The images are disturbing: men in gas masks rapidly firing through dark vapors, people writhing with pain from within. It is widely believed that chemical warfare is a form of modern warfare and it is recognized that the First World War introduced this type of warfare. Recent archaeological finds show that this may not be the case. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, chemical warfare is “tactical warfare using incendiary mixtures, irritating, burning, poisonous, or asphyxiating fumes or gases.” (Chemical Warfare, 2011) It's a tempting way to dispatch your enemies without drawing your sword or raising a gun. Chemical weapons agents, or CWA as they are more commonly referred to, are classified into five main groups: riot control agents, nerve agents, blistering agents, blood agents, and suffocating agents. Each is devastating to those who stand in their way, and for decades, scientists have worked to create deadlier, easier-to-handle types. Today, eight countries possess chemical weapons (OPCW) but, according to new archaeological discoveries, this may not be the only cause for concern prevalent in the modern world. Contrary to popular belief that it was the Germans who introduced CWAs to modern warfare during World War I, the use of chemical weapons has existed since ancient times. Historians consider the use of poison on arrowheads to be the beginning of humanity's foray into this type of tactical warfare. (WIFA. 2005) Toxic substances became the predominant form of chemical warfare in the ancient world, and it was common for attacking armies to poison the water supplies of besieged cities or use other poisoning methods to silently eliminate enemies. Look for examples of poison...... middle of paper......(2005). Chemical weapons. Reaching Critical Will, Retrieved from http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/cw/cwindex.htmlArnold, J. (2005). Chemical warfare. emedicinehealth, Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/chemical_warfare/article_em.htmOPCW. (n.d.). About chemical weapons. Retrieved from http://www.opcw.org/about-chemicalweapons/what-is-a-chemical-weaponMayor, A. (2009). Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World. (2 ed., pp. 1-14). New York, NY: Overlook Press. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/GreekFire.pdfCDC. (2006). Facts about phosgene. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Retrieved from http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/phosgene/basics/facts.aspGoebel, G. (2010, July 01). A story of chemical warfare. Retrieved from http://www.vectorsite.net/twgas_1.html