The axe is almost as old an implement as the club. Metal axe heads were among the first handiworks created during the Copper Age. With all this history it is easy to see why a Medieval warrior would choose a good axe for battle. This axe, circa 1100, has a back spike to add to its effectiveness as a weapon of war. The steel head is pinned to a hardwood shaft that is curved at the end on this one hand axe.