 
The use of the bow goes back at least 30,000 years, as evidenced by cave paintings of bow-wielding hunters. Bows evolved into several distinct varieties, including the composite bow, the crossbow and the longbow, all of which had their advantages and disadvantages in battle. Crossbows were better at close range and required less skill to use, while the longbow, though a difficult weapon to master, could fire light arrows 500 yards. Some archers - the Mongols of the 13th century, for instance - took to horse back, sacrificing accuracy for greater speed.
Perhaps more than any other early soldiers, archers needed training and practice to be effective. Some archers, such as English longbowmen, trained from early age to become proficient. Target shooting and drilling at an archery range helped to get archers into battle-ready condition. Archery ranges also provided a convenient storage facility for arrows and other equipment.
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