Elephant sword

War elephants were used for centuries, primarily from Indian subcontinent to the Middle East, and were often armored.

Made of iron or steel, elephant swords were probably used from a relatively early date.

Over a thousand years ago, elephants equipped with steel-tipped tusks were reportedly effectively used in battle.

The Russian merchant Afanasii Nikitin recorded the use of these weapons in India in the 15th century.

It is possible that thousands of elephant swords were manufactured over a large span of time, but only four pairs, plus a single specimen are known to exist today.