The Sudbury Bow

Title: The Sudbury Bow
Description: From Peabody: Made from hickory, the bow measures over 5 feet high. An inscription on the bow reads: "The bow was taken from an Indian in Sudbury, Masstts A,D, 1660 by William Goodnough, who shot the Indian while he was ransacking his house for plunder." This description was interpreted literally, resulting in the title “The Sudbury Bow.” While the Indigenous maker of the bow is unknown, it is believed to be one of the only surviving examples of a seventeenth-century Native American bow. The bow was also used as inspiration for the bow depicted on the 1898 Seal of Massachusetts.
Material(s): Hickory wood
Century: 17th century
Continent: Americas
Group(s): Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe
Culture(s): Algonquian; Wampanoag
Type: Bow; Weapon
Repository: Peabody Museum
Rights and Reproduction: Public Domain
Link to item: 95-20-10/49340
Ruler: Weetamoo
short title: The Sudbury Bow