Medieval War Mace and Flails
A descendent of the simple club, the mace has been in continual use on the world's battlefields from the bronze age right up to World War I. Early inscriptions identify the battle mace dating back to approximately 3100 BC, or early Bronze Age. By the middle of the 3rd Century BC mace heads were being cast of copper, first in Mesopotamia, and then in Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. These maces represent one of the earliest significant uses of metal for other than ornamental purposes.
The battle mace later came into wide use during the Middle Ages throughout Medieval Europe as a popular weapon of choice among knights and warriors. The spiked mace heads and relatively light weight handle made this an easy to use but highly effective weapon against the enemy. For example, it's practically unbreakable, never requires maintenance or resharpening and is extremely effective. A formidable hand-to-hand combat weapon in Medieval times, capable of smashing even the heaviest plate armour when wielded by a mounted knight.
