Hi Tim,
As I pointed out, Alexander's Army doesn't have to be the route by which this design dispersed. However, it does seem that the oldest versions of this type of knife appear in the Mediterranean (where, despite your skepticism, they were known as the falcata and kopis). Given that we know trade routes existed between Europe and Asia, it's possible that the kukri shape passed east, and was preserved in Nepal because it fit their lifestyle.
We can therefore argue that the design originated in Europe and was transferred East. We could also argue that it's an independent invention. There's reasonable evidence on both sides.
F
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