58. Archer’s Finger Loose

A finger loose is a ring-like archery piece of gear, wider at one end, that would have been worn on the thumb. Looses were used by archers for securely hooking the bowstring and as frictionless guides and risers for arrows, helping them aim more accurately. They were usually made of stone, although other materials (like wood, seen here) are also known. Archer’s rings are typically found in contexts of Meroitic and Post-Meroitic date, sometimes on the thumbs of skeletons; the short body of this example is consistent with a Meroitic date. The use of looses is thought to correspond to the introduction of a new type of bow in Nubia (the composite type), a smaller and more powerful type than the self bow (see no. 18). The latter required a different shooting technique from the string-pinching used by earlier Nubian and Egyptian archers, and was comparable to a Persian style of shooting. This particular loose was found inside a Meroitic funerary chamber, together with the remains of a strung bow, arrow shafts and arrowheads, as well as other furnishings. Scan the brown QR code below to see an example of this type of object as found with a burial.