When you think of Ancient Egypt, you probably think of the pyramids, the strange hieroglyphic writing and all the strange-looking gods on painted walls displayed across long and impressive temple walls. But, all of Egypt’s outstanding architectural, scientific, and cultural achievements would not have lasted without a strong military. So, let us look at ancient Egyptian weapons, armour, and the military in general.
We often consider the ancient Egyptian army an armoured, disciplined fighting force. However, this image only really comes into reality around the New Kingdom. This is because of the introduction of new military technologies from contact with nations outside the Nile cultures.
Early Egyptian armies were adequate for their purpose but did not carry top-of-the-line equipment. But as they came into contact with foreign peoples, they had to adapt.
Early Egyptian Weapons, Arms And Armour
The Egyptian army was partially volunteers and partially conscripted. One in every one hundred men was called to serve.
But in the early days of ancient Egypt (Early Dynastic Period 3150-2613 BC to the Old Kingdom 2700-2200 BC), most of the weapons in the Egyptian armies were copper or flint spearheads in spears, daggers, and shields made with animal hides, and next to no armour.
Archers used a single-arched bow, but they were not very accurate, were hard to draw back, and the tips of the arrows were made of copper or flint. Egyptian craftsmen often imported wood from the Middle East and used wood from their land. The arrow was made with mature branches, twigs, and immature pieces of wood.
It was Amenemhat that formed the first professional army. While better equipped, they were still far from what they would become.
Udimu CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Hyksos Impact on Egyptian Weapons.
The Hyksos were the first foreign powers to conquer Egypt. It is a debate whether it was an invasion or a migration. The Hyksos originated in the Levant, but whatever new evidence brings up, one thing is sure: their military impact.
Before the Hyksos, the Egyptians did not have horses, horse-drawn chariots, the sickle sword, the compound bow, or better bronze-working technologies. The Hyksos would introduce all these technologies to Egypt.
However, whether the Hyksos did bring all these new technologies is under constant debate, with a few exceptions, such as the compound bow, which spread throughout Egypt quickly. That said, one sure thing is that after the Hyksos migration, there was a significant boom in military technology, and the Egyptian army saw better equipment throughout the ranks.
I have a problem with the idea that the Hyksos introduced the chariot. Mainly, there is no evidence of the Hyksos using chariots. But as I said, the debate of whether the Hyksos introduced these technologies is still ongoing.
Egyptian Armies After The Hyksos
After the Hyksos were expelled, one in every ten men was called to fight; the Egyptian infantry had far more bronze than copper or flint weapons.
The average Egyptian infantryman would carry a bronze-tipped spear or axe, a dagger, and a shield. Some would use other weapons like the Epsilon axe or the Khopesh sword.
There is also evidence of training camps. Inscriptions at Karnak and Luxor temples depict soldiers engaging in physical training, archery and military manoeuvres.
The Khopesh
The khopesh was a sword with a sickle shape and was very good at slashing and hacking. It could be more of an axe rather than a sword. It is believed to have originated in modern-day Iraq and found its way into Egypt. However, it fell out of use in Egypt around 1300 BC.
Khopeshes were also found inside royal tombs. Some were also dull with no intention of being sharpened. But because the khopesh was expensive, another cheaper weapon called the Epslion axe was given out to ordinary soldiers. The khopesh is thought to carry some symbolic meaning to the Egyptians. Even after 1300 BC, in the Rosetta Stone, there is mention of a khopesh.
Axes
One of Egypt’s most common weapons was the axe. The epsilon axe (named after the Greek letter epsilon) was standard throughout the Middle East. The axe is usually depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphs, with a warrior carrying a shield, meaning it could be used with one hand. It could act as a cheaper Khopesh sword, more available for the masses.
During later periods, such as the Second Intermediate Period and the Early New Kingdom, axes took a different form, now having a longer, narrower bronze head for better penetration.
This is an image of the axe that became dominant throughout Egyptian infantry.
Armour, Shields
Shields saw improvements over the Middle Kingdom as well. Instead of animal hides, the shield now would use cowhide stretched over a wooden frame.
Ancient Egyptians had light armour and focused more on speed and manoeuvrability. Egyptian warriors, especially before the New Kingdom(1550-1070 BC), rarely wore armour, unlike their European and West Asian counterparts.
Some say the heat would make armour a burden.
However, I do not think the climate is an entirely satisfactory answer to why they do not use much armour, as the Sea People who came to Egypt often wore armour. Also, Egyptian soldiers adopted Greek armour and equipment under Greek Ptolemaic rule in 305 BC. Carthaginian soldiers fully adopted heavy Greek armour. So, it is clear that people can and did wear armour and fought effectively in the Egyptian and North African heat.
It could instead be due to the fast-paced tactics that the Egyptians used. And Egypt’s population was massive at the time. It ranged from 3 million to 5 million. But, if some men died, they could easily replace them.
However, scale mail is present in Egypt, and wall carvings and paintings of Pharaohs sometimes wore scale armour. It is a reasonable assumption that many of the elite charioteers and royal men also wore armour. But generally, it is rare for the Egyptian military, even high-ranking individuals, to have armour. Paintings of Egyptian soldiers suggest that at least some of them had lining or possibly leather protection in the New Kingdom.
During the New Kingdom 1550-1070 BC, armour started to pop up more. Often, as mentioned above, most wore a type of lining armour. Another growing trend in the New Kingdom was bronze scales on linen or leather garments.
Egyptian Helmets
Interestingly, there is little to no evidence of helmets throughout Egyptian history. The only exception is the Pharoah. I say “little to no” proof because I find it hard to believe that no helmets existed throughout pre-Greek Egypt. We know that helmets were present in the Egyptian military during the Greek period, and since then, helmets have become commonplace in Egyptian militaries. However, helmets were not widely in use before the Greek period.
Egyptian Bow And Arrows
As I said above, the early Egyptian archers used the single-arched bow; they had poor accuracy and were hard to draw back. The tips of the arrows were either copper or flint.
But after the Hyksos, bronze was used for arrowheads. But most importantly, they now use the composite bow. Composite bows are usually smaller and more convenient for horses and chariots. Composite bows have better power, making it easier to penetrate scale armour. And these later bows were more accurate. Then, the early Egyptian bows. Egyptian archers also had the leather or lining armour I mentioned above.
Egyptian Slingers
Slingers are an easy and effective range unit to have. There is not a lot of demand for resources. The ammunition is easy to find.
Chariots
A bronze-age army is not complete without charioteers. The chariot starts to appear after contact with the Hyksos people. But what was their purpose, and what separated Egyptian chariots from the rest of the Bronze Age civilisations?
They were lightweight and very manoeuvrable, unlike their slower Hittite and Mycenaean adversaries, who had more heavy and armoured chariots. Their use was to act as shock units to break enemy lines and allow the infantry to mop up the remaining enemy forces.
Another tactic was to use them as harassing units where they would fire on an enemy target and quickly run away before the enemy could react, dealing damage over time. But chariot riders sometimes have a spear and bow to act as shock and range units. The chariot platform also had room for more ammunition for its archers. One of the charioteers would drive the vehicle, while the second would use a bow.
Charioteers formed their elite class, calling themselves the maryannu ( young heroes). And very often, you would see charioteers depicted along with the pharaoh.
The most famous chariot battle was the Battle of Kadesh. At this time, the chariot had been fully integrated into the Egyptian military. Although not entirely accurate, the best comparison is modern-day tanks.
Like the rest of the world, however, they would fall out of use at the end of the Bronze Age. This was possible because cost, maintenance, and terrain type severely limited their use.
Mercenaries
I cannot mention anything about Egyptian weapons without touching on mercenaries. Egypt was notorious for hiring their enemies or just effective fighters as mercenaries.
The Egyptian military took on many Nubains into their ranks in the early days of Egypt. Egyptians also took Southern European and Eastern Mediterranean mercenaries in the New Kingdom, especially in the late Bronze Age (1300-1200 BC).
Papyrus Harris I:
“I slew the Denyen in their isles” and burned the Tjeker and Peleset.”
“Brought back in great numbers those that my sword has spared, with their hands tied behind their backs before my horses, and their wives and children in tens of thousands, and their livestock in hundreds of thousands. I imprisoned their leaders in fortresses bearing my name, and I added to them chief archers and tribal chiefs, branded and enslaved, tattooed with my name, their wives and children being treated in the same way.”
Some Sherden warriors became part of the Pharaoh’s guard. While this fact is all over the place, I have never found a primary source to confirm this. If you know of any, please let me know.
Despite hiring many foreign mercenaries, Egypt never really took much influence from these more armoured European and Middle Eastern warriors. Instead, they kept their ways of fighting. Whatever the case, the prosperity and longevity of Egypt could only be because of a solid and capable military and seeing how long Egypt lasted throughout the centuries. And Egypt certainly had a strong and capable military.
Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment about Egyptian weapons and the military in general.
Also, a small donation would be a massive boost for us.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
One thought on “Egyptian Weapons”