Swords no.2 and 3 have diamond cross sections. Sword No.2 appears to be Type XV in the Oakeshott Typology and therefore would have been manufactured over a long period, c. 1300 to c. 1500. Sword No.3 matches Type XVIII and thus can be dated to c.1500. Weapons no. 7 to11 appear to be Pikes of various sorts. Pikes were extremely long spear-like weapons used by infantry against armored knights and calvary assaults. Early designs could be as 'short' as 10', later examples were up to 22' long. Arrayed in square phalanx formation, pikemen were a formidable force but were replaced in the mid 17th century by bayoneted firearms. Weapons no.14.15, and 16 are Battle Axes, no. 14 is a particularly impressive double bladed design. Weapons no 23.24, and 25 are a longbow and two quivers, one filled with arrows. Fabled in song, story and legend, the medieval long bow was indeed a formidable weapon. Made of yew (especially in England) or ash, the longbow could be six feet long with three foot arrows. To penetrate chain mail armor, arrowheads were massive and often had a chisel or 'bodkin' design. This arrow appears to have a large and lethal arrowhead. There are no surviving longbows prior to the 15th century. Draw forces were at least 36 kgf. Wood seasoning could take up to 2 years, manufacture of the bow itself an additional 2 years."The inner side of the bow stave consists of rounded heartwood and the outer of sapwood with a flat back. The heartwood resists compression and the outer sapwood performs better in tension. This combination forms a natural laminate similar in effect to the construction of a composite bow." The bow pictured in this print reveals a laminated appearance. Accuracy beyond 80 yards was minimal but then the longbow was the medieval equivalent of the machine gun. After thorough training of a year or more, an archer could release up to 12 arrows per minute. Large battles typically saw massed bowmen releasing a storm of arrows shot in a high arc so as to fall behind the lines of the enemy, there to terrify and wound dozens (hundreds) of foot soldiers, cavalry and their horses. The longbow only went into decline when early guns - black powder weapons - could be designed to superior accuracy standards and also reduced in size so they could be aimed and fired properly by one man. The training to use an early 'hand cannon' or gonne might be as brief as 15 minutes. The remaining items in this print are a variety of staffs and standards that are difficult to identify. No.28, 29 and 30 are drinking horns.

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