A sharpened stick was probably the first weapon invented by humans. Since then, the spear has been the most important weapon on most battlefields until the widespread introduction of gunpowder and firearms. However, owing to the limitations of early firearms technology, it would be centuries before armies could do away with “pointy sticks” altogether. Ranged infantry remained vulnerable against cavalry or melee infantry at close quarters. The solution was to make early firearms capable of becoming the trusty “pointy stick” at a moment’s notice. Thus, the bayonet was invented!   The Era of Pike and Shot Battle of Rocroi, Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau, 2011. Source:Wikimedia Commons   Although the introduction of firearms radically changed the nature of warfare, the pace of transformation was slower than one might expect. The earliest firearms were inaccurate, temperamental, and slow to reload. Moreover, troops armed with muskets and arquebuses were extremely vulnerable in hand-to-hand fighting. They typically lacked armor and had only the clubbed stock of their firearms or cheap melee weapons to fend off attackers in close combat. Thus, …