We love to do lists at Best Military Surplus, so what better list to highlight than a list of weapons?  We begin by jumping back in time to the era of great kingdoms and empires before gunpowder was a typical element in warfare.

Egyptian Dagger

Ancient Sword – The most well-known weapon from periods before modern times is the sword.  It was used by nearly every kingdom and nation throughout history up until World War II.    It is estimated that swords were first used in around the fourth century B.C., Egypt perhaps being one of the first kingdoms to use them regularly.  The first swords were made from bronze and tin, and were really more like short daggers.

The sword is used to injure an enemy either by swinging or stabbing it.  Besides fleeing, the only way to defend against it is through the use of armor or another sword.  Swords differed greatly in their length and weight throughout history, but sharpness remained a constant.

English Longbow

The sword continued to be used throughout all of the B.C.-era and into the A.D.-era by all of the major kingdoms, such as Babylon, Greece, and Rome.  It was the sword that drew out the Battle of Thermopylae between Leonidas and his 300 men and the Persians.  It was the sword that allowed Alexander the Great to conquer such a vast area in a short time period.  And it was with the sword that Rome kept hold of its empire for more than 500 years.  And it is the sword that will retain a permanent place on a list of weapons from ancient times.

Ancient Bow – The bow makes our list of weapons because it was one of the first weapons to make use of projectile force.  This allowed soldiers to attack the enemy a distance (rather than melee style).  The bow does not have has much power as a sword being swung, but it nonetheless has become a necessary subject of any discussion on historical weapons.

Viking Axe

The bow design is simple, with a string tied to each “limb,” the rear of an arrow used to pull the string back, and the string released to fire the arrow.  Bows were originally made from wood, oftentimes from the yew tree for its elasticity.  The string was made from either animal parts (sinew, intestine) or plant fibers.  These materials may seem primitive by modern comparison, but they sure served Robin Hood’s purposes just fine.

Axe – Because this list of weapons is about those from ancient times, axes must be included.  Axe-heads were originally made from stone, and were attached to a wooden handle through a process called “hafting.”  As time progressed, metals were used to make axe-heads, such as bronze and iron.

Axes were used by many older civilizations, perhaps the most famous being the Vikings.  The use of axes as weapons by military has all but ceased, but a little-known fact is that the U.S. military uses tomahawk axes for uses other than combat.  Tomahawks were specifically used for throwing and were designed by Native Americans.

There’s our first list of weapons, beginning with the most popular ancient weapons.   If you see a weapon or two that you like, you can get one for yourself.  Amazon has a great selection of ancient weapons for you to choose from.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.