Ancient Wooden Weapons: When Were They Used And How Strong They Were?

When we look back at history we can see that some of the earliest weapons were made up of wood.

The primary reason why the early humans decided to make weapons out of wood is pretty obvious; it was easy to find and relatively easy to shape and carry than weapons made up of other materials.

With the advent of time, during the Bronze Age, there were weapons made out of stone and metal but these could be made only by expert blacksmiths.

Since the prehistoric ages, humans have been in search of better and better weaponry in order to gain power over their enemy.

In the past, there have been some iconic battles and kingdoms which have played a key role in the evolution of humans. These wars were won and lost often based on the quality of tools the army used, the kind of weapon they possessed.

Over the years, various archeological teams have unearthed some of the most unique kinds of swords and daggers which also help us understand how the evolution of these weapons took place.

Wood was the first material that was used to make weapons, and it was carved in a way that it could be used as a weapon against the enemy. Although in the long run, the wood had its drawback of not being as strong as metal, it was still one of the most efficient weapons.

Knives, bows and arrows, spears were some of the primitive weapons.

What is the oldest weapon?

In 1995, archeological surveys unearthed certain wooden weapons which were later found to be the oldest ones ever found. It was later understood that these wooden weapons date back to the Ice Age and were potentially used by Homo heidelbergensis, a human species that is now extinct.

Scientists had found wooden spears, four of them in Germany.

Each spear measured roughly around 25 in (64.5 cm) except for one which was a bit shorter and is believed to have a different purpose.

Upon study, scientists found out that owing to the lightweight and tapered ends of the spears, they were capable of killing small animals including ducks, rabbits, and swans. Interestingly, the three of these spears had a reasonable length and due to their lightweight, they could easily fly in the air and strike their prey accurately.

On the other hand, the fourth spear was significantly shorter and unlike the other three, had tapered points on both its ends, signaling that it was either a throwing stick or a thrusting spear.

Moreover, at the same excavation site, archeologists had discovered a horse pelvis that had a spear sticking out of it, signifying that the weapon was capable of piercing through the flesh of the animal if used correctly.

Traditional Wooden Weapons

There are a wide variety of wooden weapons which were used by our forefathers to practice hunting small animals, and at the same time, fight any large ones.

Using wood as a material for weapons was pretty good but the only major drawback was the fact that it lost its sharpness easily due to which eventually people used metal blades in swords and daggers but continued using wood for the rest of the part of the weapon.

Let us take a look at some of the traditional wooden weapons that warriors used back in the day.

The spear is arguably the oldest kind of weapon and is regarded as an advanced form of a wooden stick. As time passes, spears then consisted of steel heads and the rest of its body was wooden.

The weapon was largely used by cavalry in the initial stages of a war.

On the other hand, in countries like Indonesia, the spear was used to hunt animals, and at the same time, it protects the person from any unforeseeable danger.

The bow and arrow was the other weapon that was widely used in the early days and was the first weapon that could be used from a great range. The bow was made up of elastic and lightweight wood which allowed it to be stretched when pulled by the archer.

Both the ends of the bow have strings that are interconnected, the archer then uses an arrow which can be described as a long shaft-like projectile that eventually hits the target.

Sometime after the invention of bow and arrow, the concept of fire arrows was invented where the arrows were put on fire before firing which increased the damage inflicted.

In fact, the Chinese made bows only of bamboo, whereas others used different kinds of semi-flexible wood.

Wooden Training Weapons

Many people in the world look to practice their skills as swordsmen or as martial artists, and several other forms but using swords or blades made of steel is dangerous. In order to ensure a safe practice session, there are arms that are made up of wood and wouldn't inflict any serious damage.

The wooden sword used as training weapons is usually made up of bamboo or white oak or red oak or some other kind of hardwood.

There are various stores that can provide with you different kinds of knives, daggers, swords including the likes of a wooden dagger, wooden pirate sword, wooden two-handed swords, wooden Excalibur replicas, and many other types as well.

Deadliest Ancient Weapons

Over the years, humans have invented some of the deadliest weapons this planet has ever witnessed. It was the hunger for power that has driven humans to develop a weapon that can drive through one's armor and shield.

Let us take a look at some of the weapons which warriors used in the past and are now regarded as the deadliest ever.

Zhua, an ancient Chinese weapon is perhaps one of the most unique weapons ever owing to its design. The weapon looks like a long hand and it has a fairly long handle and a sharp claw-like object at the end to inflict harm.

It was largely used by the Chinese and was made up of iron.

Historians say that when properly used, Zhua had the capability to rip apart the shield of the enemy without a hiccup. Next up on the list is a weapon known as khopesh which was widely used by Ancient Egyptians.

A khopesh looked like a sickle sword and was usually made up of bronze, steel.

It wasn't the longest weapon out there as it had a length of around 20-24 in (50-60 cm) and weighed roughly 7 lb (3 kg). The weapon has a sharp blade in a crescent shape, which can both be used as a bludgeoning tool as well as a hook.

Haladie is a weapon pretty different from the ones you have ever come across, it is a three-in-one blade arm.

The weapon was believed to be widely used in the bygone ages in the areas of India and Syria. This double dagger weapon had a blade at its central circular handle which could be used as a tool to stab someone while hitting a punch.

The mace was one of the most widely used weapons in the early times, it was available in varying lengths and flanges.

Mace was undoubtedly one of the most direct use weapons as one could smash the shield of their enemy just by employing brute force along while using a mace. At times, people also used fist weapons, weapons that could be used just by employing one hand in order to carry out stealth attacks.

These weapons included brass knuckles and sharp claws.

Did you know, many of these wooden weapons were also carried on warships as per requirement? The Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad and HMS Victoria are recognized as the wooden warships to have had the most weapons ever.