New archaeology research related to military history: Ancient Levant battleaxes and Ancient Central Asian composite bows

Archaeometry has a study by D. Rosenberg^, R. Shimelmitz, T. M. Gluhak, and A. Assaf about ancient basalt handaxes found in northern Israel.  The authors point out that the axes were not made from locally found basalt but rather brought in from other areas.  The address the implications of this discovery.

Archaeometry also presents an article by S. Shalev, E. N. Caspi,, S. Shilstein, A. M. Paradowska, W. Kockelmann, T. Kan-Cipor Meron, and Y. Levy about Bronze Age battleaxes from Israel.  The authors study thirteen Middle Bronze Age II battleaxes found in ancient graves and present their findings on the metal. 

Battle aze from the Middle Bronze age found in Tel Rumeida (Hebron) Israel/Palestine

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons  

Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Sariel shalev

Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia presents an article by Y.S. Hudiakov, K.Sh. Tabaldiev, A.Y. Borisenko, and K.T. Akmatov on ancient composite bow parts found in Kyrgyzstan.  The authors analyzed the horn plates that were discovered and reconstructed the wooden core of the bows and the placement of the plates.  The bows were found to be of the period of about 3^rd century BC to 3^rd century AD and the authors determined what was considered the most efficient placement of the plates. 

 

A reproduction Hunnu bow from unknown time period hangs on display 

inside the National Museum of Mongolian History in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.