Apparently, this was a battle weapon some 5,000 years ago. A

Let me beat you over the head with one of those and we'll find out

>>33853269
no armor, son

>>33853302
So why use a mace at all rather than a spear or a bow? Reach is king in unarmored combat.

>>33853269
You greatly underestimate the killing potential of a rock.

As crazy as it sounds, rocks that size produce a good amount of blunt force trauma, especially if swung.

>>33853337
Maces also can kill through armor, making early armor worthless to someone facing an opponent with a mace.

>>33853377
Did they even have armor back then? As far as I'm aware, there's no archological evidence, which would rule out most forms of metal armor, and palatte scenes don't depict anyone wearing any armor. Hell, most of them don't have shirts.

>>33853314
Not if you're indoors. Or a bodyguard.

>>33853289
fpbp/thread

I find it funny to think about all of the technological improvements mankind has made during it's history, yet you can still walk into any hardware store and buy a rock on a stick.

>>33853933
>buying your rocks and sticks

Nigga just walk outside

>>33853269
>Same way you'd do it with a baseball bat...

Heavy hide/leather armour, and shields were reasonably effective against thrown missiles of that time.Thus, a weapon for hand to hand combat was useful.
Subsequent advances in missile weapons were met by advances in armour, making close combat still the decisive factor in warfare.
It wasn't until the development of firearms as the primary ranged weapons that armour fell out of favour; it took the arrival of rapid fire weapons and the demonstrated futility of trying close with rifle armed infantry to finally end the concept of specialist melee troops as a useful part of an army.

However, carrying a melee weapon (bayonet) in addition to your rifle is still common practice for most armies, and can prove useful.

>>33853269
What did you think a mace was?

Read Grossman's book "on killing". Ancient combat was more about display than actual murderfests. Most of the killing took place AFTER the fight.

File: Rattan stick.jpg (101KB, 709x437px) Image search: [Google]

101KB, 709x437px

>>33853289
This shouldve ended the fucking thread, jesus christ.

Jesus, forget the rock, even a good stick can kill you.

>>33853736
There would probably have been wicker helmets or something.
It is not hard to figure out you'd be better off with something between your head and the rock some fag is swinging at it.

>>33854081
Ok, maybe just the stick

>>33853269
Those are heavy as fuck. Held one in an etnographic store and seemed heavier that a steel mace of same size.

>>33856539
It almost certainly isn't. I can't think of any rocks that have a higher density than steel.

>>33856757
Diamond.

>>33857019
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Minerals/diamond.html
>Diamond density, 3.51gm/cm3

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/KarenSutherland.shtml
>Steel density, between 7.5-8gm/cm3

>>33856757
Cast iron

>>33857316
http://science8.lfcds.org/files/2010/10/CommonDensities.pdf
Is giving 7-7.4 g/cm3, which is still much denser than things like diamond.