Every culture's arsenal is based on the technology and raw materials available at the time. Prehistoric peoples, often called the Stone Age cultures, made wide use of stone, shaping axes and grinding tools, and creating spears and arrows in order to eke out their survival. As technological skills evolved, and new materials became available,so too did the type and quality of implements improve as well.
During the Bronze and Iron Ages, and on thru the Roman era, we see the development of metal tools and weapons which persisted, and grew in variety, and quality throughout the Middle Ages,  until finally, the appearance of gunpowder in Europe in the early 14th century brought about the obsolescence of many weapons, and a change in the way men thought about arms, armor, and the waging of war itself.
During the early Middle Ages, double-edged swords, axes and metal-headed spears dominated the scene. Short bows and arrows were also frequently used. Swords of course, have existed from ancient times onward, and were to be found in most all cultures at one time or another.  In medieval and renaissance Europe, they were items of great importance and value, and actually became emblematic of class, and status.  For example, the Saxons considered the value of a sword to be the equivalent of 120 oxen or 15 male slaves, and any man possessing a sword had great status in the community. Simple to construct and easy to wield, these weapons remained popular, in various forms, throughout the Middle Ages, and continued in one form or another, through to the 20th century.
By the 9th century, the Vikings adopted another formidable weapon -
the battle-axe, a deadly weapon with a trumpet-shaped blade, and wicked spikes. Armed with these formidable weapons, they "went a viking," wreaking havoc everywhere they went, and adding yet another new dimension to the list of arms available with which to murder, maim, and otherwise destroy their fellow man.
As the first millennium approached, new and even more devastating weapons appeared. First and foremost was the crossbow, a vicious device still used in modern times. Known in Norman Europe, the crossbow probably developed alongside one of the earliest forms of siege engine, the ballista. So destructive was the crossbow that the Church banned its use in 1139. But, the decree did not seem to matter, as advocates of this mighty weapon spread, until most all armies included its use in their arsenals. Indeed, the most prized members of a castle's garrison were those who wielded the mighty crossbow.
During the 12th century, the three most prevalent weapons, were the sword, the battle-axe, and the spear (or lance). However, the crossbow rapidly gained popularity. Combined with the increased prevalence of horse warfare (which eased movement and gave an advantage to its warring riders who carried spears) and the introduction of massive siege engines, these hand-held weapons allowed invaders like the Normans to overawe less technologically-advanced peoples.
The peasants, on the other hand, generally fought back with the only weapons in their possession: the tools that they used to till their fields and tend their homes - hayforks, flails, sickles, axes, clubs with spikes, and boar-spears. Interestingly, many of these same tools eventually became an integral part of the weapons inventory of most armies.
Siege engines were critical participants during any major onslaught on a castle. Catapulting stone missiles or huge arrows, these massive machines pounded the thick masonry walls. Yet, on their own, siege engines often were inadequate to bring down a fortress. So, other tactics were employed at the same time as the siege engines were pummeling the walls, including undermining, whereby sappers dug mines, or tunnels, underneath towers. The mines created instability and caused the structures to topple. A battering ram was sometimes used. It had a sharpened end, and the object was to break away stones to achieve some kind of breach in the walls. Its primary use though, was against doors. Types of siege engine include the ballista, the mangonel, and the trebuchet.
From inside a castle's walls, soldiers had a somewhat restricted selection of weapons to use to defend their lord and his fortress. In addition to arrows, the garrison frequently threw down stone missiles, crushing invaders. They also relied upon "Greek fire", a volatile combination of petroleum and oil and other natural products, which generated a highly flammable substance that burned on water and was excruciatingly hot. Apparently, Greek fire was used to make incendiary arrows, but could also be blown through tubes.
The 13th century saw the modification of swords, which could then rend a knight's protective armor. Short stabbing daggers were also used, as were a variety of axes (some of which were equipped with spikes), clubs, maces, spears, pikes, crossbows, and slings. The most significant development of weapons technology during this century was the longbow, mastered by the Welsh decades earlier.
Although the introduction of gunpowder in the 14th century led to cannon and handguns rapidly gaining in popularity, the simpler, more traditional weapons remained in the monarch's arsenal during the late Middle Ages, and into the Renaissance. Blunt and sharp-headed lances were used in "jousts of peace" (tournaments) and "jousts of war." And, swords, axes, maces, and hammers with spikes never disappeared from the medieval weapons inventory.
Add your text here
In any such discussion of the history of arms and armor, one must take into account the fact that our understanding of the weapons of the medieval world is skewed by the vast disarming of "the civilian" that is taken for granted today.  We simply do not have the ability to grasp the full picture of those times due to our existence in our own.
Arms and armor were taken for granted as a part of daily life, and although there were proffesional soldiers, it was the nobility, the upper strata of medieval societies, which were almost universaly recognized as being those whose duty it was, to be highly skilled and well armed, and to use those resources and skills to protect those underneath them.
It was also their responsibility to arm and train the less noble, but equally important "Men At Arms." Armies of the time were always filled out with the conscription of the common man as well.  These were those of the peasant, and merchant class, who used whatever tools they had as weapons, many of which were actually highly effective.  Between the nobility, the Men at Arms, and the rank and file, there developed a large and varied number of weapons and armor.
To develop any understanding of the society at that time, or to be able to fully enjoy collecting items, or reenacting the world of the past, you must understand the importance of arms and armor to the people of the times.
The Beginning
A Brief History of Arms and Armor
For most of us, when we think of arms and armor, visions of flashing swords, knights in shining armor, and colorful banners arise.  And the truth is, that although all societies have had various weapons, and means of protection from those weapons, arms and armor, as far as our western civilization goes, reached its most important, and imagination stirring stages during the Medieval and Rennaisance periods of history.
The Ballista
The Mangonel
The Trebuchet
ARMS
ARMOR