A small but powerful bow made such that, until strung, the ends of the bow project forwards rather than backwards. The simple bow, made from a single piece of wood, was known to Neolithic hunters; it is depicted in cave paintings by 30,000 BC. The first improvement was the reflex bow, a bow that was curved forward, or reflexively, near its center so that the string lay close against the grip before the bow was drawn. This increased the effective length of the draw since it began farther forward, close to the archer's left hand.