The idea is quite speculative. Since it is difficult to find any noticeable progress in tools before the production of iron. And people began to master iron quite late, hardly earlier than the 15th century. Moreover, iron tools appeared en masse in peasant life only in the 19th century. Therefore, without additional factors, archeology is not able to distinguish an 18th century village from a Neolithic village.

Before the mass production of iron, there was no significant increase in labor productivity in agriculture, the basis of the pre-industrial economy. I'll make a reservation, performance Agriculture grew, but mainly due to increased efficiency of agrarian technologies, rather than tools. Perhaps the only thing that iron products had an impact on qualitative influence, this is seafaring. You can't build a serious sea ship without iron nails and bolts. An iron ax is also a good thing in carpentry.

In general, although progress in metalworking had an impact on the economy, it was not of decisive importance until the 18th and 19th centuries. But it had vital importance in the production of weapons.

By the way, do you know what’s funny about the famous legend aboutGordian knot . A complex knot of leather belt or something equally strong served as a secure lock. There was nothing to cut it with...

And if everything is more or less clear with stone and iron tools, then bronze ones have always raised doubts. Bronze is a rather difficult material to process. Let's say it is possible to cast an arrow or spear tip. It seems that it is possible to make some kind of armor or helmet.

Although I have my doubts about the bronze helmet. Last year I visitedOlympia Museum . I saw bronze ancient Greek helmets there.

There are deposits of them in the storerooms.

You can't see it in the photo, but you can take my word for it. The helmets are tiny. Children's. It can be put on the head of a child no older than five years old. We asked local tour guides. They shrug their shoulders and, they say, are surprised.

Or the ancient Greeks were hobbits. Or casting a bronze helmet of a complex shape for an adult, so that the helmet is thin-walled and therefore does not have excessive weight, is technically difficult. I don't have any other versions.

Well, God bless them, bronze helmets and armor. Critically important question about bronze swords.

For a long time I was interested in the mystery of bronze swords, which, according to official history, were very common before the start of iron processing. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, can be used to cast all sorts of crafts. But making swords is difficult, since bronze is usually a hard and brittle material. I have long been interested in the question of what official history says on this issue.

And one day I came across a series of articles about Bronze Age weapons. I placed the link at the end of this note.

The articles are a compilation of historical information and opinions of official history on the subject. I will quote the article that talks about bronze swords.

“... it turned out that a fairly significant part of the users of this site are interested in... Bronze Age weapons and, in particular, the weapons and armor of the legendary Trojan War. Well, the topic is really very interesting.”

“... To typologize bronze swords found in Greece, the Sandars classification is used, according to which swords are located in eight main groups, under the letters A to H, plus numerous subtypes, which in in this case due to their abundance, are not given.”

"Sandars classification. It clearly shows that the most ancient swords 500 years before the fall of Troy (which is believed to have taken place in 1250 BC) were exclusively piercing! Two hundred years before it, swords with V-shaped crosshairs and a high edge on the blade appeared. The handle was now also cast together with the blade. 1250 is characterized by swords with an H-shaped handle, which in principle can be used to both chop and stab. Its base was cast together with the blade, after which wooden or bone “cheeks” were attached to it with rivets.

The idea of ​​a bronze sword in the form of a rapier is clear. It is difficult to obtain a good cutting blade from bronze; a sharp tip is easier to make. However, the genesis of the bronze rapier sword is not clear. The evolution of iron weapons is clear: knife, dagger, sword, and so on. And what did you wash away the bronze rapier with? It is wiser to use a spear or dart with a bronze tip.

There was an uproar in the comments to the article. Many doubted the sufficient effectiveness of bronze swords. And the author took the trouble to deepen the topic. A lot of interesting things were discovered. It turned out that in the West there is a whole industry for the production (reconstruction) of bronze swords.

“After a long search, I managed to find three specialists in this field. Two in England and one in the USA and obtain permission from them to use their text and photographic materials. But now regulars of VO and simply its visitors have a unique opportunity to see their work, get acquainted with the technologies and their own comments on this interesting topic.

I’ll start by giving the floor to Neil Burridge, a Briton who has been working with bronze weapons for 12 years.”

It turned out that some types of bronze can be forged.

“.. the cutting edge of the blade of bronze swords was always forged to increase its strength! The sword itself was cast, but the cutting edges were always forged!”

But, as they say, it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. Let's lookbronze sword test video from the mentioned British masterNeil Burridge.

Neil Burridge, a highly skilled maker of Bronze Age swords, sent me an unpolished version of a Ewart Park type sword for hard, abusive testing to get an idea of ​​the material's limits.

So what do you think?

For practical application, in general, suitable. Although the quality is inferior to a steel sword.

The problem, however, is that this bronze sword is an achievement modern science and technology. The alloy is produced with an accuracy of a fraction of a percent. Where did such knowledge of chemistry and the necessary purity of metals come from in ancient times? An ancient sword would be significantly inferior to the product of a modern British master. That is, it would not be suitable for practical needs.

So I finally lost faith in the Bronze Age.

Some may be surprised, but most of The written history of ancient Hellas known to us is the Iron Age, and not the Bronze Age at all. And the battle of Thermopylae, and in general this whole Greco-Persian mess is the era of the Iron Age.

The Battle of Thermopylae, by the way, took place generally not so long ago - in 480 BC. When Spartan spears in a narrow gorge ripped open the bellies of the Persians, in some places in the northwest, on the boot-shaped peninsula, the not-so-small city of Rome already existed, having just overthrown the power of the Etruscan kings and proclaimed the Republic. Its legions had not yet reached the limits of the "boot", but Rome was patient. He had nowhere to rush.

And the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean ended in... 1200 BC.

Bronze swords. And now it's still in good condition

But nevertheless, for almost half a millennium, Greek hoplites, Macedonian phalangites and other warriors of the Mediterranean region were armed with bronze swords and bronze shields. Their heads were covered with bronze helmets, and the spearheads were also bronze. Not iron. Although they had been able to smelt iron from ore and forge it for several centuries, they mostly made crafts from it for household purposes. Why?

A hoplite from the first line of the phalanx. The red cape indicates that he is a Spartan. Well, the “lambda” on the shield is Lacedaemon...)

The interesting thing is that at first a bronze sword was much stronger than an iron sword...))

Technological features

Initially, bronze was made not from an alloy of copper and tin, but from an alloy of copper and arsenic. Arsenic bronze is quite hard and durable, although it does not really hold an edge. In general, a sword made from it will be a chisel anyway.

Subsequently, instead of poisonous arsenic, they began to add tin to the alloy, thereby obtaining classic bronze. Tin bronze, unlike arsenic bronze, was suitable for alteration. Simply put, a broken sword made of arsenic bronze cannot be put back together - if the fragments are melted, the arsenic will evaporate, and what will remain is pure nonsense. And from tin - easily. Threw it into the oven, melted it, poured it into new uniform- and voila!

And the main technological feature of bronze is that swords, spearheads and elements for covering shields were made from it... They were cast. The metal was melted, poured into a ceramic mold and allowed to cool. All is ready.

Solid cut-and-thrust sword

The photo above is a technologically advanced copy of a bronze sword from around the 6th century BC, from the Mediterranean region. Its length is 74 cm and its weight is only 650 g.

Bronze, unlike iron, becomes stronger after casting; forging destroys it. But iron needs to be forged. Although the ancient people could not melt iron even if they wanted to.

Thus, the same Spartans of the era of King Leonidas could have made an iron sword. They knew this metal itself. But they didn't want to...

The fact is that pure iron, fresh from a cheese-blowing oven, is very soft. Much softer than bronze, which by that time in Hellas had long been in the making. Various varieties- where necessary, add tin, where necessary - subtract...

In order for an iron sword to become stronger than a bronze one, it must be made using the “batch” technology - forge welding elements of iron and hard steel together. Some people in Asia Minor already knew this technology, but even the Persian “immortals” - the famous guard of Xerxes - were considered immortal not because they wore iron armor, but because the number of their detachment was always maintained at the same level - exactly 10 thousand. It’s as if they didn’t die at all))

Immortals. Persian bas-relief

So it turned out that the main advantage of iron tools in the era of King Leonidas and the Battle of Thermopylae was their cheapness. There were iron tools - made from "raw" iron - and they cost less than bronze ones, but they were not suitable for military purposes. Iron swords at this time were still too soft. It will take a lot of time before the technology of welded iron spreads, before they learn to harden this metal and process it more or less decently. And then the same Romans for another three hundred years would have iron chain mail (made of soft iron), and bronze helmets.

The main advantages of a bronze sword over an iron one in the era of the Battle of Thermopylae

1. Easier to manufacture - swords and other objects were simply cast in molds - entirely, along with the handles. Iron had to be forged.

2. Hardness and strength - tin bronze (the exact amount of tin in the composition was determined through trial and error) was much stronger than raw iron. It was more likely that a bronze sword at that time would cut through an iron one than vice versa.

3. Corrosion. Bronze oxidizes over time, but not that much. But raw iron, which always contains some admixture of carbon, quickly rusts to the point of complete destruction.

Iron ancient Greek kopis

The only significant drawback of bronze, which directly affected its cost, was the need for tin. There was little tin, and it was quite expensive. Tin was mined in the form of the mineral cassiterite, from which it was subsequently smelted. But cassiterite itself is quite rare; at that time it was not mined using the ore method, but was found in placers on river banks. They called it "tin stone".

Subsequently, the “tin stone” began to be transported from an incredible distance - from the British Isles, then called the Tin Isles.

But the spread of iron weapons and armor was directly related to the development of steelmaking technologies, which, again, directly depended on the progress of technological progress in general. Yes, iron ultimately had greater potential, but few people knew about this in the fifth century BC...)

Original article - on the channel https://zen.yandex.ru/dnevnik_rolevika

Bronze swords appeared around the 17th century BC. e. in the area of ​​the Aegean and Black Seas. The design of such a weapon was nothing more than an improvement of its predecessor, the dagger. It was significantly lengthened, as a result of which it appeared the new kind weapons. The history of bronze swords, high-quality photos of which are given below, their varieties, models of different armies will be discussed in this article.

History of appearance

As stated earlier, Bronze Age swords appeared in the 17th century BC. e., however, they managed to completely displace daggers as the main type of weapon only in the 1st century BC. e. From the earliest times of sword production, their length could reach more than 100 cm. The technology for producing swords of this length was presumably developed in what is now Greece.

Several alloys were used to make swords, most commonly tin, copper and arsenic. The very first specimens, which were more than 100 cm long, were made around the 1700s BC. e. Standard Bronze Age swords reached 60-80 cm in length, while weapons that were shorter were also produced, but they had different names. So, for example, it was called a dagger or short sword.

Around 1400 BC. e. the prevalence of long swords was mainly characteristic of the territory Aegean Sea and parts of the southeast of modern Europe. This type of weapon began to become widespread in the 2nd century BC. e. in regions such as Central Asia, China, India, Middle East, UK and Central Europe.

Before bronze began to be used as the main material for making weapons, obsidian or flint stone was used exclusively. However, weapons made of stone had a significant drawback - fragility. When copper, and later bronze, began to be used in the manufacture of weapons, this made it possible to create not only knives and daggers, as before, but also swords.

Area of ​​findings

The process of the appearance of bronze swords as a separate type of weapon was gradual, from a knife to a dagger, and then to the sword itself. Swords have slightly different shapes due to a number of factors. For example, both the army itself of a state and the time when they were used are important. The range of finds of bronze swords is quite wide: from China to Scandinavia.

In China, the production of swords from this metal begins around 1200 BC. e., during the reign of the Shang Dynasty. The technological culmination of the production of such weapons dates back to the end of the 3rd century BC. e., during the war with the Qin dynasty. During this period, rare technologies were used, such as metal casting, which had a high tin content. This made the edge softer and therefore easier to sharpen. Or with a low content, which gave the metal increased hardness. The use of diamond-shaped patterns, which were not aesthetic, but technological, making the blade reinforced along its entire length.

Bronze swords of China are unique due to technologies in which high-tin metal was periodically used (about 21%). The blade of such a blade was super-hard, but broke when bent too much. In other countries, swords were made with a low tin content (about 10%), which made the blade soft and bending rather than breaking when bent.

However, iron swords supplanted their bronze predecessors; this happened during the reign of the Han Dynasty. China became the last territory where bronze weapons were created.

Scythian weapons

Bronze swords of the Scythians have been known since the 8th century BC. e., they had a short length - from 35 to 45 cm. The shape of the sword is called “akinak”, and there are three versions about its origin. The first says that the shape of this sword was borrowed by the Scythians from the ancient Iranians (Persians, Medes). Those who adhere to the second version argue that the prototype of the Scythian sword was a weapon of the Kabardino-Pyatigorsk type, which was widespread in the 8th century BC. e. on the territory of the modern North Caucasus.

Scythian swords were short and primarily intended for close combat. The blade was sharpened on both sides and shaped like a highly elongated triangle. The cross-section of the blade itself could be rhombic or lenticular, in other words, the blacksmith himself chose the shape

The blade and handle were forged from one piece, and then the pommel and crosshair were riveted to it. Early examples had a butterfly-shaped crosshair, while later ones, dating back to the 4th century, were already triangular in shape.

The Scythians kept their bronze swords in wooden sheaths, which had buterols (the lower part of the sheath), which were protective and decorative. Currently preserved a large number of Scythian swords found during archaeological excavations in various mounds. Most of the specimens are preserved quite well, which indicates their high quality.

Roman weapons

Bronze legionnaires were very common at that time. The most famous is the sword gladius, or gladius, which later began to be made of iron. It is assumed that the ancient Romans borrowed it from the Pyrenees and then improved it.

The tip of this sword has a fairly wide sharpened edge, which had a good effect on cutting characteristics. These weapons were convenient to fight in dense Roman formations. However, the gladius also had disadvantages, for example, it could deliver slashing blows, but they did not cause serious damage.

Out of order, these weapons were very much inferior to German and Celtic blades, which were longer. The Roman gladius reached a length of 45 to 50 cm. Subsequently, another sword was chosen for the Roman legionaries, which was called the “spata”. A small amount of this type of bronze sword has survived to this day, but their iron counterparts are quite sufficient.

The spatha had a length of 75 cm to 1 m, which made it not very convenient to use in close formation, but this was compensated for in a duel in free territory. It is believed that this type of sword was borrowed from the Germans, and later slightly modified.

The bronze swords of Roman legionnaires - both gladius and spatha - had their advantages, but were not universal. However, preference was given to the latter due to the fact that it could be used not only in foot combat, but also while sitting on a horse.

Swords of Ancient Greece

Bronze swords of the Greeks have a very long history. It originates in the 17th century BC. e. The Greeks had several types of swords at different times, the most common and often depicted on vases and in sculpture is the xiphos. It appeared during the Aegean civilization around the 17th century BC. e. Xiphos was made of bronze, although later it began to be made of iron.

It was a double-edged straight sword, which reached approximately 60 cm in length, with a pronounced leaf-shaped tip, it had good chopping characteristics. Previously, xiphos was made with a blade up to 80 cm long, but for inexplicable reasons they decided to shorten it.

In addition to the Greeks, this sword was also used by the Spartans, but their blades reached a length of 50 cm. Xiphos was used by hoplites (heavy infantry) and Macedonian phalangites (light infantry). Later, these weapons became widespread among most of the barbarian tribes that inhabited the Apennine Peninsula.

The blade of this sword was forged immediately along with the hilt, and later a cross-shaped guard was added. had a good cutting and piercing effect, but due to its length its cutting characteristics were limited.

European weapons

In Europe, bronze swords have been quite widespread since the 18th century BC. e. One of the most famous swords is considered to be the Naue II type sword. It got its name thanks to the scientist Julius Naue, who was the first to describe in detail all the characteristics of this weapon. Naue II is also known as the tongue-hilted sword.

This type of weapon appeared in the 13th century BC. e. and was in service with the soldiers of Northern Italy. This sword was relevant until the beginning of the Iron Age, but it continued to be used for several more centuries, until approximately the 6th century BC. e.

Naue II reached a length of 60 to 85 cm and was found in the territories of what is now Sweden, Great Britain, Finland, Norway, Germany and France. For example, a specimen that was discovered during archaeological excavations near Brekby in Sweden in 1912 reached a length of about 65 cm and belonged to the period of the 18th-15th centuries BC. e.

The shape of the blade, which was typical for swords of those times, is a leaf-shaped formation. In the IX-VIII centuries BC. e. Swords with a blade shape called “carp tongue” were common.

This bronze sword had very good characteristics for this type of weapon. It had wide, double-edged edges, and the blades were parallel to each other and tapered towards the end of the blade. This sword had a thin edge, which allowed the warrior to inflict significant damage to the enemy.

Thanks to its reliability and good characteristics this sword spread widely throughout most of Europe, as confirmed by numerous finds.

Andronovo swords

Andronovo is the common name for various peoples who lived in the 17th-9th centuries BC. e. in the territories of modern Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western Siberia and Southern Urals. Andronovo people are also considered Proto-Slavs. They were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and handicrafts. One of the most common crafts was working with metal (mining, smelting).

The Scythians partially borrowed some types of weapons from them. The bronze swords of Andronovo were distinguished by the high quality of the metal itself and its combat characteristics. The length of this weapon reached from 60 to 65 cm, and the blade itself had a diamond-shaped stiffener. The sharpening of such swords was double-edged, due to utilitarian considerations. In battle, the weapon became dull due to the softness of the metal, and in order to continue the battle and inflict significant damage on the enemy, the sword was simply turned in the hand and the battle continued again with a sharp weapon.

The Andronovites made scabbards of bronze swords from wood, covering their outer part with leather. The inside of the scabbard was sealed with animal fur, which contributed to the polishing of the blade. The sword had a guard that not only protected the warrior’s hand, but also securely held it in its sheath.

Types of swords

During the Bronze Age, there was a wide variety of types and types of swords. During their development, bronze swords went through three stages of development.

• The first is a bronze rapier of the 17th-11th centuries BC. e.
• The second is a leaf-shaped sword, with high piercing-cutting characteristics of the 11th-8th centuries BC. e.
• The third is a Hallstadt type sword from the 8th-4th centuries BC. e.

The identification of these stages is due to various specimens found during archaeological excavations in the territory of modern Europe, Greece and China, as well as their classification in catalogs of bladed weapons.

Bronze swords of antiquity, related to the rapier type, first appeared in Europe as a logical development of a dagger or knife. This type of sword arose as an elongated modification of the dagger, which is explained by practical combat needs. This type of sword primarily ensured the infliction of significant damage to the enemy due to its prickly characteristics.

Such swords were most likely made individually for each warrior, as evidenced by the fact that the hilt was different sizes and the quality of finish of the weapons themselves varied significantly. These swords are a narrow bronze strip that has a stiffening rib in the middle.

Bronze rapiers were intended to use piercing blows, but they were also used as slashing weapons. This is evidenced by notches on the blade of specimens found in Denmark, Ireland and Crete.

Swords XI-VIII centuries BC. e.

The bronze rapier, several centuries later, was replaced by a leaf-shaped or phallic-shaped sword. If you look at the photos of bronze swords, their difference will become obvious. But they differed not only in shape, but also in characteristics. For example, leaf-shaped swords made it possible to inflict not only stab wounds, but also chopping and cutting blows.

Archaeological research carried out in various parts of Europe and Asia suggests that such swords were widespread in the territory from present-day Greece to China.

With the advent of swords of this type, from the 11th century BC. e., it can be observed that the quality of decoration of the sheath and handle is sharply reduced, but the level and characteristics of the blade are noticeably higher than those of its predecessors. And yet, due to the fact that this sword could both stab and cut, and therefore was strong and did not break after a blow, the quality of the blade was worse. This was due to the fact that a larger amount of tin was added to bronze.

After some time, the shank of the sword appears, which is located at the end of the handle. Its appearance allows you to deliver strong slashing blows while keeping the sword in your hand. This is how the transition to the next type of weapon begins. - to the sword of Hallstadt.

Swords of the 8th-4th centuries BC. e.

Swords changed due to objective reasons, for example, due to changes in fighting techniques. If earlier the fencing technique dominated, in which the main thing was to deliver an accurate piercing blow, then over time it gave way to the chopping technique. In the latter, it was important to deliver a strong blow with one of the sword blades, and the more force applied, the more significant the damage.

By the 7th century BC. e. chopping technology completely replaces piercing technology due to its simplicity and reliability. This is confirmed by bronze Hallstadt-type swords, which are intended exclusively for slashing.

This type of sword received its name due to the area located in Austria, where it is believed that this weapon was first produced. One of the features of such a sword is the fact that these swords were made of both bronze and iron.

Hallstadt swords resemble leaf-shaped swords in shape, but they are noticeably narrower. The length of such a sword reaches about 83 cm, has a strong stiffening rib, which allows it not to deform when delivering chopping blows. This weapon allowed both infantrymen and horsemen to fight, as well as attack the enemy from a chariot.

The handle of the sword was crowned with a tang, which allowed the warrior to easily hold the sword after striking. This weapon was universal at one time and was highly valued.

Ceremonial swords

In the Bronze Age, there was another type of sword, which is not described above, since it cannot be attributed to any of the classifications. This is a sword with a single edge, whereas all other swords had sharpening on both sides. It is an extremely rare type of weapon, and to date only three copies have been found in one of the regions of Denmark. It is believed that this sword was not a combat sword, but a ceremonial one, but this is just a hypothesis.

conclusions

It can be concluded that bronze swords of antiquity were made using high level, taking into account the underdevelopment of the technological process. In addition to their combat purpose, many swords were works of art, thanks to the efforts of the craftsmen. Each type of sword for its time met all combat requirements, to one degree or another.

Naturally, the weapon was gradually improved, and efforts were made to minimize its shortcomings. Having gone through centuries of evolution, ancient bronze swords became the best weapons of their era, until it gave way to the Iron Age and a new page began in the history of edged weapons.

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Bronze swords

Before the widespread use of iron and steel, swords were made of copper, and then bronze was made of alloys of copper with tin or arsenic. Bronze is very resistant to corrosion, which is why we have quite a lot of archaeological finds of bronze swords, although their attribution and clear dating are often very difficult.

Bronze is a fairly durable material that holds an edge well. In most cases, bronze with a tin content of about 10% was used, which is characterized by moderate hardness and relatively high ductility, but in China bronze with a tin content of up to 20% was used - harder, but also more fragile (sometimes only blades were made from hard bronze, and the inner part of the blade is made of softer material).

Bronze swords

Bronze is a precipitation-hardening alloy and cannot be hardened like steel, but can be significantly strengthened by cold deformation (forging) of cutting edges. Bronze cannot “spring” like hardened steel, but a blade made from it can bend within significant limits without breaking or losing its properties - having straightened it, it can be used again. Often, to prevent deformation, bronze blades had massive stiffening ribs. Long blades made of bronze were supposed to be especially prone to bending, so they were used quite rarely; the typical blade length of a bronze sword is no more than 60 centimeters. However, it is completely wrong to call short bronze swords exclusively piercing - modern experiments, on the contrary, have shown a very high cutting ability of this weapon; its relatively short length limited only the combat distance.

Bronze sword

Since the main technology for processing bronze was casting, it was relatively easy to make a more effective, complexly curved blade from it, so bronze weapons of ancient civilizations often had a curved shape with a one-sided sharpening - this includes the ancient Egyptian khopesh, the ancient Greek mahaira and the kopis borrowed by the Greeks from the Persians. It is worth noting that, according to the modern classification, all of them belong to sabers or cutlasses, and not swords.

Kopis (modern replica)

The title of the oldest sword in the world today is claimed by a bronze sword, which was found by Russian archaeologist A.D. Rezepkin in the Republic of Adygea, in a stone tomb of the Novosvobodnaya archaeological culture. This sword is currently on display in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. This bronze proto-sword (total length 63 cm, hilt length 11 cm) dates back to the second third of the 4th millennium BC. e. It should be noted that by modern standards this is more of a dagger than a sword, although the shape of the weapon suggests that it was quite suitable for slashing. In the megalithic burial, the bronze proto-sword was symbolically bent.

Bent Bronze Sword

Before this discovery, the most ancient swords were considered to be those found by the Italian archaeologist Palmieri, who discovered a treasure with weapons in the upper reaches of the Tigris in the ancient palace of Arslantepe: spearheads and several swords (or long daggers) from 46 to 62 cm long. Palmieri’s finds date back to the end of the 4th millennium.

The next major find is swords from Arslantepe (Malatya). From Anatolia, swords gradually spread to both the Middle East and Europe.

A sword from the site of Bet Dagan near Jaffa, dating back to 2400-2000 BC. e., had a length of about 1 meter and was made of almost pure copper with a small admixture of arsenic.

Copper sword from Bet Dagan, ca. 2400-2000 BC e. Kept in the collection of the British Museum

Also very long bronze swords dating back to around 1700 BC. e., were discovered in the area of ​​the Minoan civilization - the so-called “type A” swords, which had a total length of about 1 meter and even more. These were predominantly stabbing swords with a tapering blade, apparently designed to hit a well-armored target.

Modern reconstructions various types Mycenaean swords, including (the two upper ones) - the so-called. type A.

Very ancient swords were found during excavations of monuments of the Harrapan (Indus) civilization, with dating according to some data up to 2300 BC. e. In the area of ​​the ocher painted pottery culture, many swords dating back to 1700-1400 were found. BC e.

Sword, bronze, 62 cm, 1300-1100 BC. Central Europe

Bronze swords have been known in China since at least the Shang period, with the earliest finds dating back to around 1200 BC. uh..

Ancient Chinese bronze sword

Many Celtic bronze swords have been discovered in Great Britain.

Celtic bronze swords from National Museum Scotland.

Iron swords have been known since at least the 8th century BC. e, and began to be actively used from the 6th century BC. e. Although soft, non-hardening iron did not have any special advantages over bronze, weapons made from it quickly became cheaper and more accessible than bronze - iron is found in nature much more often than copper, and tin, necessary for obtaining bronze, is found in ancient world In general, it was mined in only a few places. Polybius mentions that Gallic iron swords of the 3rd century BC. e. often bent in battle, forcing owners to straighten them. Some researchers believe that the Greeks simply misinterpreted the Gallic custom of bending sacrificial swords, but the very ability to bend without breaking is distinctive feature namely iron swords (made of low-carbon steel that cannot be hardened) - a sword made of hardened steel can only be broken, not bent.

Ancient iron sword

In China, steel swords, significantly superior in quality to both bronze and iron, appeared already at the end of the Western Zhou period, although they did not become widespread until the Qin or even Han era, that is, the end of the 3rd century BC. e.

Chinese Tao sword from the late Qing Dynasty.

Around the same time, the inhabitants of India began to use weapons made of steel, including those similar to welded Damascus. According to the periplus of the Erythraean Sea, in the 1st century AD. e. Indian steel blades arrived in Greece.

An Etruscan sword from the 7th century found in Vetulonia. BC e. was obtained by connecting several parts with different carbon contents: the inner part of the blade was made of steel with a carbon content of about 0.25%, the blade was made of iron with a carbon content of less than 1%. Another Romano-Etruscan sword of the 4th century BC. e. has a carbon content of up to 0.4%, which implies the use of carburization in its production. Nevertheless, both swords were of low quality metal, with a large number of impurities.

Etruscan swords

The widespread transition to blades made of hardened carbon steel was very delayed - for example, in Europe it ended only around the 10th century AD. e. In Africa, iron swords (mambele) were used back in the 19th century (although it is worth noting that iron processing in Africa began very early, and with the exception of the Mediterranean coast, Egypt and Nubia, Africa “jumped” the Bronze Age, immediately switching to iron processing).

The following types of piercing-cutting swords received the greatest fame in classical antiquity:

Xiphos (modern replica)

An ancient Greek sword with a total length of no more than 70 cm, the blade is pointed, leaf-shaped, less often straight;

The general name for all swords among the Romans, today is usually associated with the specific short sword of the legionnaire;

Scythian sword - from VII BC. e.;

Meotian sword - from the 5th to the 2nd century. BC e.

Later, the Celts and Sarmatians began to use cutting swords. The Sarmatians used swords in equestrian combat, their length reached 110 cm. The crosshair of the Sarmatian sword is quite narrow (only 2-3 cm wider than the blade), the handle is long (from 15 cm), the pommel is in the shape of a ring.

Sarmatian swords

Spata, which is of Celtic origin, was used by both foot soldiers and horsemen. The total length of the spatha reached 90 cm, there was no crosspiece, and the pommel was massive and spherical. Initially, the spat had no tip.

Modern reconstruction of a cavalry spatha of the 2nd century AD. e.

In the last century of the Roman Empire, spathas became the standard weapon of legionnaires - both cavalry and (a shorter version, sometimes called "semispatha" - English semispatha) infantrymen. The latter option is considered transitional from the swords of antiquity to the weapons of the Middle Ages.

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I was about to finish the topic of the Trojan War, but active VO users pointed out a number of circumstances that simply oblige me to continue this topic. Firstly, with a fairly complete presentation of factual material based on archaeological finds, the “people” wanted to know about the tactics of use and especially the effectiveness of certain types of weapons of the Mycenaean era. It is clear that a science such as historiography cannot directly answer this question, but answers only through the works of some authoritative authors. Secondly, controversy arose regarding the actual technology of bronze. It seemed to someone that the bronze rapier was as heavy as a five-liter container of water, someone argued that bronze could not be forged, in a word, and here the opinion of experts in this field was needed. Still others were interested in shields, their design, ability to resist blows from bronze weapons, and weight.

That is, it was necessary to turn to the opinion of reenactors, moreover, authoritative people, “with experience”, who could confirm something from experience and refute something. My friends who found bronze figures were not suitable in this case: they are artists, not technologists, and do not know the specifics of working with metal, and besides, they hardly work with weapons. And I needed people who had access to famous museums and their collections, who worked on their artifacts, and made remakes to order. The quality of their work (and reviews of it) had to be appropriate - that is, the opinion of “armchair historians” regarding their products had to be high.

After much searching, I managed to find three specialists in this field. Two in England and one in the USA and obtain permission from them to use their text and photographic materials. But now regulars of VO and simply its visitors have a unique opportunity to see their work, get acquainted with the technologies and their own comments on this interesting topic.

I'll start by giving the floor to Neil Burridge, a Briton who has been working with bronze weapons for 12 years. He considers it his worst insult when “experts” come to his workshop and say that they would make exactly the same sword on a CNC machine in half the time and, accordingly, for half the cost.

“But it would be a completely different sword!”

– Neil answers them, but he doesn’t always convince. Well, they are stubborn ignoramuses and ignoramuses in England too, and nothing can be done about it. Well, seriously, he shares the opinion of the English historian of the 19th century. Richard Burton, what

“The history of the sword is the history of mankind.”

And it was precisely bronze swords and daggers that created this story, becoming the basis, yes, exactly the basis of our modern civilization, based on the use of metals and machines!

Analysis of the finds shows that the most ancient “rapiers” of the 17th and 16th centuries. BC. were also the most difficult if we consider the profile of the blade. They have a lot of ribs and grooves. Later blades are much simpler. And this weapon is piercing, since the blades had a wooden handle connected to the blade with rivets. Later, the handle began to be cast together with the blade, but very often, according to tradition, the convex heads of the rivets on the guard were preserved, and the guard itself was the holder of the blade!

Swords were cast in stone or ceramic molds. Stone ones were more difficult, and in addition, the sides of the blade were slightly different from each other. Ceramic ones could be detachable, or they could be solid, that is, they work using the “lost shape” technology. The base for the mold could be made of wax - two completely identical halves cast in plaster!

The copper (and the Homeric Greeks did not distinguish between bronze, for them it was also copper!) alloy used in later swords (there was nothing in the early ones!), consisted of approximately 8-9% tin and 1-3% lead. It was added to improve the fluidity of bronze for complex castings. 12% tin in bronze is the limit - the metal will be very brittle!

As for the general direction of the evolution of the sword, it definitely moved in the direction from a piercing rapier sword to a chopping leaf-shaped sword with a hilt that is a continuation of the blade! It is important to note that metallographic analysis shows: the cutting edge of the blade of bronze swords was always forged to increase its strength! The sword itself was cast, but the cutting edges were always forged! Although it was clearly not easy to do this without damaging the numerous ribs on the blade! (Those who wrote about this in the comments - rejoice! This is exactly what happened!) Therefore, the sword was both flexible and rigid at the same time! Tests have shown that such a leaf-shaped sword with one blow is capable of cutting a five-liter plastic container of water in half with an oblique blow!

What does a sword look like when it comes out of the mold? Badly! This is how it is shown in our photo and it takes a lot of time and effort to turn it into a product pleasing to the eye!

Having removed the flash, we proceed to grinding, which is now performed using an abrasive, but in those distant times it was performed with quartz sand. But before polishing the blade, remember that at least 3 mm of its cutting edge must be well forged! It should be noted that only some swords of that time were absolutely symmetrical. Apparently, symmetry did not play a big role in the eyes of the gunsmiths of that time!

Author's note: It's amazing how our lives zigzag! In 1972, during my first year at the pedagogical institute, I became interested in Mycenaean Greece and Egypt. I bought two gorgeous albums with photographs of artifacts and decided... to make myself a bronze dagger modeled on an Egyptian one. I cut it out of a bronze sheet 3 mm thick, and then, like a convict, I filed the blade until I got a leaf-shaped profile. The handle was made from... “Egyptian mastic”, mixing cement with red nitro varnish. I processed everything, polished it and immediately noticed that you should not touch the blade with your hands! And then I saw that the Egyptians had “mastic” of blue color(they considered red to be barbaric!) and I immediately stopped liking the dagger, despite the abyss of labor. I remember I gave it to someone, so, most likely, someone still has it in Penza. Then I made a bronze mirror for my future wife, and she really liked it. But I had to clean it very often. And now, after so many years, I am again turning to this same topic and writing about it... Amazing!

It is clear that Neil tried to reproduce, if not the entire typology of Sandars swords, then at least the most impressive examples from it.