Project Number: JLS-0053 THE GLOBAL HISTORY OF THE SWORD An Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by Christopher A. Bass Jessica L. Copp Stacy Haponik Meghan E. Labounty Brett M. Levasseur Date: April 18, 2007 1. History 2. Swords Professor Jeffrey L. Forgeng, Major Advisor 3. Museum virtual exhibit Abstract This project created a website with updated information and photographs of selected swords from the Higgins Armory Museum, along with a database of the museum’s sword collection and background information on the swords and their context. The project also created an extensive background research document on the regions, history, and technology behind the swords in the Higgins collection. Finally, a searchable bibliography was created so that any subsequent groups will have an easier, more effective tool for finding relevant books. 1 Table of Contents I. Introduction 7 II. The First Swords 15 1. History of Greece and Rome 15 2. Ancient Swords 20 3. Medieval Europe 27 4. Medieval Swords up to 1300 CE 31 5. Medieval Swords from 1300-1500 CE 37 6. Manufacture of the Medieval Sword 42 III. Swords from Early Modern Europe 1500-1800 47 1. Rapiers 47 2. Smallswords 53 3. Military Swords 56 4. Hunting Swords 64 5. Sword Manufacture 66 IV. Modern European and American Swords 69 1. European and American History 69 2. Infantry Swords 76 3. Dress, Ceremonial, and Hunting swords 83 4. Materials, Production, and Reproduction 92 V. Islamic Swords 96 1. Origins of the Islamic States 96 Turco-Mongol Empire 97 Ottoman Empire 97 Safawid Empire 98 Mughal 99 2. General Information on Islamic Swords 100 Shamshir 101 Yataghan 102 Zulfiqar 103 3. Decoration 103 VII. Swords of South Asia 105 1. Indus Valley Civilizations 105 Vedic civilizations 105 Class System 106 Later Invasions 106 Mughal Empire 107 British Rule 107 2 2. Philosophies 108 Hinduism 108 Vedas 108 Buddhism 109 The Four Noble Truths 109 The Eight Fold Path 110 Decline of Buddhism in India 110 Jainism 110 Islam 111 Sikhism 111 3. The Five K’s 112 4. General Information on Indian Subcontinent 112 5. Types of Swords 113 Straight Blades Khanda 113 Pata 114 Dao 115 Curved Blades Talwar 116 Kora 117 Kastane 117 VI. Africa 118 1. Ironwork 118 2. Eastern Africa 119 3. Western Africa 119 Ghana 120 Mali 120 4. Central and Southern Africa 121 Karanga 121 Kongo 121 5. Slave Trade 121 End of Slave Trade 122 6. European Colonialism 122 7. Swords of Africa 123 The Smith 123 Materials 124 Steel 124 Smelting 124 Shape 125 Decoration 125 Purposes 126 8. European Influence 126 3 VIII. Chinese Swords 127 1. Chinese History 127 2. Chinese Swords 132 IX. Japanese Swords 137 1. Japanese History 137 2. Japanese Swords 139 X. Southeast Asian Swords 146 1. Southeast Asian History 146 2. Southeast Asian Swords 149 2.1 Panabas 149 2.2 Talibon 150 2.3. Kampilan 150 XI. Conclusion 152 Appendix A: Manufacturing 157 1. Bronze 157 2. Iron and Steel 158 3. Japanese Swords 163 4. Decoration 164 Appendix B: Web Documents 167 I. Ancient and Medieval Europe 167 1. Greece 167 2. Medieval Europe 168 II. Ancient and Medieval Artifacts 170 1. HAM 238.10 170 2. HAM 1199 172 3. HAM 238.98 and HAM 2036.1 173 III. Swords from Early Modern Europe 1500-1800 178 1. HAM 114 Hunting Hangar 178 2. HAM 265.a Hangar 180 3. HAM 639 Smallsword 182 4. HAM 1802.1 Cup Hilt Rapier 185 IV. Modern America and Europe 188 1. Fantasy Sword of the early 1900’s (HAM 1) 188 2. A comparison of three similar sabers (HAMs 315, 1852.a, and 3576.a) 189 3. Beginnings of the Mameluke pattern (HAM 3459.a) 191 4. An introduction to modern reproductions 192 5. The evolution of the cavalry sword's shape 193 6. European and American History, 1800s 195 European History, 1800s 195 American History, 1800s 186 V. Africa 198 4 1. Regions 198 Eastern Africa 198 Western Africa 198 Central and Southern Africa 199 Karanga 199 Kongo 199 2. European Influence and Slavery 199 Slave Trade 199 End of Slave Trade 200 European Colonialism 200 3. Swords 201 The Smith 201 Materials 201 Steel 202 Smelting 202 Shape 202 Decoration 202 Purposes 203 European Influence 203 VI. India 204 1. Indus Valley Civilizations 204 Vedic Civilization 204 Later Invasions 205 Mughal Empire 205 British Rule 206 2. Philosophies 206 Hinduism 206 The Vedas 207 Buddhism 207 The Four Noble Truths 208 The Eightfold Path 208 Decline of Buddhism in India 208 Jainism 209 Islam 209 Sikhism 210 Five K’s 210 3. South Asian Swords 210 Types of Swords 211 5 Straight Blades 211 Khanda 211 Pata 212 Dao 213 Curved Blades 214 Talwar 214 Kora 214 Kastane 215 VII. Islam 216 1. Types Swords 216 1.1 Shamshir 216 1.2 Yataghan 217 1.3 Zulfiqar 217 1.4 Decoration 217 2. Islamic Background 218 Turco-Mongol Empire 219 Ottoman Empire 219 Safawid Empire 220 Mughal 221 VIII. China 222 1. Chinese History 222 2. Jian 223 IX. Japan 227 1. Japanese History 227 2. Manufacturing 228 3. Katana and Wakizashi 230 X. Southeast Asia 234 1. Southeast Asian History 234 2. Kampilan and Talibon 236 Appendix C: Screen Shots of Website 240 Appendix D: Technical Documentation of Website 244 Appendix E: Bibliography 247 1. Ancient and Medieval Europe 247 2. Early Modern Europe 1500-1800 249 3. Modern Europe and America (1800-present) 251 4. India 253 5. Islam 253 6. Africa 254 7. Southeast Asia, China and Japan 254 Appendix F: Project Proposal 257 1. Introduction 257 2. Project Timeline 262 6 3. Final Project Ideas 267 Appendix G: About the Authors 268 I. Introduction (Meghan Labounty) The Higgins Armory Museum of Worcester Massachusetts contains one of the best collections of weapons and armor in the United States. The museum has artifacts from all over the world going back to some of man’s earliest attempts of constructing the tools of hunting and war. For this project we researched the history of the sword, focusing our studies toward Europe, Africa, and Asia, and covering from the ancient world to the modern era. Our project focuses on how different people in different time periods made swords, designed them, and used them. For the final project we created a website containing descriptions and photographs of selected museum artifacts. Within each of our individual areas we chose a dozen swords that we wanted to have a closer look at and further document. From that dozen we then chose four that we wanted to discuss in depth on the website. Each of the artifact pages are listed by region and time period. A brief history of the type of sword and a specific description are given and are embellished with detailed photographs of the different sword parts. The website is intended for high school and college students who wish to learn more about the artifacts contained in Higgins Armory Museum. The background contained within the site is enough to provide a great starting point for anybody looking to research swords more heavily. 7 As well as the website we also wrote a final project report containing explicit information on the various regions and a more diverse background to the artifacts. Within the final report, a general history of an area is given along with research on the types of swords produced and manufactured during that period. The material within the report is more comprehensive than the website and is good for further learning about individual sword types. Global regions During the years before the Common Era many of the sword designs used in Western Eurasia followed an original Greek style. During this period, change is found in the types of metals used to make the sword. Also, the sword was not the primary combat weapon, taking second place to the spear. During the Medieval period we find much more diversity in sword designs and manufacture, each designed to fit a particular need. The swords of this period took on a greater role in combat, symbolism, and prestige. During the early modern era, from 1500 to 1800, sword design became more universalized and consistent throughout Europe. With swords no longer varying by region, the most important aspect of the evolution of the sword became the types of common swords and their role in society. The two most common swords of the time period were the rapier and the smallsword. Not only were swords used in military contexts, but particular sword types evolved from combat weapons to symbols of status. In recent centuries, advances in ranged combat and shifts in tactics have lessened the effectiveness of swords in the hands of infantry. However, cavalry wielding backswords and slashing swords were still useful against the slow-loading firearms of the 19th century. In this 8 period, military sabers, as well as various reproduction, ceremonial, and hunting swords are prevalent. The Middle East and Northern Africa developed their own styles of sword, distinct from those of Europe. These styles featured a mixture of curved blades and straight blades. The style of the Islamic blades influenced those of Southern Asia and Africa. South Asian blades exhibit some unique features. Some, called pata, are a combination of sword and armor. Others are broader at the tip than at the base, lending them an axe-like appearance. Still others show clear signs of Islamic influence, in their style and ornamentation.