Stone arm bracer

[Cromm]

Hi,
not sure if this is the place to put this?
Has anyone ever tried to make an arm bracer like the one the Amesbury Archer had with him when his body was found at Stonehenge.
As far as i know it was made from sandstone and had a hole in each end...
I would love to make one but may need some kind of help?
Thanks for your time.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/king_stonehenge_03.shtml

[JackCrafty]

Hmmm...the picture (on the page you linked) says the bracers are leather....and then the text says there was a bracer of sandstone.

I've never made a bracer of sandstone, but I have worked with sandstone (a little) and have made a few arrow tools with it (arrow polishers and nock shapers).  I can tell you that sandstone does not stand up to shock very well and would probably break if used for a bracer unless it was small, thick, or both.  Drilling the holes in the sandstone would be easy but the holes would be a weak point and I question the effectiveness of attaching the bracer to the arm in this way.  It would work better as an "insert" to stiffen a leather bracer, for example.

Anyway, as always, just try it and see how it works.

[mullet]

  Maybe the Bracer was leather with an envelope, like pouch that a thin piece of sandstone was slipped in? It would keep it rigid and would not be as abrasive.

[Cromm]

Hi,
yeah could be. I know that the bits that they have are sandstone,but the writing under the photo's say leather??
Maybe i will email the dig site to see what they have to say..... Thanks for all the help and info.

[Pat B]

I would think that sandstone would be detrimental to a bow string. Something like soapstone or other stone with a smooth surface would be more appropriate.     Pat