We all know what a battle-axes.There's no special secret, because this tool is widely used today.Let and is not fighting, and domestic purposes.And yet battle-axes represent a reservoir of stories knives.They are used on all continents and in many different cultures and eras.Modern archaeologists and historians known battle-axes, and a variety of bizarre shapes: small and large, projecting and intended for the next fight, with clever additional devices and heavy broad-bladed.Of course, this shock-slashing melee weapon worthy of interest to him.
Axes Stone Age
product is likely to be used in similar ways existed since the dawn of human civilization.The first archaeological finds of stone tools with cutting-edge and chopping handle dated to the 6th millennium BC.They were used then, of course, is very versatile: for cutting trees for the construction of dwellings, and for combat purposes.The blade of the first stone axes were first roughly and then more and more elaborately polished.
battle ax ancient
emergence of technologies of extraction and processing of metal led to significant changes in the material culture of mankind.This was reflected in all spheres of human activity, but the military has found a special form of matter.After all, when there was the first real cold steel.The oldest metal
battle axes made of bronze - are found during the excavations of Mesopotamia and Babylonia, in ancient Egypt, and later in the Scythian steppes and Celtic Europe.
However, such weapons for antiquity was rather expensive and not as common as it might seem to the modern man in the street.They were rather a tool for commanders, and later became applicable infantrymen.Even then, the axes found considerable variation in their forms.For example, in ancient Greece it was a popular heavy double ax - Labrys.His image can often be seen on the copies of paintings of ancient Greek amphorae.At the same time, among the nomadic peoples of the steppe, such as the Scythians or Sarmatians, widespread small battle axes, which were armed horsemen.
Cold Steel Medieval
At that time edged weapon reaches its zenith and sophistication in its design.So, at the beginning of the era among many Germanic tribes became popular small throwing tool that was even shorter than the hand of a warrior - Francis.Battle Axe of the Slavs in the early Middle Ages, too, was a little more often, but the distribution of plate armor leads to its weighting.Any compatriot at least once seen in a museum one of the branches of the evolution of this washed-weapon of war - poleaxes.By the way, this evolution contributed to the contacts with the Scandinavians and popular Viking battle-ax - ax.Western European Glaive and halberds - is also a result of the development of these weapons.But at the same time a serious competitor axes make swords.However, most ergonomic First, their versatility, a large force of impact in the melee, effective against armor and a low price has led to the fact that they have not been superseded by the second.Although the sword was the weapon really elite, as well as a symbol of aristocracy, axes until the end of the Middle Ages were popular among ordinary soldiers.
