Milloin miekkataistelut on keksitty?
The sword in ancient Egypt was known by several names, but most are variations of the words "sfet", "seft" or "nakhtui". The earliest bronze swords in the country date back 4000 years. Four types of sword are known to have been used: the "ma" or boomerang-sword based on the hunting stick, the "kat" or knife-sword, the "khopesh" or falchion based on the sickle, and a fourth form of straight longsword. The "khopesh" was used region-wide and is depicted as early as the Sixth Dynasty (3000 BC). It was thick-backed and weighted with bronze, sometimes even with gold hilts in the case of pharaohs. The blade may be edged on one or both sides, and was made from copper alloy, bronze, iron, or blue steel. The double-edge grip-tongue sword is believed to have been introduced by the Sherden and became widely dispersed throughout the Near East. These swords are of various lengths, and were paired with shields. They had a leaf-shaped blade, and a handle which hollows away at the centre and thickens at each end. Middle Eastern swords became dominant throughout North Africa after the introduction of Islam, after which point swordsmanship in the region becomes that of Arabian or Middle Eastern fencing.
back 4000 years