Ancient and Medieval Weapons

The longbow stands tall like its shooter. Longbows dominated battlefields from the Bronze Age to 1600s. They fired powerful arrows great distances.

Longswords have a longer blade and a bigger handle. Longswords became popular during the late Medieval and Renaissance periods. Swords soon lost importance on the battlefield as other weapons took over.

The katana is the famous Japanese sword carried by samurai warriors.The katana has a curved, slender, single-edged blade. It features a long grip for two hands.

Maces are short clubs with a heavy head. Soldiers carried maces to break armor and deliver hard, crushing blows. These could have spikes or flanges with ridges.

Crude spears show up as far back as 400,000 years ago. Spears feature a simple shaft and a pointed head. People made them from flint to steel. Every culture used them under different names.

Battle axes served as a mainstay for soldiers globally. Battle axes came in many forms, sizes, and materials. They saw use from the Stone Age until the 1600s, when gunpowder made them obsolete.

Ballistas function like giant crossbows on wheels. Ballistas fired huge arrows up to 500 yards. They could strike soldiers or walls.

Scimitars feature a long, curved blade, making them instantly recognizable. Soldiers and cavalry across the Middle East carried scimitars. Mongols, Turks, and Indian rajputs used them in battle for hundreds of years.

The war hammer countered steel armor. It is a long hammer with a large steel head and a spike on the other end. This weapon could crush or gouge based on the need.

Many variations existed for the traditional sword of the Roman Empire.The Roman Empire used the gladius.The gladius was a short blade lacking a crossguard. Roman Legions and gladiators carried it.

Flails are spiked ball-and-chains. Medieval warriors and peasants used them heavily. Two-handed agricultural flails and the one-handed version existed.

Double-edged blades were used by ancient Indian rajput warriors and in ancient Syria. Some blades had three blades or extra spikes.

The knightly sword is a straight, double-edged blade used during much of the Middle Ages. Artwork from that time shows the knightly sword. Nobility and soldiers carried it.

Ranseurs are extremely long pole-arms. They have a three-pronged blade or spear tip and a pointed cross-guard at the top. These weapons worked well against mounted cavalry; they look like long tridents.

The pike was made famous by the movie.Braveheart made the pike famous.Pikes were long, sometimes seven or eight feet, and thick spears with pointed heads. They formed a phalanx formation and stopped enemy cavalry. Pikes appeared from Alexander the Great's time through the 1700s.

Ancient Romans through Edo period Japanese used caltrops. These small, spiked iron or steel bits always had a sharp edge facing up. They slowed down troops and horses. Today's police spike strips descend from them.

Ninjas and samurai warriors used the shuriken as a backup weapon. These items came in many types. They were not just the simple throwing star seen in video games.

This sword weighed ten pounds.Zweihaender means "two-hands." German and Swiss mercenaries used these swords to cut off pikes. The Zweihaender is German for "two-hands." German and Swiss mercenaries used these swords to cut off pikes.

Bardiches were a long pole-arm with a curved blade. 14th through 16th century Eastern Europe and Scandinavia used them.

The Horseman's Pick is a war hammer with a very long spike. Cavalry in Europe and Persia carried this weapon almost only. It often got stuck in armor because it was unwieldy.

Also called a membele, this African knife acted like a thrown weapon and a close quarters weapon. The curved blade gave extra distance and extra power.

The name tells the story. A spring-loaded, three-blade knife. Fencers used it in the Middle Ages. Press a button, and two extra blades fly out, causing devastating effect in close combat.

The chakram is a traditional Indian weapon. Soldiers threw this steel or bronze circular-edged disc at enemies. They also used it in close combat, offering sizes from wrist-sized to much larger.

The urumi is a flexible, multi-bladed sword that acted like a whip. It is the most feared weapon in Indian history and the hardest to master.

The lantern shield combined a shield, light, and weapons system. Renaissance Italy carried it. This armored glove with a shield let the user hide weapons and bring light for pre-dawn fights. Many were ornate and unwieldy; the design later faded.

The sodegarami was an imobilizer used in the Japanese Edo period.Sodegarami was a spiked pole. It could drive into a kimono fabric and twist it. Samurai warriors used it to bring down criminals who could not legally be harmed.