5,000 years of warfare unveiled at Türkiye's Çorum Museum
Bronze Age spearheads, stone axes and Ottoman-era firearms are displayed during the "From Spear to Gunpowder" exhibition at Çorum Museum, May 22, 2026. (AA Photo)


A rare collection of 72 historical weapons ranging from Bronze Age spearheads to Ottoman-era firearms has gone on display at Çorum Museum, offering visitors a journey through nearly 5,000 years of Anatolian military history.

Opened as part of Museums Week celebrations, the "From Spear to Gunpowder" exhibition features artifacts never before exhibited publicly, including stone axes, spearheads, arrowheads, swords and firearms dating from the Early Bronze Age to the late Ottoman period.

Çorum Museum Director Metin Çakar said this year's Museums Week theme, "Museums Uniting a Divided World," highlights the role museums play beyond preserving artifacts.

Bronze Age spearheads, stone axes and Ottoman-era firearms are displayed during the "From Spear to Gunpowder" exhibition at Çorum Museum, May 22, 2026. (AA Photo)

"Museums are not only places protecting traces of the past," Çakar said during the opening ceremony. "They are living institutions that build bridges between cultures, bring together different voices and create a shared sense of humanity."

Museum archaeologist Mücahit Çördük said the exhibition includes previously undisplayed artifacts uncovered during excavations at major ancient sites such as Hattuşa, Alacahöyük, Şapinuva and Eskiyapar.

The exhibition traces the evolution of warfare and weapon-making across millennia, from primitive stone tools to advanced Ottoman weaponry.

The exhibition will remain open to visitors through June 6.