Egyptian war chariot. What is a chariot: origin, application in ancient countries. Chariots in China

Looking through the archive of my publications on the history of armor and weapons published in VO, I found that among them there is not a single one on the history of weapons of Ancient Egypt. But this is the cradle of European culture, which has given humanity a lot. As for the periodization of its history, it is traditionally divided into the Old Kingdom (XXXII century - XXIV century BC), the Middle Kingdom (XXI century - XVIII century BC) and the New Kingdom (XVII century - XI century BC) Before the Old Kingdom in Egypt, there was the Predynastic period and then the Early Kingdom. After the New Kingdom, there was also the Late Period, and then the Hellenistic Period, and between the Ancient, Middle and New Kingdoms, as a rule, there were also transitional periods filled with confusion and rebellion. Often at this time, Egypt was attacked by nomadic tribes and warlike neighbors, so that its history was by no means peaceful and military affairs in Egypt, which means that offensive and defensive weapons have always been held in high esteem!

Already in the era of the Old Kingdom - the era of the kings-builders of the pyramids in Egypt, there was an army recruited from free peasants, individual detachments of which were armed with uniform weapons. That is, the army consisted of warriors with spears and shields, warriors with maces, small hatchets and daggers made of copper and bronze, and detachments of archers with large bows, whose arrows were tipped with flint. The task of the army was to protect the borders and trade routes from the attacks of the Libyans - the most significant among the tribes of the "Nine Bows" - the traditional enemies of Ancient Egypt, the Nubians in the south and the Bedouin nomads in the East. During the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu, the king's army captured 70,000 captives, which indirectly speaks of the number of Egyptian troops, the perfection of their tactics, and their superiority in weapons!

Since it is very hot in Egypt, the ancient warriors did not have any special “military uniform” or protective clothing. All their clothes consisted of a traditional skirt, a wig made of sheep's wool, which played the role of a helmet that protected the head from the deafening blow of a mace and a shield. The latter was made from bull skin with wool on the outside, which, apparently, was connected in several layers and stretched over a wooden frame. The shields were large, covering a person to the very neck and pointed at the top, as well as somewhat smaller, rounded at the top, which the soldiers held by straps fastened on the back.

The warriors were built in phalanx and moved towards the enemy, hiding behind their shields and putting out their spears, and the archers were behind the foot soldiers and shot over their heads. Similar tactics and approximately the same weapons among the peoples with whom the Egyptians fought at that time did not require any greater perfection of weapons - more disciplined and trained warriors won, and it is clear that these were, of course, the Egyptians.

At the end of the Middle Kingdom, the Egyptian infantry, as before, was traditionally divided into archers, warriors with short-range percussion weapons (clubs, clubs, axes, axes, darts, spears), who did not have shields, warriors with axes and shields, and spearmen. This "arms" had shields 60-80 cm long and about 40-50 cm wide, as, for example, in the figures of warriors found in the tomb of the nomarch Mesehti. That is, in the era of the Middle Kingdom, the Egyptians knew a deep formation of spearmen, hiding behind shields and built in several rows!

Interestingly, the Egyptian troops at that time consisted exclusively of infantry. The first case of the use of horses in Egypt was attested during the excavations of the city of Buhen, a fortress on the border with Nubia. The find belongs to the era of the Middle Kingdom, but although horses were already known at that time, they were not widely used in Egypt. It can be assumed that some wealthy Egyptian acquired it somewhere in the East and brought it to Nubia, but it is unlikely that he used it as a means of draft.

As for the infantry archers, they were armed with the simplest bows, that is, made from one piece of wood. A complex bow (that is, assembled from different types of wood and pasted over with leather) would be too difficult for them to manufacture, and also expensive, to supply ordinary infantrymen with such weapons. But one should not think that these bows were weak, because they had a length of 1.5 m or more, and in skillful hands they were very powerful and long-range weapons. The English bows of the Middle Ages, made of yew or maple, and 1.5 to 2 m long were also simple, but they pierced steel armor at a distance of 100 m, and the English archer despised anyone who could not fire 10 - 12 arrows in a minute. True, there is one subtlety here. They did not shoot directly at men-at-arms, or they shot only at a very close distance: almost point-blank! At a long distance they shot upwards in volleys on command, so that the arrow fell on the knight from above and hit not so much himself as his horse. Hence the armor on the neck of the knight's horses from above! So there is no doubt about the capabilities of Egyptian archers armed with bows of this size, and they could well hit opponents not protected by metal armor at a distance of 75-100 m and up to 150 m under favorable conditions.

Ancient Egypt: weapons and armor of warriors on chariots

During its thousand-year history, Egypt experienced not only ups and downs, but also downs. So the era of the Middle Kingdom ended with the invasion of the Hyksos nomads, its defeat and a period of decline. They were helped to cope with the Egyptians by the fact that they fought on two-wheeled high-speed chariots drawn by a pair of horses, which gave their troops unprecedented maneuverability and mobility. But soon the Egyptians themselves learned to breed and train horses, make chariots and fight on them. The Hyksos were expelled, Egypt experienced a new rise, and its pharaohs, no longer content with protecting their borders and expeditions for gold to Nubia, began wars with their neighbors in Asia, and also tried to penetrate the territory of modern Syria and Lebanon.
Especially warlike pharaohs of the era of the new kingdom were representatives of the Ramesses dynasty. The armament of the warriors at that time became even more deadly, as the technology of metal processing was improved, and in addition to the chariots, the Egyptians also learned a reinforced bow, which increased the range of the arrow and the accuracy of its hit. The power of such bows was truly great: it is known that such pharaohs as Thutmose III and Amenhotep II pierced copper targets with arrows fired from them.

Already at a distance of 50 - 100 m, an arrow with a metal leaf-shaped tip, apparently, could pierce the armor of a warrior on an enemy chariot. The bows were stored in special cases on the sides of the chariots - one on each (one spare) or one at the side closest to which the shooter stood. However, it has now become much more difficult to use them, especially when standing on a chariot and, moreover, on the move.

That is why the military organization of the Egyptian army also underwent major changes at this time. In addition to the traditional infantry - "mesh", charioteers appeared - "netheter". They now represented the elite of the army, all their lives they studied the military craft, which became hereditary for them and was passed down from father to son.

The very first wars in Asia brought rich booty to the Egyptians. So, after the capture of the city of Megiddo, they got: “340 prisoners, 2041 horses, 191 foals, 6 breeding horses, 2 war chariots decorated with gold, 922 ordinary war chariots, 1 bronze shell, 200 leather shells, 502 combat bows, 7 tent pillars adorned with silver and belonging to the king of Kadesh, 1,929 head of cattle, 2,000 goats, 20,500 sheep and 207,300 sacks of flour.” The defeated recognized the power of the ruler of Egypt over themselves, swore an oath of allegiance and pledged to pay tribute.

It is interesting that in the list of trophy shells there is only one bronze and 200 leather shells, which indicates that the presence of chariots also required increased protection for those who fought on them, since they were very valuable professional warriors, whom it was a pity to lose. But the fact that there is only one metal shell speaks of the exceptionally high cost of the then protective weapons, which only the princes and pharaohs of Egypt possessed.

The multitude of chariots taken as trophies unequivocally speaks of their wide distribution, not only among the Asians, but also among the Egyptians themselves. Egyptian chariots, judging by the images and artifacts that have come down to us, are light carts for two people, one of whom drove horses, and the other fired at the enemy with a bow. The wheels had wooden rims and six spokes, the bottom was wicker, with the bare minimum of wooden railings. This allowed them to develop great speed, and the stock of arrows in two quivers allowed them to fight for a long time.

In the battle of Kadesh - the largest battle between the troops of Egypt and the Hittite kingdom in 1274 BC. - thousands of chariots participated from both sides, and although it actually ended in a draw, there is no doubt that it was the chariots that played a very important role in it. But in addition to new bows, the Egyptians also had two new types of long daggers - with a massive leaf-shaped blade with a rib in the middle, and a blade rounded at the end and piercing-chopping - with elegant, long blades with parallel blades, which smoothly turned into a point, and also with a convex edge. The handle of both was very comfortable, with two cone-shaped bells - up - pommel and down - crosshair.

The sickle-shaped (occasionally double-edged) bladed weapon, borrowed by the Egyptians from their enemies in Palestine and undergone a number of modifications in Egypt - “khopesh” (“khepesh”), was also widely used, like maces, axes with a narrow blade and moon-shaped axes.

This is what the infantry of Ancient Egypt, including the Ancient and Middle Kingdoms, could have looked like. In the foreground are two spearmen in headscarves, with padded protective aprons in the shape of a heart over an ordinary apron, possibly in quilted jackets, with sickle-shaped short swords made of bronze, and further on, warriors with a battle club combined with an ax and with an ax with a moon-shaped blade. The dart thrower has no protective weapons at all. Two black warriors with bows in their hands are mercenaries from Nubia. Only one pharaoh has armor on his body, next to which stands a signalman with a drum. A box of a set of soldiers from the Zvezda company. Oh, what only now for the boys is not! And what kind of soldiers I had in my childhood - heaven and earth!

Narmer palette. Depicts Pharaoh Narmer with a mace in his hands. (Cairo Museum)

The head of the pharaoh Nermer's mace. (British Museum, London)

Darts and shield. Ancient Egypt. Middle Kingdom. Modern reconstruction. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Painted figurines of warriors from the tomb of nomarch Mesehti. (Cairo Museum)

Macehead of an Egyptian warrior. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Ax from their tomb of Ahhotep. New kingdom. 18th Dynasty, 16th century BC. (Egyptian Museum, Cairo)

Ancient Egyptian battle axe. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Reconstruction of the chariot of the New Kingdom. (Römer-Pelizeus Museum. Lower Saxony, Hildesheim, Germany)

Surprisingly, the ancient Egyptians knew and used boomerangs very similar to those used and used by the indigenous people of Australia. These two boomerangs from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun are very similar to the Australian ones and differ from them only in their decoration! (Egyptian Museum, Cairo)

Pharaoh on a chariot. Wall painting in the temple of Abu Simbel.

Relief from the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut depicting Egyptian soldiers of the 18th dynasty, 1475 BC. e. Limestone, painting. (Egyptian Museum Berlin)

Once upon a time, many centuries ago, chariots raced along the stone-paved streets and dusty roads of Greece. No one then suspected that fast horses would be replaced by a powerful motor, and the reins in the hands would be transformed into a comfortable steering wheel. Ancient people, even in the most heavenly dreams, could not imagine a handsome Chevrolet Cruze. Each time has its own life! At that moment, the chariot seemed faster than the wind!
Chariots were used for combat operations by many armies - Egypt, Greece, Rome, Assyria, Persia. Warriors on this unique vehicle They were a mobile shock link that swept away all living things in its path. They went ahead or acted on the flanks of the infantry. Such battle units in an instant upset the ranks of the enemy, thanks to which the following infantry simply finished off those who managed to dodge the chariot. Reception is tough, but effective. Be that as it may, the power of the ancient army was judged precisely by the number of chariots used.
It is a known fact that in 1312 BC, almost 2,500 chariots from each side participated in the battles between the Egyptians and the Hittites. Such a battle can only be compared with the battle of tanks near Prokhorovka on the Kursk Bulge during the Great Patriotic War. In ancient times, the Egyptians won. Their chariots turned out to be lighter, and there were more weapons and warriors on them. The Hittite chariots were heavy, clumsy, so they were quickly put out of action.
In ancient times, many different types similar "equipment" - two-wheeled with a team of one or two horses, four-wheeled with a whole four horses and others. Their body was fixed on low wheels, which gave stability to the structure. Railings were installed in front of the chariot. It was possible to hold on to them while moving and tie the reins. The back of the chariot was completely open, due to this, the warriors could famously jump off or jump on it on the go.
In the ancient East, the chariot was common in many countries. It has been known since the beginning of the III millennium BC. e. according to Sumerian images. The chariot was widely developed in the Hittite state, in Egypt, Northern Syria, the Assyrian chariot was especially famous. Greece and Rome borrowed the chariot from the nations ancient East. You can trace the patterns of development of its forms over many centuries and the features of designs in different countries.
The early Assyrian chariots, dating back to the time before the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III (mid-8th century BC), are distinguished by their massive body, an elongated shield above the chariot drawbar, which extends almost at a right angle from the bottom of the body and has a sharp bend to the yoke. The arched drawbar, characteristic of the Sumerian chariots, is absent in the Assyrian ones. Wheels in the early period had six spokes.

The chariots of time after the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III (the second half of the 8th century and the 7th century BC) are especially well represented on the reliefs of Sargon, Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal. They were distinguished by their lightness, the shield above the drawbar was replaced by a rod that fastened the upper part of the drawbar to the body. The wheels were made lighter and had eight spokes. The axle was at the very back of the body.
Comparisons of the Urartian chariots with the Assyrian ones leave no doubt that the Urartian ones repeated the form of the Assyrian ones of the second period and also had a light body, a drawbar without a shield, and predominantly eight spokes in the wheels.
The Persian war chariot had a more complex device. Her railings were located on all sides, and spears were tied to the drawbar. The horse was protected by a special shell. Such a gesture was dictated by the fact that during the battle the chariots and soldiers were mercilessly fired upon. An arrow hitting a horse caused the animal to fall, the warriors to lose their balance, and the chariot to overturn. In such an accident, it was easy to break your neck before reaching the enemy positions. By the way, ditches were an effective method of fighting chariots, which were specially dug out by slaves in the places where the ancient “technique” was supposed to pass.

The Egyptians learned the art of driving war chariots from the nomads who attacked Egypt from Libya. In the same place, in the north, there were magnificent pastures, from which horses were taken to Egypt. The Egyptian chariot was at that time a formidable weapon and remained in service for almost one and a half thousand years. This small two-wheeled cart, similar to a low platform, was harnessed by two horses. They jumped into it from behind, and the front wall of the chariot was a kind of shield for riders (although, probably, they shouldn’t be called that - they rode standing in chariots). The horses were driven by a driver, and the battle was fought by a warrior standing next to him, sometimes there were two of them. They threw darts and fired bows.
But arrows were not the most terrible weapon of the cavalry. Two sharply honed three-meter bronze scythes were attached to the axes - they cut enemy infantry like grass. The scythes were shorter chained to the front drawbar and cleared the way for the horses. One can imagine what impression the Egyptian cavalry made when it flew out from behind the sand dunes, whistling through the air with deadly scythes, sweeping enemies out of its way.
In Egypt, the first "cavalry" charter appeared, where commands and techniques for maneuvering chariots were developed in detail. The “wrath of the pharaoh” strike was especially famous, when the chariots, breaking into the ranks of the enemies, had to turn around and rush through the ranks from flank to flank.

Today, archaeologists find numerous graves, where, in addition to people in the tombs, chariots also rest with them. The custom of burying the dead together with the vehicle has been known since ancient times. The first such burials, relatively few in number, date back to the 13th century. BC and are found almost throughout continental Europe. The tradition has become more dense in the everyday life of the inhabitants since the Iron Age. Along the banks of the Rhine and Danube, there are numerous tombs of leaders and priests, buried along with their chariots. Ordinary people were buried, of course, without them. Burials of the leaders of the Iron Age are found in central Europe and also in France. Numerous utensils made of clay, jewelry, and weapons are also found in them. The most famous burials with chariots were found in Wix and Hochdorf.

08.05.2013

Until the moment when a person first dared to saddle a horse on horseback, he rode in chariots - light carts drawn by two, four or six horses. that appeared in the third millennium BC were very clumsy and slow. There is no doubt about the veracity of these data, because the ancient Sumerian images of four-wheeled chariots have come down to us. Their wheels were mounted on axles, which were absolutely motionless in relation to the very body of the wagon. Now imagine how difficult it was for such a fixed chariot to turn or turn around!

War chariots in ancient wars.

For a long time, the chariots created by the Assyrians, Egyptians and the wise Hittites had a huge influence on the course of ancient wars. These improved structures spread in the 17th-15th centuries BC and were critically different from the primitive Sumerian chariots. Firstly, they did not have four wheels, but only two large wheels that were attached to the back of the wagon. Secondly, this wagon itself became much smaller and had a shield in front and was connected to the horses with the help of a drawbar. These chariots were used both in hunting and in war. They were more maneuverable and fast. Combat same chariots additionally equipped. Specially forged, long and very sharp knives were attached to their wheels, which looked more like sabers or scythes. This cunning device worked flawlessly: it crushed the infantry on both sides of the chariot, and also cleared the way in front of the chariot. These terrible and wildly dangerous weapons terrified and terrified the enemy warriors.

With the advent of these new chariots, a lot has changed in the armies of the ancient states. The emphasis was no longer on the infantry, now the emphasis was on a new kind of troops - on the cavalry. The entire outcome of the battle now depended on the coherence of the actions of the cavalry. Until the first century AD, chariots were considered the most advanced and dangerous weapons, but this does not mean at all that by that time the war chariots were the same as one and a half thousand years ago. Chariots improved very quickly. New models of chariots were designed to be more efficient, and the Egyptian and Assyrian warriors believed that it would be much more profitable for military purposes if, in addition to the charioteer and two archers, there were more shooters. In order to transport six warriors instead of two, it was necessary to create a more durable design of the chariot cart itself, which had to be pulled by more horses.

And so, in the 1st millennium BC, a heavy cavalry appeared - a war chariot harnessed by four, or even six horses. Then they still did not know how to harness horses one after another, so all the horses were harnessed in one row.
More and more war chariots were created by the rulers and pharaohs of those distant years. And in the end they ran into a problem, it became crowded on the battlefield. Of course, on the wide plains and fields, the war chariot had no equal, but on the narrow forest paths and in the gorges, this war machine remained helpless.
And only when a person was able to saddle a horse on horseback - war chariots began to become a thing of the past.

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The earliest chariots were used by the Sintashta culture (found in the burial of Krivoye Lake, 2026 BC), a transitional type between the wagon and real chariots was found in the catacomb culture (“Tyagunova Grave” in the Zaporozhye village of Maryevka, before the turn of the III-II millennium . BC.) .

Egyptian chariots

It is believed that chariots appeared in Egypt thanks to the Hyksos in the 18th century BC. e.

The largest chariot battle in ancient history the battle at Kadesh (1299 BC) is considered, in which up to seven thousand chariots participated from the side of the Egyptians, Hittites and Syrians.

At the end of the second millennium BC. e. mankind has mastered horseback riding. This did not cancel the war chariots, especially since both the methods of application and the capabilities of these branches of the military were different. But from an economic point of view, the cavalry dealt a crushing blow to the chariots: two horsemen, although much less effective than one chariot, are incomparably cheaper. In a nomadic environment, this immediately destroyed the chariot - even through the incredible strain of all production forces, no more than 10% of the soldiers could be provided with teams, and in general even less - when the Shans captured the middle reaches of the Huang He, there were only 200 teams for 6000 infantry. And by putting all 6400 people on horseback, it was possible to get an incredibly mobile, although not very strong detachment.

In the Middle East, the apotheosis of the chariots was the era of the New Assyrian kingdom, when in the grandest battles a mass of chariots converged two or even three times greater than under Kadesh - for example, in the battle at Karkar (VIII century BC) only from the side of the anti-Assyrian the coalition had almost 1,500 chariots, not counting the rest of the forces (more than 4,000 horsemen and about 10,000 infantry). Judging by some data, it was the Assyrians, fighting the Egyptians, who reinvented the percussion harnesses, but on a fundamentally different level. The main type of Assyrian chariots were quadruple teams with an enlarged body, which housed 3-4 warriors, and one of them was necessarily a shield bearer. A similar "weighting" of the harnesses occurred even among the opponents of Egypt, the Hittites.

China, by the way, took a slightly different path: chariots from offensive weapons gradually began to become defensive weapons - when detachments of 5-7 chariots began to play the role of "fortress towers" in those living walls that blocked the battlefields of the infantry. That is why, additional damaging elements on the Far Eastern harnesses served as mobile slingshots, and were not intended to crush the enemy formation.

A similar trend was observed in central India, but there heavy teams began to increase in height and put behind the traditional Indian infantry "chains" (what is another name for this system, when there are 3-4 infantrymen per linear meter of the front).

But in addition to heavy shooting harnesses, both in India and China, light ones continued to be used, tactically connected to riders, as was also practiced in Celtic Britain. It should be noted that the tandem "light teams - cavalry" also existed among the Lydians and in Urartu.

It should be noted that in Greece the chariot tradition was not completely forgotten - in the north in Boeotia and Thessaly, chariot formations existed at least until the Persian invasion (Plutarch, The Life of Pelopidas), and even later, on the example of Cyrenaica, Aeneas Tactics (4th century BC). AD) strongly advised to create chariot detachments, but not for actions in battle, as before, but for quick operational maneuver, when directly in the battle a kind of notch is created from the bodies of the chariots with shafts forward, and the soldiers, along with the drivers, line up in a single phalanx.

Of course, in addition to the combat function, the chariots performed a sacred, and in Europe also a sports one. No wonder the Roman victor entered the city in a chariot.

1-2 people rode in transport and sports chariots. Among the chariots, the most popular were carrus. The upper part of such a wagon was open, and the front was closed. It usually carried a driver and a passenger. A chariot pulled by two horses was called biga(biga (English) Russian), three horses - triga(triga), four horses - quadriga(quadriga). The wheel bandage was made of iron. When the chariots were not in use, the wheels were removed from them for better preservation.

Northwestern India, where Alexander the Great reached, had not yet been armed with heavy crews. It is significant that in the battle with King Por (Puarava), there were only 300 light chariots, acting together with the cavalry in line with traditional Indo-Persian tactical decisions, which was completely insufficient against the Macedonian.

Both in China and in Rome at about the same time (III - centuries AD), a specific weapon was created on the basis of the chariot - a movable carriage for a light throwing installation, moreover, if the ballista-crossbow were relatively small, then the calculation was completely in the back and could shoot on the go. Similar designs, in particular in Europe, survived until the late Middle Ages (Italian "batteries" - wagons with arrows and easel crossbows, and later with 1-2 light cannons).

In addition to using chariots in China and Korea for defensive purposes, especially against cavalry for protection on the march and covering the camp in the Middle Ages, and especially actively in the fight against the Khitans, military thought tried to revive the border horse-chariot corps, but this plan was not successfully implemented because for the lack of horses.

scythed chariots

Solving the problem of fighting enemy light infantry and cavalry, the Assyrians installed long knives on the wheel hubs of the chariots - this is how “sickle-bearing” or “mowing” chariots appeared. Sickles not only had a strong morale impact on the enemy, but also hit enemy light infantry detachments interacting with enemy teams. The next step was the installation of spear points on the drawbar - now the chariot could again attack the regular heavy infantry in the forehead.

These crews were most famous thanks to the Persians - in addition to installing sickles and spears, they began to protect the horses with armor and put more sickles under the axis down. Although this reduced the permeability of the chariot, it significantly increased the lethality of the crew during an attack.

Another problem was the strength of the wheels - it was solved by different peoples in different ways, but it was the Persians who reached the optimum, they began to make all-bronze wheels. Of course, this slightly increased the weight of the hull, but a significant increase in strength, and most importantly in the diameter of the wheel, increased the cross-country ability at the same speed.

At correct application this weapon was extremely effective, but, by the time Alexander the Great attacked the Persian colossus, there was no need to talk about any effectiveness.

Later, scythed chariots in very large quantities (many hundreds) met in service with the armies of the Diadochi. They were significantly improved compared to the Persian prototype: they became more passable, they got the opportunity to almost safely attack the Macedonian phalanx with long sarissas in the forehead. Unfortunately, the description of the wars of the Diadochi is very poorly preserved, so it is completely unknown where and when they were used. Plutarch, in his biography of Demetrius Polyorcetes, emphasized that he was such a good commander that he could break and overturn Antigonus's chariots, which indicates their high military value. Later, chariots with scythes (sickles) were used by Mithridates the Great, in particular, with their help, he completely destroyed the army of the legate Lucullus Triaria in the first battle of Zela. A few years later, in the same place, the scythed chariots of the son of Mithridates Pharnaces almost destroyed the army of Julius Caesar. Through incredible efforts, he managed to win. Mowing chariots did not fit tactically into the Roman and Parthian armies, so their decline began. But, according to some reports (Shahnameh, Chatran and Majatik), this branch of the army was revived both in Sasanian Iran and in medieval Byzantium, but it was not used very widely - the cost of such a chariot was very high, and if we take into account the complexity of training crews, then excessively high for both Iran and Byzantium.

Chariot Counter Tactics

Over the centuries, the infantry has developed methods of protection against the attack of war chariots. So, in the era of the Diadochi, the defensive tactics of the phalanx consisted in the fact that the hoplites parted, passing the chariot to the rear, where it became the prey of auxiliary detachments (this technique was facilitated by the fact that the drivers jumped off the chariots before they reached the enemy formation, and the chariot remained unmanaged).

The Romans since the time of Julius Caesar have also developed effective methods opposing chariots. In the Battle of Magnesia, the attack of the scythed chariots of the Seleucid king Antiochus the Great was successfully repulsed by the soldiers of L. Cornelius Scipio, who used a whole range of tactics:

The battle on the right flank of the Romans began with an attack by scythed chariots. Evmen <союзный римлянам царь Пергама, командовавший правым флангом> ordered the Cretan archers, slingers, Roman dart throwers and several squadrons (turmas) of cavalry to move forward. The Romans and their allies acted in loose formation. They fired at the chariots from all sides, aiming at the horses, and also frightened the horses with loud and discordant cries. When the enemy approached, the mobile infantrymen evaded the collision. Some chariots stopped due to the death of horses. Other horses rushed about. The drivers' nerves failed. Some of them turned back, others retreated towards the center, towards the elephants. The riders of Eumenes pursued them and increased the panic with loud cries. In an effort to avoid clashes with sickles and mad horses, Arab warriors on camels broke their ranks. Confusion spread to the cataphracts. Eventually, the chariots and camels left the space between the armies.

Thus, the actions of well-trained infantry, using the vulnerable sides of this type of weapon, made it possible not only to protect themselves from chariots, but also to force them to inflict serious damage on their own troops. This circumstance practically eliminated the combat value of scythed chariots by the end of the Hellenistic era.

The role of chariots in the army

The number of chariots in the armies could vary greatly. In China and India, there was one chariot per 100 soldiers. In Assyria - by 200. In Egypt at the end of the 2nd millennium - by 50. In land army Carthage - even one for 20 soldiers. There are indications that the Hittites even had a chariot for 10 people, but this is unlikely.

Chariots in their time were quite expensive and high-tech products. In Assyria there was a royal factory for the production of chariots, and strategic materials (mainly wood of various species) were brought from all over the world known to the Assyrians. Only at the cost of such costs was it possible to combine the strength of the structure with its lightness, which made it possible to place in the body three people, instead of 1-2 for less sophisticated peoples.

49. Finds in the Red Sea. ancient egyptian chariots

49.1. Egyptian army war chariots

The Egyptian army was armed with war chariots, which were used in pursuit of the Israelites:“[Pharaoh] harnessed his chariot and took his people with him; and took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and leaders over them all.” (Ex. 14:6,7).

The historian Josephus Flavius ​​mentions the same number of chariots, as well as 50 thousand soldiers accompanying them, and 200 thousand foot soldiers ( JA 2/15:3).

War chariots were intended for battles where speed of movement was required. Their crew, as a rule, consisted of two soldiers: one drove the chariot, the other fought with a sword or shot from a bow. The chariots were light; the baskets that housed the soldiers were made of wood and leather. An axle was attached to the wooden bottom of the wagon. The drawbar for two horses was also fixed under the floor of the chariot. To the weight of the soldiers should be added their weapons, armor, shields and other equipment. Images of Egyptian war chariots are often found in ancient drawings. Some examples are shown in Figures 367–370.

Fig.367, 368

Fig.369, 370

Images of ancient Egyptian war chariots can be seen in numerous frescoes and drawings, only a few finds were made in royal tombs.

Fig.371

A chariot found in a pharaoh's tomb.

Fig.372

The chariot wheels had different designs. In the photo: an example of a wheel from a light chariot, apparently intended for ceremonial purposes.

Figure 371 shows Tutankhamen's ceremonial chariot found in his tomb. The design of its wheel is visible in Fig. 372. Even though it is smaller than the war chariots of the Egyptians, it can be regarded as a model. It is important to understand that all the carts found in the tombs of the pharaohs were intended for various ceremonies. As a comparison, we can cite the example of the open carriage of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain. II - it is similar to the carts used by the British in the First World War, only the equipment of its crew was more heavy.

Fig.373

Wheels with 8 and 4 spokes from the time of Thutmose IV.

Fig.374

Wheel hub caps of heavier chariots (compared to fig. 372).

It is clear that the chariots were composed of carefully designed parts. Most likely, the war wagons were stronger and simpler in design. They contained metal parts, such as the bronze wheel hub caps of a chariot belonging to Thutmose. IV (Fig. 374), which have survived to this day. In Fig. 373, which shows its side view, wheels with eight and four spokes are clearly visible. Some of the Egyptian bas-reliefs depict wheel technology and show examples of four-spoke wheels.

In addition to war chariots, the Egyptian army had to have a large number of strong transport wagons with provisions and various field equipment (for example, tents). Their wheels were most likely at least partially covered with bronze to withstand the pressure of the load and the weight of the wagons themselves.

Priests also took part in military campaigns, but they most often moved behind the entire army. Their task was not to fight, but to maintain morale in the soldiers and provide "cover" from the side of the gods. There is every reason to believe that the chariots of the clergy performed symbolic functions and appearance reflected the power and patronage of the gods.

The biblical text indicates that when the waters of the sea closed, the entire army of Egypt was destroyed. Is it possible today to find the remains of Egyptian chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea near Nuweiba, which, according to the working hypothesis of our book, was the starting point for crossing the Gulf of Aqaba?

Fig.375, 376

Fig.377, 378

Examples of different variants of Egyptian war chariots. The photo on the right is a fragment of an Egyptian banknote.

49.2. Wheels on the seabed

It is important to remember that the bottom in the study area was clean. Corals, found throughout the Red Sea, attach themselves to underwater objects as they cannot grow on sand. Therefore, considering that the bottom at the sea crossing was clear, the abundant corals must have attached themselves to the remains of the Egyptian army that had sunk to the bottom.

The problem lies in the difficulty of identifying coral-covered objects that may have joined with other coral growths. A feature of corals is their destruction of organic materials: all that remains of the latter is only a form that vaguely resembles the original object. Additional difficulties are created by great depth and strong currents.

There is reason to believe that lighter objects were carried away by currents created by the tides, along both edges of the underwater bridge into depressions (their depth reaches 1900 m; without special equipment, such as that used, for example, when studying the Titanic, explore their impossible).

Fig.380, 381, 382

This gilded wheel was found at the bottom of the Red Sea. Being covered with bottom sediments, it was not overgrown with corals (with the exception of one small branch). There is no doubt that this object is a wheel with four spokes. All its parts are easily distinguishable, its diameter is approximately 1 m.

The most easily recognizable structures are the wheels. Corals do not grow on mud deposits, so the gold-plated wheel (Fig. 380-382) is clearly visible at the bottom of the bay. Its diameter is approximately 1 m. The wheel has four spokes and is a wooden frame completely covered with gold. The found wheel is a solid construction and was more likely a part of a war chariot or transport wagon, rather than a ceremonial carriage, like those placed in the tombs (, 372). It should be noted that until now such wheels have been found only in the tombs of the pharaohs.

The gilded wheel at the bottom of the bay was part of a chariot that moved behind the troops and possibly belonged to a priest. The officers and the pharaoh, whose wagons also had gilded wheels, usually rode ahead of the army.

This gilded wheel is unique in several ways:

1. This is the first ancient wheel not found in a burial chamber.

2. This is the first wheel covered with gold.

3. Its design is different from the design of the wheels found in the tombs (reinforced rim, stronger spokes, hub cap also has some differences from the caps used in ceremonial chariots). On the other hand, this wheel is similar to the wheels depicted in ancient Egyptian drawings.

4. The only reason why the wheel could have ended up at the bottom of the Red Sea is an accident or catastrophe. It is rather difficult to logically explain how the chariot ended up far from the shore and sank to the bottom. In addition, a wagon decorated with gold was of great material value and testified to the well-being of its owner.

5. The outlines of the wheel are easily distinguishable due to the fact that it was covered with silt and bottom sediments and was not overgrown with corals.

The wheel itself is very fragile - its wooden base has mostly rotted away. The existence of chariots decorated with gold became known from ancient inscriptions and drawings. In one of them (dedicated to Thutmose III , 18th Dynasty), golden chariots are repeatedly mentioned (50).

Fig.379

The top drawing is a wheel found at the bottom of the Red Sea; further - the wheel from the drawing ~ 1430 BC; the figure below is a variant of the wheel depicted in an ancient fresco (18th dynasty).

Fig. 379 shows the wheels of Egyptian war chariots (~ 1430 BC), given as an illustration in modern book on the art of war (51). They can be compared to a gold-plated wheel at -382. At the bottom of Fig. 379 is a scene of the manufacture of four-spoked wheels (18th Dynasty), similar to the find at the bottom of the Gulf of Aqaba (52).

During the reign of the 18th Dynasty, Egypt was a powerful state with a strong army, armed with many chariots, both Egyptian-made and captured as booty. For example, in one of the battles, the Egyptians captured 2041 horses (51), which also implies a certain number of captured chariots.

The biblical text (Ex. 14:6,7) indicates that in order to chase the Israelites, in addition to all the available chariots (probably captured, and as a result, most likely, of the most diverse design), the Egyptians used "600 selected chariots" (possibly , it was about the best war chariots driven by soldiers from the elite troops).

Fig.387, 388

This wheel is covered with corals. A hub protrudes in its central part, from which spokes (eight in total) diverge in different directions. The round shape of the object is also clearly visible. Part of the wheel (bottom) is missing.

Figure 387 shows another wooden wheel. It is covered with coral growths. In the picture, you can distinguish a round symmetrical structure, spokes and a vertically standing hub. The following figure (Fig. 388) shows a photograph of the formation, on which an image with the restored outlines of the wheel was superimposed c eight spokes.

Due to the complexity of research at great depths, it is impossible to present a large number of finds.

Fig.383, 384

The picture shows two wheels connected by an axle.

Figure 383 shows an unusual coral formation, which probably hides a pair of wheels and an axle standing upright. Circular objects and a preserved axle of a chariot are also visible here. Note that the axle and wheel are at right angles to each other. Fig. 384 shows what this pair of wheels could look like, having sunk to the bottom of the bay.

Fig.385, 386

Two wheels with six spokes (painted in pink color) in a pile of objects, which will be discussed later. Note the similarity of the wheel on the right to the wheel in the drawing, made before the described objects were found on the seabed. The illustration in Fig. 386 is based on the artist's general idea of ​​the construction of Egyptian wheels.

Figure 385 also shows two wheels. They are part of a pile of objects, which will be discussed in the following chapters of our book. These wheels (in the picture they were painted in a different color so you can see them) are in a vertical position or rest on the mentioned pile of objects. The right wheel has six spokes. Pay attention to its general resemblance to the wheel in the drawing next (Fig. 386), which was made before it was discovered.

Fig.393

The object is completely overgrown with corals. In its unusual forms, the outlines of a chariot are guessed, a round structure similar to a wheel, and an axis standing upright. At its end, the remains of a spoke and part of the hub are visible.

The object in Fig. 393 is most likely a war or transport chariot lying on its side. In the back of it, a round object is visible, which could well be a wheel. In front of the chariot, a vertical axis protrudes with the remains, presumably, of the spokes and part of the hub. The large formation between them is very reminiscent of a chariot.

The wheel is an object of characteristic regular shape, which was an important part of the war chariot. It is mentioned in the Bible, in particular in the episode when, by the will of the Lord, the wheels of the Egyptian chariots fall off the wagons, which causes panic in the ranks of the persecutors (Ex. 14:24,25). On the underwater bridge in the Gulf of Aqaba, many separate wheels were found.

The wheels shown at -388 and are located near the western shore of the bay on an underwater bridge. In other words, they could belong to the chariots moving behind the Egyptian army. The wheels, photographs of which are shown in figs. 389-392 and -404, were found on the eastern side of the bridge and could be part of the chariots of the vanguard of the Egyptian army.

Fig.389, 390

This wheel lies on the seabed in a horizontal position. It has survived worse than the wheel with. The object is round; a hub is visible in its center; it is covered in debris. This wheel had six spokes.

Figure 389 shows a wheel lying at the bottom of the Red Sea. Its symmetrical round shape, six spokes, as well as the place where the hub entered (in the center of the wheel) are clearly visible. Nearby, in Fig. 390, schematically restored outlines of the object are shown.

Fig.391, 392

The axle that once connected the two wheels is broken. Part of the axle sticks out of the flat wheel. We can clearly distinguish the rim, the spokes were badly damaged by coral growths.

Figures 391 and 392 show pictures of another pair of wheels. The axle that once connected them has broken and now protrudes from the wheel, which lies horizontally at the bottom. The outer and inner surfaces of its rim are clearly visible. The second wheel is upright; part of the axis protrudes from it at a right angle.

Fig.399, 400

The seabed in the study area is clean and even. On such a surface, it is easy to see an object resembling an inverted transport chariot, the axles of which are thus on top. The remains of the wheels are scattered around. One of the spokes can be seen on the object on the right, similar to a wheel.

An object similar to a transport chariot (Fig. 399, 400) lies separately from other objects on its flat bottom. Next to it are, presumably, the remains of four wheels. All of them are overgrown with corals, but in their outlines one can guess correct forms wheel rims.

Fig.397, 398

This object, completely overgrown with corals, is obviously the frame of a transport chariot. It has structures with right angles and board-like formations. The wheel axle lies across the object. Pay attention to the object covered with sand (see enlargement in Fig. 396).

Fig.396

Most likely, this is a human skull, which turned out to be under a larger object (see Fig. 397). Visible only top part skulls. If there is the rest of the skeleton, then perhaps it lies under the object described in the comment to Fig. 397.

An unusual object is seen in the center of the photograph in Figs. 397, 398 (the photograph was taken off the eastern coast of the bay). It could be a frame of a transport wagon, under the central part of the bottom of which a wheel axle passes. It should again be noted the right angles between the parts of the object, apparently made of wood covered with corals. Judging by its appearance, individual elements of the body of the chariot (perhaps its sides) were made of planks. In the lower left corner of the picture (Fig. 396) an object is visible, which is probably a human skull. It is partially covered with silt and lies near the corner of the chariot. It can be seen from above, from the position where the photographer was. The rest of the body turned out to be pressed to the bottom by the remains chariots.

Fig.394, 395

A section of the bottom where corals are completely absent - except for an object in which right angles are guessed, objects that look like wheels, etc. Probably, in front of us is a large accumulation of objects of artificial origin.

Figures 394 and 395 show a formation, which is also difficult to call an object of natural origin, since it differs from ordinary bottom structures. Perhaps this is the lower part of the war chariot. It can be a wheel axle with objects attached to it. Opposite what could be the body of the chariot, under a layer of sediments there are remains that have regular shapes (unusual for corals). Obviously - these are parts of wheels with four knitting needles.

Fig.401, 402

As in other cases, a strange object is visible on a clean bottom, similar to an inverted chariot, on which the axle and wheels are distinguishable. Below them is the body of the chariot. This find is remarkable in that on one of its sides there is an object resembling a quiver (for bow and arrows). It was probably a light war chariot. It has four spokes on its wheels. Thanks to the layer of coral, each object appears somewhat thicker than it really is.

Figures 401 and 402 show finds that have already become typical for this area. An object of unusual shape was found on the flat surface of the seabed. Despite the fact that it is covered with corals, structures of artificial origin can be seen in its outlines. This is probably an inverted war chariot, next to which lies a quiver of arrows. Below it is an object that looks like an axle with the remains of a wheel (in this case, a wheel with four spokes). In front of the chariot, the remains of probably two more wheels are visible; one of them is covered with corals, but even so, round outlines are clearly visible. The other wheel is covered with bottom sediments, clearly visible spokes appear from under them, the angle between which is 90 O , in other words, before us is a wheel with four spokes.

Fig.403, 404

On a clean bottom, objects lying close to each other were found. Perhaps these are the remains of a chariot. Pay attention to the correct shape of its bottom. The shaft connecting the chariot to the horse team is slightly curved. A round, tube-like object is the connecting element of the body of the chariot and shafts. Judging by its position, the chariot is in an inverted position, its bottom is almost completely destroyed.

Another find (Fig. 403) looks like an object with . Again, on a clean, flat bottom of the bay, a group of remains was discovered, most likely, being an almost completely preserved war chariot standing on wheels. On its roof lies an object, presumably representing an axle from another chariot or another object that is difficult to identify. Around the chariot lie (or stand straight) the remains of several wheels.

Most of the corals in this and some other areas were dead. The reason for this could be clouds of particles arriving from the coast after heavy rain. This type of erosion may have created an undersea bridge across the Gulf of Aqaba. Erosion particles and material are a threat to all coral reefs.

So, on the investigated area of ​​the seabed, it was found a large number of artificial remains. Sometimes they were difficult to identify, but in some cases their difference from the surrounding objects was obvious (perfectly round or square shape, the arrangement of various parts at right angles, etc.), which indicated that they were of artificial origin (remains chariots, wheels, harness, etc.). In some cases, the identification of the finds was so definite that it was possible to say with certainty: "This is a wheel." Examples of such objects are given in the previously considered -382.