1313N Archer’s Sword

Tower of London Collection, England

English Archers were some of the deadliest warriors of the Middle Ages, and their fearsome weapon – the English longbow – was a marvel of engineering. It enabled the English armies to strike devastating blows at great range at very little risk to themselves. Used with great effectiveness since the early 12th century, the longbow helped establish English dominance in many battles that followed.

However, as they were only truly effective at a distance, if the archers were attacked they would need a close range weapon to defend themselves with. This weapon would later be referred to as an Archer’s Sword.