A simple bow and arrow made the ancient Mongolians virtually unconquerable; the first-ever handgun allowed the Europeans to forever change the landscape of warfare; a specially-designed sword helped define the Islamic Empire for over 1,000 years. Helping carve out the largest and most influential empires in human history, weapons of war shaped the world we live in today. Premiering Friday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery HD, M5: WEAPONS OF WAR brings together the technology, science and tradition of the most significant weapons of our past – the Mongol composite bow, the Spanish arquebus and the Damascus sword – and tests them against the mythology of ancient history. Shot in arresting High Definition, and enhanced with CGI and authentic reenactments, M5: WEAPONS OF WAR recreates these magnificent and long-forgotten weapons, resurrects their ancient manufacturing methods and brings them – and their warriors – back to life.
This three-part series takes viewers into the long-gone workshops of the original craftsmen where each weapon is resurrected and built according to ancient exacting standards. Once recreated, the weapon is tested, measured, compared and evaluated by a team of experts who look at the weapon’s power and influence, along with its deadly and devastating effects against other warriors. Each weapon of war – the bow, arquebus and sword – represents history and science coming together in battle to shape the modern world.
Highlights from M5: WEAPONS OF WAR include:
M5: WEAPONS OF WAR – “The Mongol Bow”
Friday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The most powerful pre-explosive hand weapon of the ancient world – The Mongolian composite bow – is reproduced, tested and dissected. It was the largest of all the ancient empires and its success was based on the simplest of weapons – one that was essentially some string, a twig and a sharp stick – the bow and arrow. But the devil is in the details and the Mongolians of almost 1,000 years ago created an unparalleled weapon, the composite bow, which allowed them to forge the largest bordering empire in the history of the world. It was this weapon that was responsible for the creation of the “blitzkrieg” (a lightning war) where the horse, rider and weapon merged into a marauding united force.
M5: WEAPONS OF WAR – “The Spanish Arquebus”
Friday, June 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The myths and legends of the Spanish Empire are ruptured as the M5 team constructs an ancient match lock arquebus and takes it into the field for testing. This weapon of war exploded onto the ancient battlefield over 500 years ago and set up the greatest military mismatch in history; the Spanish Empire against the New World. The arquebus – almost as dangerous to its user as it was to the enemy – changed the rules of warfare forever and ushered in the era of modern hand weapons. It allowed the Spanish to be virtually invincible against any foe without a gun. Stones, spears, bows and arrows dated from the Stone Age proved impotent against its explosive might. How effective was it? Was it truly the rule changer history suggests?
M5: WEAPONS OF WAR – “The Damascus Sword”
Friday, June 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
To prove how modern reality stacks up against the myths of history, the meticulous recipe for making the Damascus sword is resurrected and later tested in the lab, the battle field and measured for performance. For centuries, the making of the famed Damascus sword was a closely guarded secret. Sharper, stronger, lighter and more flexible than any other steel of its time, the Damascus sword was the backbone of the Islamic Empire – the second largest of all the ancient empires. After the advent of gunpowder however, sword making lost its luster and the famous procedure for making the sword was gone for more than three centuries.
