Scimitars or "Cimeters" in the Book of Mormon and Precolumbian Times

Curved Blade from the Codex Borgia (Wikipedia Commons)

One of the weapons often mentioned in the war chapters of the Book of Mormon is the cimeter or scimitar. This was basically a sword with a sharp curved blade (Enos 1:20; Mosiah 9:16; 10:8; Alma 2:12; 43:37; 44:8; 59:2; Helaman 1:14). There is evidence that this was a significant weapon in the ancient Near East as early as 4000 years ago. A similar weapon made of a curved piece of hard wood with sharp flint or obsidian blades inset into the sides seems to have been known in ancient Mesoamerica as well. Monuments from Mexico and Guatemala, dating to the time of the Book of Mormon, show examples of this weapon. They indicate that curved knives and swords in various forms had a long and bloody history in ancient America. Book of Mormon Central has an excellent article with an accompanying video on this "Why Does the Book of Mormon Mention Cimeters?"

For more on the Scimitar see Ancient Near Eastern Scimitars, Mesoamerican Scimitars, and Scimitars in Book of Mormon Times.