Omani men carried personal weapons until relatively recently. Swords and daggers were part of daily life attire and are still worn in social events. This book describes all the main types of Omani edged weapons, their origin, structure and accessories, with supporting illustrations and references to examples from museums and private collections.

Omani men carried personal weapons until relatively recent years. Swords and daggers were part of daily life attire and are still worn in social events. Thanks to its political independence, Oman developed unique types of weaponry like the saifsword, which descends from the swords used in the early Islamic period, and the kattarasword that was influenced by the swordsmanship tradition of East Africa. A central role is played by the curved dagger that, common throughout the region, has a special declination in the Omani khanjar. Traditional Omani weaponry includes also the characteristic round terrs shields and the small jertzand qaddumaxes, used in the Musandam Peninsula and in the Wahiba sands. This book describes all these main types of Omani edged weapons, their origin, structure and accessories, with the support of a large amount of illustrations and constant reference to specimens from museums and private collections in Oman. The book includes also a long and detailed appendix about one of the most exciting discoveries by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the so-called Desert Lord of Sinaw, buried almost two thousand years ago with a long iron sword and two iron daggers.

Few accounts of ancient warfare have looked at how the weapons were made and how they were actually used in combat. Logan Thompson's pioneering survey traces the evolution of weapons in Britain across 3000 years, from the Bronze Age to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Insights gained from painstaking practical research and technical analysis shed new light on the materials used, the processes of manufacture, the development of the weapons and their effectiveness. His account features new information about the weapons themselves, their origin and design, and it offers a fascinating new perspective on the practice of early warfare.

"Knives, swords and bayonets are the world's longest serving arms and some of the most important in history. Originally a simple stone tool, once metals such as iron and bronze became regularly worked, edged weapons appear in the archaeological record. [This book] discusses in detail the long history of these arms, from primitively produced knives and machetes to the exquisite metalwork of Japanese swords. Throughout, the author discusses how these weapons were wielded and their strengths and weaknesses. The book covers all regions of the world and all time periods, from the swords of ancient Egypt and medieval Islamic states to the knives of Africa and today's special forces"--P. [2] of jacket.

DIVEloquent, erudite history of the sword from prehistory to early Roman Empire. Evolution and development of early swords, variations — sabre, broadsword, cutlass, scimitar, much more. /div

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.