Weapons of the world quiz: Can you identify these historical objects of war?

Can you identify these millennia- to centuries-old weapons from the smallest clues? Test your eye for history by matching carved details and close-up images to the legendary tools of war they once formed.

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Kristina Killgrove

published 30 April 2026

in Quizzes

A close of up a rusty sword with a brown hilt and its brown, leather scabbard. — Weapons like knives and swords helped many groups of ancient peoples hold power.

(Image credit: Kypros via Getty Images)

Ancient armies fought with a variety of weapons, each shaped by the materials, tactics and cultures of their time. From swords to guns to catapults, each weapon played a unique role in the military strategies of the past.

Many of these weapons now survive only in pieces. Yet even the smallest fragments give clues to how these devices were used and by whom.

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Kristina Killgrove is a staff writer at Live Science with a focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology news. Her articles have also appeared in venues such as Forbes, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss. Kristina holds a Ph.D. in biological anthropology and an M.A. in classical archaeology from the University of North Carolina, as well as a B.A. in Latin from the University of Virginia, and she was formerly a university professor and researcher. She has received awards from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association for her science writing.