11. The Khopesh was crafted to be both a bludgeon and a cutting weapon, used to beat and slash Egypt’s enemies to death
It’s believed that the Egyptians started arming themselves with swords more than 4,500 years ago, preferring their flexibility to more cumbersome axes. Certainly, the khopesh was relatively lightweight and easy to handle. At around just 60cm long, the curved blade was only sharpened on the outside and would have been used to cut and slash at an enemy. At the same time, the dull side of the blade would have been an effective bludgeon, while the hooked shape would have allowed a soldier to disarm his opponent and then attack him in a single move.
Very little is known about why, in around 1,300BC, the khopesh started going out of fashion. Most likely changing military tactics meant that straight blades became more effective. But even if it was replaced as the main weapon of choice among Egypt’s soldiers, it remained an important ceremonial weapon for several more centuries. Tutankhamun wasn’t the only pharaoh to be buried with his khopesh by his side (in fact, the boy king had two of the weapons in his tomb), plus this type of sword continued to be depicted in hieroglyphics up until 2000BC and even mentioned on the Rosetta Stone.