb ring, or at least well aware of this method, to loose arrows. Unfortunately no examples of thumb-rings have been identified in the 1st-century AD, but there have been finds dated from late 2nd- and 3rd-century AD contexts.

One explanation for the lack of earlier evidence might simply be that the Syrians were not stationed in Britannia during the 1st-century AD. The earliest documentary evidence found of Cohors I Hamiorum Sagittaria in Britain is in the form of a military diploma (Cll XVI 00069), dated July 17th, AD 122, that is the late first quarter of the 2nd-century AD. Another similar inscription dated slightly later to November 16th, AD 124 was found at Stannington in Yorkshire. (Cll XVI 00070 - RIB 2401.6). Furthermore, an altar dedicated to the Syrian Goddesses by a newly arrived Syrian was found at Catterick in Yorkshire. Sadly, although this possibly predates the diplomas, it does not mention a cohort on the stone: “OEAE SVRIAE ARA GN ... O...” (RIB 726).

The text is, however, very similar to that found on an altar from Carvoran (Magnis) dated between AD 163 and AD166 (RIB 1792). The Syrian unit in this instance was transferred to the legionary-built fort at Bar Hill, occupying it from AD 142 to AD 157. Subsequently they moved to Carvoran where the Syrians were responsible for rebuilding the fort in stone. It is from this period (from AD 142 onward) that we are likely to see the earliest known archaeological evidence of thumb-rings. Interestingly, Spaul suggests (COHORS 2, BAR International series 841 2000) the principal reason for a whole quingenary unit of archers being based on Hadrian's Wall at this period was to supply meat and game (which may have been abundant in the area) to the other garrisons. The theory is supported by other mentions of hunters (venatores) from the fort at Birdoswald (RIB 1905).