The history of archery goes back 
at least 10,000 years -- many 
preserved bows and arrow-heads
 as well as prehistoric cave 
paintings attest to its antiquity.  
Archery was not included in the 
first modern games and for many 
years was predominantly a 
demonstration sport at the 
Olympics.  Only since 1972 has 
archery become a regularly staged
 event.

Tournament archers no longer use
 traditional wooden bows, but more
 stable, lighter weight ones made 
of fiberglass and carbon fibers 
sandwiched around a core of 
glass beads and foam.  Linen bow 
strings have been replaced by 
polyethylene strings that can fire 
arrows at greater speeds.  And 
the arrows themselves, once made
 of wood and turkey feathers, are 
now fashioned of carbon-wrapped
 aluminum and plastic.  The result is
 greater accuracy:  winning 
archery scores in top competitive 
rounds have gone from the 1100s 
in the 1960s to the mid-1300s now,
with a perfect score being 1440.