SWORDS / DAGGERS
Swords (namsaru) or long daggers made of iron appear to have been less common than short daggers (Patru) . By the Neo-Assyrian period (911-612 B.C.) the two foot long, single edged slightly curved swords, similar to the Egyptian Khopesh popular in the middle Assyrian period (200-1086 B.C.) were largely replaced by a slightly longer (2.5-3.0 ft) double edge straight bladed weapon.

The swords were carried in wooden scabbards, suspended from a belt on the left thigh. As the sword was long and of iron, it was too heavy for the belt alone, and interfered with movement. A baldric (shoulder strap) was added which took some of the weight off the belt.

In additon to the long sword discussed above, Neo-Assyrian reliefs give evidence of a curved single-edged sword. This type is found in the reliefs of Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 B.C.), Sargon II (722-705) B.C. and Sennacherib (704-681 B.C.) but it appears in comparison with the representations of the long thrusting sword to have been very rare.

In the Sargonid period (722-705 B.C.) swords became thicker and shorter than those used previously. This feature reached its climax in the time of Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal (668-626 B.C.) when a type of short sword resembling a long dagger was introduced.

Daggers were double edged, straight bladed, and diamond shaped in cross section. They were worn singly or in pairs thrust through the belt. Seals show they were used for close quarter fighting.