foreign influence in european arns production?

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by Gonzalo G

Specifically, in which way european swords influenced the rest of the world in the 8th-9th Century? To begin with, eastern gothic swords were influenced by the chinese Han. You can find more references in Oakeshott´s The Archaeology of Weapons. Manolo references are good. Armenian influences over polish sabres are also important. Mamelukes had some role, also. The pattern welding made on swords after the crusades to this days, made originally as an intent to reproduce the damascus steel, is a result, in a way, of eastern influences. The jineta spanish swords, were the result of berber influences. All european sabres from the 18th-19th Century, were the result of the ottoman influences mentioned by Manolo. The jineta style of fighting used by the spanish cavalry since the 16th Century, as important as the Tercio´s battle formations and tactics in giving Spain the supremacy over occidental europe, were also the result of berber influence. Damascening swords was the result of moor influences. Venetian curved short swords of several kinds are the result of eastern influences. There were yataghans made in the Balkans and Greece, which in turn influenced some italian style of swords. Just remember that part of Europe was in the hands of the ottoman turks until relatively very recent times ....I can´t recall some more examples in this moment, but I´m sure you can find more if you make a search.
Regards

Gonzalo

Gonzalo

beginning of the 9th century.. no sword specificaly, this is the time when europe started to develop arms more advanced in their production..
the beginning... is with viking swords comming into the middle east.. and 10 -11 centuary european techniques for making plate armor and then later techniques for polishing and grinding.. and later by the 1200s the lathes , planes and other working devices in europe were far better than those around
water ad wind powered devices .. ect ect...
and these influenced the near east greatly...
this was the biginning.. one has to remember europe outpased the rest of the world very quickly... one only has to look in 1300 there odds were even.. by 1600 it was quite uneven....
but these changes were from enternal conflict.. and didnt come about in the areas with conflict with non european oponants...... you didnt see huge advances in.. romania.. russia or serbia....
they stayed as they were in 10 centuary almost.... using the same weapons as their oponants.. but in holland ,sweden. england.. france and other parts of western and central europe things moved on very fast...
and then there was a transfer of these techniques east. but i wounder previously when the advancement was in reverse was there such an amount of transfer into europe.... there was some by information... but i wounder ow much was from direct contact,, such as tradesmen opperating in europe.

no doubt the crossbow making is one exsample..... but i wounder home many others there are?