Ближний Восток и его соседи

g 168 h David Nicolle 15. Amongst many smaller 13th or early 14th century items or fragments found in Tower 4 of the Citadel of Damascus were several pieces of dried and brittle — but originally more flexible — wood bark. The species of tree has yet to be identified but it seems possible, perhaps even likely, that they were either intended as, or were leftovers from, material to cover a bow. This method of covering a composite bow was cer- tainly used in medieval Russia and elsewhere, but further research is needed to discover whether it was used within the medieval Islamic world. (Syrian Department of Antiqui- ties; author’s photograph).