Further Thoughts on the Sassanid Persian Draw

A+++++++ Thanks for the valuable research

Thank you for sharing your research and experimental archaeology

+ryddragyn have you heard of the slavic release two fingers below one finger as a pressure hold

Wow this is much more compelling than any explanation using a modified Mediterranean draw. Great video!

nice video

Great video, thank you for sharing.
About what you call fingercaps, I think that these tools together with thumb ring formed something like a hair trigger system. The fingercap was some kind of casing for the thumb ring held by fingers that bent (that is why you don't see them in silver plates), the head of the thumb ring got placed inside the casing after making a knot around the string and the string was drawn by pulling that casing back. The archer needs to pull his thumb finger out very slightly to fire, the thumb ring slips out of the metal casing much easier and faster than when no casing is used. This explains why the casing is tappered and polished.The casing could be a great help when stressful moments happened. Fingers shaking, sweating and geting tired can cause the thumb ring pop out and unwanted release happen.
There is an idiom in Persian "شست گشادن" which means to throw an arrow or to release the arrow or to start a war, word by word it is "to open the thumb", this can have the meaning that releasing an arrow is done just by pulling the thumb out and not by opening all fingers (which may be holding a casing).
This can explain those strings wrapped around the archer's right hand in silver plates. The string was used to keep the casing attached to archer's hand when not used. The casings in your clip even have rings on them for the strings to be attached.

This is excellent. I am the user of the persian method. it works. To this day the thumb in persian is called shast or 60

Good one ☺

I use the oblique hold. Not because I knew anything about it but because that's the natural position of my hand. Watching your video made me realize this, that i was doing this naturally!! Thanks !!

Armenian Kings ,were ruling persia ,in the SASSANID PERIOD !

I'm pretty sure those straight smooth finger guards were for forefinger for 23 draw archers to give protection from the string on release. I think they were keeping that finger straight on release to prevent the string from deviating off the thumb..

Excellent video.

The word archery comes from the classical persian word "Áreķshy"

just switching form huntingbow-recurve , and mediiteraenian style, to turkish horsebow and thumbrelease. i find your thoughts sharing very usefull. btw i will get my Aga from mr bows in 75lbs to practise on warbows.

Excellent video. By my own experimentation (I am right-handed) I have found the thumb draw and hook with the middle finger best to shoot off either the right or left side of the bow, wrist held horizontal. In shooting off the right side of the bow my index finger lays alongside or on top of the shaft, right side of the string. In shooting off the left side of the bow, I find my index finger naturally curls back on the string on top of the nock, from the right side of the string. Either right or left this technique results in much cleaner and snappier releases than the med. three finger release, and I have been shooting the traditional three finger release for more than 40 years! Never to late to learn - thanks!

interesting video :)

بسیار زیبا بود ممنون❤

Thanks for excellent video and research .......

It is very natural to use the middle finger to lock the thumb. I suggest this is how they did it with index finger extended , stabilizing arrow further. Your thumb and middle fingers are the strongest in your hand. It makes sense to use them for the power to draw and index finger to stabilize bow as needed when riding the horse

I enjoyed the video but I would disagree that you are confident roman thumb draw = persian sassanid draw. the images depicted can be interpreted both ways, such minor details whether the thumb is on the string or not is debatable. (its like that japanese slavic draw thing all over again in atarn) unfortunately we can never know for sure

I keep finding and liking your well-researched videos.
The low number of subscribers to your channel is a mystery to me ...

Kind've late, but I gotta say I agree with pretty much everything you argued for in this video. The Sassanid Persian use of '23' is pretty logical when we compare its characteristics to how Roman sources describe Persian archery, often honing in on its general suppleness of the draw weights, the length of the draw being particularly long that the string passes over the right breast (as described by Ammianus Marcellinus in the 4th c.) and the speed and efficiency of their loosing between shots. It makes total sense that a '23' and '24', which is generally seen as of a weaker hold, is ergonomic with this style of archery.

Expensive information 😊 well done