Why do some cultures and units use javelins and some bows? Leaving aside javelin-armed melée troops (like Roman legionaries), are their tactical reasons for including both in a force, or is their use simply cultural?
In Western Europe (with the exception of Spain?) javelins seem to have largely fallen out of use some time in the early-high middle ages. Is this because they were unable to penetrate improved armour?
Simply cultural
....is probably getting it right. Europe aside from the English during the Hundred Years War didn't really employ archers on a large scale.
You could easily argue that an archer focused army like in England arose because it has been nurtured over centuries.
Bow and arrow and javelins also don't really take up the same role in battle. Javelins have been carried into battle by Roman Legionnaires even though they would do most of their work in melee combat.
Javelins have been used by the Romans by those too poor to equip themselves better, for skirmishing, and possibly by light cavalry.
The Romans also had many whole regiments devoted to archery. With these you also see that they recruit these men from places with an archery tradition (Crete, Thrace, Syria, etc.).
When we approach the Middle-Ages, the javelin does go extinct in a way. It's definitely not because of its penetration power though. For once, most people on the battle field are still not equipped with top of the line armour. And it's really only with the arrival of steel plate armour in the High Middle Ages that those who could afford that kind of protection had superior armour than the ancients. Remember, the Romans already had chainmail armour, iron lamellar armour (lorica segmentata) and metal cuirasses.
Simply cultural
....is probably getting it right. Europe aside from the English during the Hundred Years War didn't really employ archers on a large scale.
You could easily argue that an archer focused army like in England arose because it has been nurtured over centuries.
Bow and arrow and javelins also don't really take up the same role in battle. Javelins have been carried into battle by Roman Legionnaires even though they would do most of their work in melee combat.
Javelins have been used by the Romans by those too poor to equip themselves better, for skirmishing, and possibly by light cavalry.
The Romans also had many whole regiments devoted to archery. With these you also see that they recruit these men from places with an archery tradition (Crete, Thrace, Syria, etc.).
When we approach the Middle-Ages, the javelin does go extinct in a way. It's definitely not because of its penetration power though. For once, most people on the battle field are still not equipped with top of the line armour. And it's really only with the arrival of steel plate armour in the High Middle Ages that those who could afford that kind of protection had superior armour than the ancients. Remember, the Romans already had chainmail armour, iron lamellar armour (lorica segmentata) and metal cuirasses.