The design of the Egyptian khopesh seems unlikely to be a direct result of the limits of bronzeworking at the time: in contemporary Europe, swords had significantly different designs, and New Kingdom Egypt also saw the development of a straight-edged shortsword.^1 The shape of the khopesh is more likely to be a result of social and cultural factors, in particular the tradition of using axes in warfare, as the khopesh is believed to have originally developed from the axe.^2

^1 Killian-Dirlmeier (1993) Die Schwerter in Griechenland (außerhalb der Pelopones), Bulgarien und Albanien; Shaw (1991) Egyptian Warfare and Weapons, p.43.

^2 Maxwell-Hyslop (1946) "Daggers and Swords in Western Asia: A Study from Prehistoric Times to 600 BC" Iraq 8, p.41; Shalev (2004) Swords and Daggers in Late Bronze Age Canaan, p.54.