Editing Archery (section)

===Medieval archery===
The medieval shortbow was technically identical with the classical era bows, having a range of approximately {{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}. It was the primary ranged weapon of the battlefield through the early medieval period. Around the tenth century the [[crossbow]] was introduced in Europe. Crossbows generally had a longer range, greater accuracy and more penetration than the shortbow, but suffered from a much slower rate of fire. Crossbows were used in the early [[Crusades]], with models having a range of {{convert|274|m|abbr=on}} and being able to penetrate armour or kill a horse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bow-medieval-warfare|title=The Bow In Medieval Warfare}}</ref>

During the late medieval period the English army famously relied on massed archers armed with the [[longbow]]. The French army relied more on the crossbow.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collections.royalarmouries.org/hundred-years-war/people.html |title=People of the Hundred Years' War |publisher=Royal Armouries Collections |access-date=17 April 2022 |date=24 May 2018 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929195646/https://collections.royalarmouries.org/hundred-years-war/people.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Like their predecessors archers were more likely to be peasants or yeomen than men-at-arms. The longbow had a range of up to {{convert|270|m|abbr=on}}. However its lack of accuracy at long ranges made it a mass weapon rather than an individual one. Significant victories attributable to the longbow, such as the [[Battle of Crecy]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Trebuchet Energy Efficiency – Experimental Results|first=Ronald|last=Rhoten|date=9 January 2006|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/6.2006-775|isbn=978-1624100390}}</ref> and [[Battle of Agincourt]] resulted in the [[English longbow]] becoming part of military lore.