Find Your Place in History

If you’re new and want to know how to get started, or are an organizer looking for a demonstration, please fill out the form below to reach out to our Chatelaine who is here to help!

Archery in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a martial activity that is open to all ages and skill levels. It involves the recreation of pre-17th century archery practices and skills using traditional equipment mostly made of period-appropriate materials including longbows, recurve bows, and crossbows using wooden arrows and feather fletching. Modern equipment like compound bows, fiberglass arrows, or sights are typically not permitted with some exceptions for practices. Fortunately we have loaner gear, so you don’t need to own equipment to try it out. All you have to do is wear closed-toed shoes and show up!

The SCA offers two main types of archery:

• Target Archery: Shooting arrows at static targets, which can range from traditional bullseyes to elaborate 3D targets or those simulating castle windows or hunting scenarios. Archers can participate in various competitions, SCA Royal Rounds, and inter-kingdom events.

• Combat Archery: For those seeking a more dynamic experience, combat archery involves shooting low-powered bows with special padded arrows at armored opponents on a battlefield, similar to medieval paintball. Participants must wear the appropriate armor and undergo an authorization process to ensure safety and competence.
  

Safety is always paramount, warranted marshals who are trained safety officers are always present at all events and practices to inspect equipment, explain rules, and ensure safe conduct on the range. You can find more information or get started by filling out the contact form below and/or contacting the Archery Marshal directly at archery@burningsands.atenveldt.org.

Practice: Held once a month at the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex (PAAC) Archery Field. For details on date and time for our next practice check News & Calendar, Facebook, or email the Archery Marshal at archery@burningsands.atenveldt.org.

Thrown weapons in the SCA is a martial activity focused on hurling medieval-style weapons at wooden targets. It is open to participants of all ages and skill levels, with loaner gear typically available for newcomers at practices and events. Weapons used can include:

• Axes: Hand-axes or hatchets thrown at wooden targets.

• Knives: Balanced throwing knives designed for safety and ease of use.

• Spears: Thrown at either hard wooden targets or soft targets, typically from a longer distance than knives or axes.

• Specialty Items: Some events may allow plumbata (weighted Roman lawn darts) and slings with soft ammunition.
  

Like archery, participants can compete in various formats, including the Standard Royal Round. This standardized test consists of 10 throws each for axes, knives, and spears at varying distances, such as 10 and 20 feet. Throwers can earn ranks based on their top three averaged scores.

All weapons must be inspected by a trained saftey officer called (warranted marshal) before use. Ranges are strictly monitored with clear “commence” and “retrieve” commands to ensure participant safety.

How to Start:
The only requirement to begin is often just wearing closed-toe shoes. You do not need to own equipment to try it out. For more information please fill out the contact form below and/or email the Archery Marshal at archery@burningsands.atenveldt.org.

Practice: Held once a month at the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex (PAAC) Archery Field. For details on date and time for our next practice check News & Calendar, Facebook, or email the Archery Marshal at archery@burningsands.atenveldt.org.

Equipment

Weapons: For SCA Armored Combat (most) weapons are made of rattan, a solid-core grass similar to bamboo that “brooms” rather than splintering. The use of rattan allows for full-force strikes without serious injury and more freedom in selection of armor from many different periods and cultures, as opposed to the much stricter armor requirements necessary for using blunted steel weapons in sports like Buhurt. Common weapons include swords, maces, axes, and spears. The most common weapon construction involves wrapping the rattan in fiber tape (helps prevent the rattan fibers from breaking apart), then covering it with two opaque tapes of contrasting colors, one signifying the striking edge of the weapon and the other the flat side.

Armor: Fighters wear and often custom-make armor that must meet safety standards, including a steel helmet (minimum 1.6 mm in metal thickness) and rigid protection for the neck, kidneys, groin, hands, elbows, and knees. Most armor is made from steel or leather, but even high-impact plastic is permissible as long as it is covered or disguised.

Ever wanted to try your skills with a sword? Well here you can! Test your mettle and learn medieval marshal arts in Rapier fighting.

Rapier combat in the SCA (similar to modern fencing) simulates the unarmored civilian duels of the 14th through 16th centuries. Unlike modern Olympic fencing, which is limited to a linear strip, SCA fencers move freely in any direction on an open “list field” and use a wider variety of historical equipment.

Weapons and Off-Hand Gear
The most common weapons are full-sized steel replicas of historical rapiers. These blades are heavier and more flexible than modern fencing swords to better simulate period combat.
However, combatants are not limited to a single blade. You can choose to fight with a single rapier or pair it with various period-appropriate defensive items in your off-hand:

• Daggers (Main gauche)
• Bucklers (Small handheld shields)
• Cloaks, canes, or even a second sword (Case of rapiers)

Cut and Thrust
An advanced hybrid style that allows percussive (hitting) edge-blows in addition to thrusts and draw-cuts. It often utilizes different swords, such as side-swords or longswords, and requires more rigid armor for safety.

Safety and Honor

• Armor Requirements: Fighters must be covered from head to toe in puncture-resistant material (like heavy fabric or leather). Mandatory rigid protection includes a fencing mask, a gorget for the neck, and groin protection.
• The Honor System: Like all SCA combat, rapier relies on the honor of the participants to acknowledge when they have been hit. A blow to the head or torso “kills,” while a blow to a limb “disables” that limb (e.g., a hit leg requires the fighter to kneel).
• Authorization: New fighters must undergo a safety authorization process with a marshal before competing in official tournaments.

Ready to try it?
Both Armored Combat and Rapier fighter practices are held Saturdays, 8-10am, near Ramada #11 (Avenue A and Desert Sun Dr) of Caballero Park in Yuma, AZ.  For notices of cancelled practices and details of upcoming activities check News & Calendar or Facebook. We have loaner gear available, just let us know you are interested by emailing our marshal at marshal@burningsands.atenveldt.org or posting to our Facebook group!

The Culinary & Domestic Arts encompass the everyday skills that sustained historical households across periods and cultures. Members explore things like:

• period cooking
• baking
• brewing
• mead-making
• vinting
• food preservation

Work in the stillroom includes apothecary arts such as:

• perfumes
• soaps
• cosmetics
• salves
• remedies
• inks
• household chemistry
  

This field also includes domestic technologies:

• housekeeping methods
• childcare practices
• hygiene
• and the many tools and techniques that shaped day-to-day living

Whether recreating a feast, learning historical recipes, or experimenting with herbal infusions, this discipline connects us directly to the sensory world of the past.

Scribal & Heraldic Arts celebrate the artistry of written culture and identity in the medieval and Renaissance world.

Scribal pursuits include:

• calligraphy
• illumination (decorative elements of manuscripts and scrolls)
• scroll-making
• manuscript reproduction
• traditional bookbinding.
  

Heraldic study involves designing and interpreting personal and group armory, understanding period rules of heraldry, and crafting devices, banners, and standards. From gilded scrolls to painted shields, this discipline preserves the visual language of honor and recognition across the Known World.

Performing & Bardic Arts represent the expressive heart of the SCA. This discipline covers vocal and instrumental music, historical dance, spoken word arts, poetic composition, storytelling traditions, and various forms of theater and dramatics.

Bards preserve and create tales of heroes, history, and humor, while musicians and dancers bring period culture to life through movement and sound. Whether around the fire or on the hall stage, these arts celebrate the shared joy of performance.

Scientific & Cultural Studies explore the knowledge, beliefs, and scholarly work of civilizations before 1600.

Fields of study can include but are not limited to:

• botany
• alchemy
• early medicine
• astronomy
• engineering
• horology
• cartography
• mathematics
• the principles of natural philosophy.
  

Cultural studies examine subjects like:

• religion
• social systems
• court etiquette
• linguistic analysis
• etymology and language evolution.
  

This area brings depth and context to reenactment, helping members understand not just how things were done, but why they were done that way.

Field & Outdoor Arts highlight the practical knowledge required for living and thriving in historical settings.

Subjects to explore can include:

• gardening
• beekeeping
• falconry
• equestrian activities
• and other forms of animal husbandry
  

Skills also include:

• historical camping techniques
• fire-making
• foraging
• hunting
• and other forms of pre-modern survival knowledge.
  

These practices bring authenticity to events and deepen our understanding of the relationship between people and the natural world in past centuries.