Collection
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Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Battle-Axe with Handle

ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.

1 of 5

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

Battle-Axe with Handle, ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.. Bronze, wood, animal hide, plant material, Blade: 3 15/16 × 5 5/16 × 3/8 in. (10 × 13.5 × 1 cm) Handle: 20 3/16 × 3 1/16 × 1 9/16 in. (51.3 × 7.8 × 4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.282Ea-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Battle-Axe with Handle

Date

ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.

Dynasty

Dynasty 18

Period

New Kingdom

Geography

Reportedly from: Thebes, Egypt

Medium

Bronze, wood, animal hide, plant material

Classification

Tool

Dimensions

Blade: 3 15/16 × 5 5/16 × 3/8 in. (10 × 13.5 × 1 cm) Handle: 20 3/16 × 3 1/16 × 1 9/16 in. (51.3 × 7.8 × 4 cm)

Credit Line

Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Accession Number

37.282Ea-b

Frequent Art Questions

  • Is there any scientific process to verify if weapons such as this have been used in battle?

    Sure! Both visual and microscopic analysis make it possible to identify wear or use marks on the surface of the blade which suggest its use.
    So how many people would you estimate this thing murdered?
    Unfortunately, there is no scientific process to begin to approximate the number of people that "came into contact" with this weapon.

  • Were there wars or battles taking place during this axe’s period?

    I'm sure there were! Some of the conflicts taking place in Egypt around this time include Seti's military campaigns in Asia, Libya, and Nubia and attacks from Libyans after the Bronze Age collapse and subsequent collapse of the New Kingdom.

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