Stone Age Bowman

The Stone Age bowman represents the single most consequential technological leap in prehistoric warfare — the bow, which for the first time allowed a fighter to project lethal force beyond spear range without exposing himself to close combat. Neolithic bows carved from yew reached one to two meters; flint-tipped arrows penetrated leather hide with enough force to inflict wounds that frequently proved fatal. Ötzi the Iceman — found in the Alps with a longbow and flint-tipped arrows — and mass arrow wounds in Neolithic graves across Europe confirm that archery shaped Stone Age conflict profoundly. The bowman could harry enemies from concealment in forest or on high ground, denying terrain to heavier fighters. In the game he is the first light ranged unit available — cheap, effective at harassing enemy formations from distance, but fragile in close combat and quickly outclassed by the composite-bow archers of the Bronze Age.