Did Pre-Columbian People have Swords?

Various kinds of swords are known to have been wielded by Pre-Columbian peoples. Representations in art and historical accounts indicate that there were swords of both a single and a two-handed form. Some had sharpened wood blades, while the most common ones were made with a flat hardwood metal shaft into which were set sharp obsidian blades with a deadly cutting edge. Some appear to have had a jagged while others were set to form a continuous edge. Some may have even been tipped. They had a pommel or hand-hold at the bottom and a leather strap so that it would not easily slip away in battle. They were sharp and deadly.

No authentic examples of steel-bladed swords have yet been discovered from pre-Columbian times. This is understandable if we assume that most swords in the Book of Mormon were made of other material. When Nephi or King Benjamin wields the sword of Laban this was considered noteworthy (Jacob 1:10; Words of Mormon 1:13). In fact, steel is never mentioned at all after the first few generations of the Nephites (Jarom 1:8), which may indicate that whatever steel technology Nephi possessed was lost and not passed down. The sword of Laban was an heirloom that was carefully preserved. Those few swords which had metal blades may not have survived (Mosiah 8:11).