How did African metal working of swords compare to other ancient cultures? What were they lacking in?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “african wrist knife“
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How did African metal working of swords compare to other ancient cultures? What were they lacking in?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “african wrist knife“
About Kathe96
Sub-Saharan Africans did not use swords that I am aware of. The usual weapon was a spear with ox- or animal-hide shield.
Blood and Leather—re-creating the Maasai war shield
Most fights were by champions, much like that described in the Iliad and were rarely fatal. The spears were intended for hunting rather than battle.
Freddie Flintoff Fighting Maasai with a Spear
The Zulu of the early 19th century modified the spear by shortening the shaft and enlarged the blade to make it suitable for use in formation. This style bore more resemblance to the Roman legion than the Greek phalanx.
Technologically the process of manufacture was similar to the northern European use of bog iron. Because of the style of fighting, there was little need to develop spring steel metallurgy.
Iron metallurgy in Africa – Wikipedia
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Good question, tangentially I have a massai seme or ol alam sword and was trying to find out if the tribe traditionally made their own or if they traded for an imported them, because mine appears to have a worn off manufacturer stamp that I can’t quite read but it’s clearly a modern manufacturer stamp
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