The most unusual weapons of antiquity (10 photos)

Ever since the ancestor of primitive man picked up a stick and began to bludgeon his unarmed fellow tribesmen with it, the arms race began. It should be noted that we have really succeeded in this. Humanity has come a long way in inventing means of destroying its own kind: from a primitive club to a hydrogen bomb.

And if today you can, like in a computer game, press a button while being in one hemisphere of the planet, and nuclear mushrooms will grow on the other, then in ancient times a person was deprived of these “joys” of modern civilization. They had to sort things out in open battle - face to face with their enemy. Imagine a crowd-on-crowd fight: blood, meat, people like animals and nowhere to rest from furious attacks - no trench for you, no armored vehicles to hide behind. Your only defense is the shield in your hand, but the enemy is cunning and uses unusual weapons to defeat you...

Zhua

The Zhua's iron "hand" had claws at the ends, which easily tore pieces of flesh from the body. The sheer weight of the zhua was enough to kill an enemy, but with its claws it was a truly deadly weapon. If the zhua was used by an experienced warrior, he could pull soldiers off their horses. But the main goal of the Zhua was to snatch shields from the hands of opponents, leaving them defenseless against the deadly claws. One of the most unusual ancient Chinese devices for effective killing in battle.

Qatar

This Indian weapon gave its owner wolverine claws; the blade lacked only the strength and cutting ability of adamant. At first glance, the katar is a single blade, but when the lever on the handle is pressed, this blade splits into three - one in the middle and two on the sides. Three blades not only make the weapon effective, but also intimidate the enemy. The shape of the handle makes it easy to block blows. But it is also important that the triple blade can cut through any Asian armor.

Hive

Another Chinese invention, the so-called swarm of bees, or flying fire, was actually a wooden container filled with tubes in the shape of a hexagon, which, when viewed from the front, resembled a honeycomb. Inside each tube was an arrow. Up to 32 arrows could be fired at the same time. The Chinese fired thousands of such swarms at once, which led to massive losses on the part of the enemy

Chu Ko Nu

Another Chinese weapon, it can be called the progenitor of the automatic rifle. The wooden section of the crossbow held 10 arrows, which were reloaded when the triangular arm was pulled back after firing. The last time Chu Ko Nu was seen was in the Sino-Japanese Wars of 1894-1895, after the advent of firearms. On average, the crossbow fired 10 arrows in 15 seconds. Compared to the reload speed of conventional bows and crossbows, this was a great achievement. For greater damage, the tips of the arrows were smeared with poison from the aconite flower.

Chakram

You definitely won't be able to play Frisbee with this one. It was usually thrown vertically rather than horizontally. This deadly metal circle was up to 30 cm in diameter. Its very sharp edges could easily cut off an arm or leg. This weapon originated in India, where it was used by influential Sikhs. One of the ways to throw chakram was to unwind the ring on the index finger, and then with a sharp movement of the wrist throw the weapon at the enemy.

Skissor

This strange-looking weapon was used in gladiatorial battles in the Roman Empire. The metal cavity at the base of the scissor covered the gladiator's hand, which made it possible to easily block blows and also deliver his own. Scissor was made of solid steel and was 45 cm long. It was surprisingly light, which made it possible to strike quickly.

Macuahuitl

This is a heavy wooden club, lined with sharp obsidian spikes on both sides. Since the macuahuitl did not have a sharp end, it could not be used as a piercing weapon. However, the sharp thorns left very deep scratches on the enemy’s body. The wood from which the club was made is very hard, it could easily cut down an enemy, so the Aztecs could grab someone from the enemy tribe for their sacrifices. There were many stories about how a horse's head could be cut off with a macuahuitl, which was stronger than a human skull.

Kpinga

Kpinga is a throwing knife used by the experienced warriors of the Azanda tribe. They lived in Nubia, a region of Africa that includes northern Sudan and southern Egypt. This knife was up to 55.88 cm long and had 3 blades with a base in the center. The blade closest to the hilt was shaped like a man's genitals and represented the masculine power of its owner. The very design of the kpinga blades increased the chances of hitting the enemy as hard as possible upon contact. When the owner of the knife got married, he presented the kpinga as a gift to the family of his future wife.

Curved Swords

Such curved swords were worn by Shaolin monks in China. These beautiful blades were forged into a hook shape so that their owner could join them together and carry them as one solid blade. The guard, made in the shape of a crescent, perfectly blocked blows and literally cut through enemies. The hilt was sharpened to attack the enemy at close range. The length of such a sword was 121-188 cm. Such swords were used mainly by civilians, not by the army.

Jade Rod

Used by Maori tribes in New Zealand. This simple-looking thing was made of jade. For the Maori it was a sacred weapon. They named their jade wands and passed them on from generation to generation. Maori even believed that they contained their own mana (spiritual power). The rod was revered as one of the main symbols of leadership.