A Proper Understanding of African Cultural Weapons

[Jabrosky]

A Proper Understanding of African Cultural Weapons

My favorite part was his commentary on native African steel industries, though I wish he had gone into even greater depth on their antiquity and techniques:

By the mid to late nineteenth century African steel industries found themselves challenged by readily available large quantities of steel from Europe. Many historians have speculated and concluded that Africans sought European steel because their own native steel was of poorer quality. However, it was not quality that compelled so many Africans to buy European steel. Africans generally found that European steel was cheaper than their native steel...

 

[Russ]

That was a really interesting article thanks for sharing it. I am not convinced by all of his arguments but it gave me a lot to think about. It is a pity that there are no footnotes and he does not name the historians he takes issue with.

His point on some people mistaking ceremonial weapons is a good one, but that trend I think has been over for at least 30 years now.

I am also not sure about his comments on steel quality. My understanding is that for a long period of time European weapons were made of better steel than other cultures because the quality of the ore they were using for their weapons was a better ratio of elements for making very good blades. It is quite possible that the steel was cheaper and better (kind of like Japanese cars were for a time...)

He also doesn't consider the environment the weapons were used it. A functional weapon is made to deal with real targets. The targets in Africa did not wear the same armour as say European targets and thus the weapons didn't need to be as well made to penetrate armour.

A very interesting read that makes me want to learn more.