Warfare and human history have always been linked. Many means of advancement have come through warfare. Different cultures have differing viewpoints on several topics and differing values. They have evolved in different ways and these different cultural aspects have made their ways into the weapons and armor of different cultures. Each weapon and armor piece gives insight into the cultures which created them.
Weapons and armor might be used in battle but they are not just instruments of war. They also give insights into the cultures which created them. Every culture is wonderful and unique. My goal for this project is to give insights into different cultures through the aspects of their weapons and armor. These are just a few examples of some well-known cultures and their weaponry, but by no means does this represent every culture.
Weapons and armor have changed very much throughout the ages. There are sword fighting documents and manuals which still survive to this day and can be found online. Armor always evolved to protect against the weapons dominant at that time and place, and in the Middle Ages armor reached its very peak in Europe. An example is how people wore armor because you can’t cut through armor, so their enemies developed blunt weapons to dent their armor instead.
A key part of cultural evolution and human history are weapons and armor. Weapons are not only for warfare. Weapons are primarily used to overtake a person, animal, or group. In order for the group to survive they need to adapt. In that process innovation, learning, and cultural changes take place. The raw materials used to make weapons and armor is dictated by the materials that are available in a specific region or during a particular period in history. Different modifications are made to weapons in order to accommodate for the terrain of a region or the opponents tactics. Understanding weapons through the ages gives one a better understanding of a culture as well as the environmental and economic circumstances which led to the development of such civilizations. They offer a glimpse into those periods as well as those cultures.
Credits
Gage Peters