Weapons General

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Humans have been using weapons made of wood, stone, bone, and antlers since the Paleolithic era. Initially, due to the materials used, piercing weapons like spears, knives, and arrows were the most common. Later, with advancements in metalworking techniques, slashing weapons such as daggers, axes, and swords began to be produced. Besides these two traditional types, we also know of striking, throwing, hand-held firearms, artillery, and positional weapons. In the medieval period, spears, halberds, and crossbows were common. In villages, agricultural tools were often used as weapons. From the 14th century, cannons using gunpowder (known in China much earlier) started to be used in Europe, and firearms began to spread gradually. Records of the use of hand-held firearms in Bohemia date back to the reign of Wenceslaus IV, with their use documented in 1398 during the siege of the archbishop’s court in Kyje near Prague.

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