Traditional archery in contemporary Bulgarian society

Abstract

Archery has been practiced in the Bulgarian region for many years. The earliest rock artifacts (considered to be more than 7,000 years old) depicting individuals with bows and arrows were discovered at the Magura cave in Bulgaria (Historical Park, 2022). Regardless of this history, scholarly work on Bulgarian archery is a neglected area. Hence, this work attempts to demonstrate the place of traditional archery in contemporary Bulgarian society and how attempts have been made to preserve it. Simultaneously, it aims to expand the scientific literature on Bulgarian archery and offers theoretical/practical implications that might raise the profile of traditional Bulgarian archery among a wider audience such that it stimulates future academic investigations. The present work shows that recently the Bulgarian archery traditions have been preserved by four main methods: having traditional competitions, organizing activities at the historical park, training at a specialized school, and presenting these traditions at local or international festivals. The insights gained from this preliminary work may be of assistance to scholars, ministries of culture/education, traditional archery associations, and experts in the fields of sports and tourism. Theoretical and practical implications, which have been addressed at the end of the paper, might serve as a starting point for further research. © 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.