Blade from Battle-Axe
Description
Object Label: Weapons As early as the Predynastic Period, Egyptian foot soldiers relied on fearsome battle-axes and sharp daggers to crush their opponents in hand-to-hand combat, and employed the bow and arrow from a distance. Originally there was no difference in design between the battle-axe and the woodworker’s axe; both featured a semicircular blade tied to a wooden handle by cords. In the Middle Kingdom, toolsmiths developed a more effective weapon that had a long blade with convex sides narrowing to a curved edge. Most daggers, which resembled short swords, had double-edged blades riveted to ivory or bone handles and reinforced by a vertical rib. The bow and arrow remained an Egyptian’s most effective weapon. (Unfortunately, the Brooklyn Museum does not have a complete example.) Archers shot from a stationary position or from the cab of a moving chariot as a skilled driver spurred on the horses. Reconstruction Caption: Blade from Battle-Axe, ca. 1353–1329 B.C.. Bronze, 4 1/4 x 5 1/16 in. (10.8 x 12.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society, 27.957. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06
Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
An ancient Egyptian axe head with a simple, utilitarian design.
The artifact is a metallic axe head, characterized by a basic and functional shape. The surface shows signs of wear and oxidation, suggesting it has been used extensively or has aged considerably. The form is slightly asymmetrical, with a flat blade designed for cutting. Notably, there are no inscriptions or decorative elements visible on the artifact. The craftsmanship indicates practical use rather than ceremonial.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 27.957 tier-2
- BKM-Object 3302 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.