England's archery advantage rested on infrastructure as much as individual skill. Suitable trees supplied bow wood and arrow shafts, Sunday archery sustained practice, and merchants produced arrows by the quiver on an enormous scale. Large warehouses and harsh accountability for spoiled stocks reveal an organized military supply system comparable to later industrial standardization. The execution of negligent storekeepers shows how seriously the state treated preservation of these war stocks.
Notable Point · 14:30-20:45
The industrial system behind England's longbows
Longbow effectiveness depended on planted timber, compulsory practice, mass arrow production, warehouses, and severe standards for storage.