Classified as type XIIIa, this is one of the most significant two handed swords of the medieval period. During the Middle Ages, armor was increasingly fortified to protect against the weapons of the period. To counter the ever increasing plated armor, swords too were further developed. The single-handed cutting swords of previous centuries were gradually replaced by larger cutting swords that were used in a two-handed fashion. These two handed battle ready swords (12th century medieval sword) delivered powerful shearing cuts, and while large in size, they were still dynamic and responsive in their handling qualities.