Ancient EGYPTIAN MILITARY WEAPONS - 10 Most Important

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  • Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
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    What were the most important ancient Egyptian military weapons that enabled them to dominate their neighbors and achieve a truce with the mighty Hittites? Ancient Egypt's New Kingdom saw a range of military innovations that created the Egyptian war machine that is now legendary. In this video we look at ten of the most important weapons.
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Комментарии • 433

  • @scholagladiatoria
    @scholagladiatoria  Год назад +34

    Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today’s video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: ow.ly/IZpx50MESn3

    • @richardcrocker6604
      @richardcrocker6604 Год назад

      P]

    • @beepboop204
      @beepboop204 Год назад +2

      i see you are still pushing Axelantis and Axespiracies

    • @acephas3
      @acephas3 Год назад

      I’ll ask here as well:
      Can you review the shotel in it entirety? It’s an underrated weapon for people that dealt with sweltering heat, oppressive humidity, and megafauna.

    • @mikesummers-smith4091
      @mikesummers-smith4091 Год назад +1

      I assume you've signed up for that Wondrium kukri course you mentioned?

    • @kaoskronostyche9939
      @kaoskronostyche9939 Год назад +1

      The sound editing really stood out on this one, Matt. Looming, booming, very distracting, very disturbing. Was loud enough to interfere with your voice, to make it difficult to hear you. It was also eerie and disturbing. Very unpleasant.

  • @balasaashti3146
    @balasaashti3146 Год назад +183

    I would love more bronze age videos it's one of my favorite periods to research.

  • @jankostrhun8725
    @jankostrhun8725 Год назад +87

    It's always good idea to remind people that slings are actually pretty lethal. Especially in era of very limiter armor. Those things can punch through your flesh (there are some records about how to treat sling wounds and the procedure is pretty similar to a bullet wound treatment) and break bones no problem AND are easy to make. Skilled slingers would also make sure there are not throwing any old rock and have enough properly shaped and smooth ammunition on hand. While a bit of a jump forward, Balearic slingers are said to be amongst best payed mercenaries so it's not just some rabble to throw in just to boost numbers. Just because something is relatively easy to learn and make doesn't mean it's not effective (see: "spear" for more information). People tend to underestimate these and it kinda bugs me.

    • @ironhead2008
      @ironhead2008 Год назад +13

      Yep, "David and Goliath" isn't anywhere near as far fetched as you'd think.

    • @jankostrhun8725
      @jankostrhun8725 Год назад +9

      @@ironhead2008 Yeah that's also something people forget about. David wasn't some 16yo twink who just got lucky with one pebble. Dude punched a lion to death so he knew what he was doing. HE was tiny next to Goliah for same reason Schwarzenegger looks tiny next to Andre the Giant. So he basically did Indian jones 2 maneuver and put a bullet through his head. Only his one was made of stone instead of super soft metals.
      People who herded animals were not just there to guide them but to fight off animals who would happily eat them or him.
      This is also why there's a lot of European fables with swineherder as a main hero trying to heard a bunch of half-feral pigs through the forest full of wolves and bears is no joke. IT goes all the way back to at least old Celts where the herder was supposed to sit on the place of honor during feasts.

    • @ironhead2008
      @ironhead2008 Год назад +6

      @@jankostrhun8725 Also, your average Levantine herdsman tended to get REALLY good with the sling. You had one job when you were out there: keep an eye on the flock. One would expect they had a great deal of time to get good with the sling.

    • @jankostrhun8725
      @jankostrhun8725 Год назад +5

      ​@@ironhead2008 Yep and shooting it down with easy to make and maintain (and practice) weapon is better way then most, especially when you are in a place where trees are less of an issue.
      It's funny how we overhype some weapons and totally disregard other just because they ain't shiny enough.

    • @ironhead2008
      @ironhead2008 Год назад +2

      @@jankostrhun8725 Well, I suspect disregarding weapons like slings isn't a new thing, judging by the biblical story. As far as I'm concerned, any weapon that was in common military use into Roman times (right down to standardized lead shot that slingers would scratch pithy messages onto) has lethal written all over it.

  • @TheUncleRuckus
    @TheUncleRuckus Год назад +40

    A good point to make as to why chariot operators were so heavily armored compared to the rest of the army is bc of the way Egyptians used the chariot in battle. Unlike the way it's portrayed in movies the Egyptian chariots were used for hit and run attacks, where they would charge into the enemy lines make their attack and then flee, they would repeatedly make these charging attacks so it made more sense that they needed to be more heavily armored as they spent a lot of time at the front line. Great video as always Matt! 👍👍

    • @SteveClark-ob1kj
      @SteveClark-ob1kj Год назад

      Or they were first copying and then adapting the contemporary equipment of their Canaanite enemies.

    • @JanoTuotanto
      @JanoTuotanto Год назад +3

      Or the weight and design was less restricting movement compared to foot soldier.

    • @frank9963
      @frank9963 Год назад +1

      Egyptian chariots were very light and some of the other surrounding people like the Philistines used heavier chariots

  • @Furniture121
    @Furniture121 Год назад +18

    I love the ending, it reminds me of being assessed as an instructor at a military school.
    Assessor: "You didn't introduce yourself at the start of the lesson."
    Me: "I taught them two periods this morning before the one you assessed, and have been instructing them for five months already, they know who I am."
    Assessor: "You always need to introduce yourself to the students, it's part of the lesson plan."
    Me, next assessed lesson: "I am still Sgt. Gosbee, and will continue to be until I am fired or promoted".
    Assessor: "I don't like the attitude..."

    • @KitagumaIgen
      @KitagumaIgen Год назад

      Welcome hexagonal peg - pass through this square hole.

    • @JayM409
      @JayM409 Год назад +1

      I was once criticized for teaching a 55 minute lesson in 50 minutes.

  • @enoughothis
    @enoughothis 10 месяцев назад +6

    The Khopesh is a surprisingly sophisticated weapon. The weight is focused towards the tip so that when you swing all the energy and momentum makes it move faster and hit harder. It's also very versatile, you can stab because the tip is in line with your wrist, you can slash, you can snake the blade around a shield or hook it away.

  • @ZacharyEvans
    @ZacharyEvans Год назад +13

    I love that 1-3 are all different variations of pointy sticks

  • @_D_P_
    @_D_P_ Год назад +24

    3:30 Intro
    5:13 Spear
    6:50 Bow
    9:32 Javelin
    10:56 Sling
    11:37 Mace
    12:59 Axe
    15:04 Dagger
    16:20 Sword
    17:17 Khopesh
    19:45 Chariot
    23:40 Outro

  • @brookechang4942
    @brookechang4942 Год назад +13

    Great video, Matt! It's fascinating to me to see the patterns in how weapons evolve. The Egyptian hand-axe goes from an "anti-personnel" to an "anti-armour" weapon (for lack of better terms), and then the introduction of the dagger... and then centuries later, in medieval Europe, we see daggers evolving into anti-armour designs like the rondel dagger!

  • @jamesfrankiewicz5768
    @jamesfrankiewicz5768 Год назад +27

    The kopesh actually has a well-understood evolution (via both archeological examples and ancient artwork from the Levant down through to Egypt): It started as a farming sickle, gradually got straighter (more of a sickle-sword). At some point, sharpening the back side of the sickle got popular, to be followed by wielders flipping it around and preferring what was the back edge (with earlier hilts having less bias to which direction was forwards), with the kopesh finally coming in to being with the more well-known shape featured in this video.

    • @frank9963
      @frank9963 Год назад +1

      An archaeologist told me when the bible refers to slaying with the edge of the sword it is talking of a sickle sword.

  • @sjohnson4882
    @sjohnson4882 Год назад +18

    Great, always interested in arms and armor of ancient cultures. Although I am aware of most of these weapons, I was not aware of the Hyksos influence on their development. Thanks.

  • @agentspaniel4428
    @agentspaniel4428 Год назад +111

    Next, you should do the Mongols and how it influenced much of the world

    • @UnholyTerra
      @UnholyTerra Год назад +1

      I would love this!

    • @hrotha
      @hrotha Год назад +5

      For real though. You get people downplaying the importance of the Mongols because Genghis Khan's empire didn't last, as if the Mongol successor states weren't a thing. A hugely important and influential thing

    • @joltsofdeath
      @joltsofdeath Год назад +2

      Mongolia is so badass, Thorat singin horse milk drinkin badass nomads with their own country between russia and china and they both dare not fuck with mongolia

    • @mikeblayne4028
      @mikeblayne4028 Год назад

      That would be awsome! Mabey even make it a series!?

    • @sicilianmammalian
      @sicilianmammalian Год назад +2

      @@joltsofdeath they make a horse milk beer from the wild horses and have a two week festival and it keeps everyone from getting sick till the next year

  • @stormiewutzke4190
    @stormiewutzke4190 Год назад +10

    I started experimenting with making bronze this winter. The material gets more interesting the deeper you look. It also can have some major increases in different properties by just some small trace alloys that can just happen to be in a local ore deposit.

    • @Conzor563
      @Conzor563 Год назад +1

      Any suggestions about where I can read up on this? The Wikipedia for all the different varieties of bronze is pretty barren

  • @charlesbaker9888
    @charlesbaker9888 Год назад +2

    Been catching up on some content from the last few months after an extended hiatus, and I had somehow forgotten just how absolutely DELIGHTFUL you are Matt; keep being excellent!

  • @nicdutton5707
    @nicdutton5707 Год назад +5

    Sorry to say l find your recent inclusion of music in the background very very distracting.l wish you’d reconsider it as l think it really spoils your otherwise excellent content.

  • @epiqur6574
    @epiqur6574 Год назад +7

    I love watching your videos. They are entertaining as well as go deep into the details. I'd love to see more ancient related videos, I think you present those topics equally well as your medieval videos. Great stuff!

  • @GrandSnow469
    @GrandSnow469 Год назад +2

    Heavy armored swordsmen revolutionised ancient warfare alongside chariots.
    People tend to not like hand to hand combat, so spear engagements were very low in casualty rate. But swordsmen provided a lot of shock value both psychological and physycal

  • @jaqssmith1666
    @jaqssmith1666 Год назад +1

    i was worried that he'd stop being Matt Easton at the end there. Thanks for setting my mind at ease, Matt.

  • @esoel
    @esoel Год назад +6

    As an archer I find the draw style depicted fascinating. It's very similar to modern day "asiatic" styles, and with very long draw past the head. Those arrows must have had some very good penetration power...

    • @frank9963
      @frank9963 Год назад

      good observation. They sometimes used a bronze target which also makes me think they had good penetration

  • @bakaribradford
    @bakaribradford 11 месяцев назад +1

    Only 5 minutes into the video and I already like this guy! He’s using the art depictions of ancient Egyptians straight out the gate and not washed up reinterpretations of them. Let me find out this is a good channel to subscribe to.. 👀

  • @peteazouz6072
    @peteazouz6072 Год назад +2

    Really enjoyed watching this, thank you. Nice to see a review of the different technologies available at the time of the new kingdom - personally I always saw the khopesh sword as a precursor to the yatagan, also I imagine that the extra leverage for that D shaped blade from a chariot would make it really effective, which is why it seemed to be reserved for the elite troops.

  • @danielkeding3071
    @danielkeding3071 Год назад

    Great program. I appreciate your scholarly approach to the weapons and the history that surrounds them. Keep up the great work.

  • @rogerlacaille3148
    @rogerlacaille3148 Год назад

    I love these history pieces you do,keep them coming please Matt!

  • @totallyfrozen
    @totallyfrozen Год назад

    Thank you! I’ve been looking forward to this video. 👍🏻

  • @michaelb.3994
    @michaelb.3994 Год назад +5

    More bronze age content, please! I'm absolutely loving it!

  • @brometheus5019
    @brometheus5019 Год назад +1

    Matt is a goldmine. Cheers folks!

  • @MasterTMO
    @MasterTMO Год назад +7

    I've touched vaguely on this type of thing doing setup and research for my RPG campaign, which is Egyptian themed. It's a challenge sorting out the facts from the fiction from the fantasy sometimes. ;)

  • @madao7865
    @madao7865 Год назад +3

    Right on time for the release of the Pharao Remake.

  • @Intranetusa
    @Intranetusa Год назад +30

    Great video - very interesting and informative. You should make these top 10 weapons for other nations/cultures too: eg. Medieval England 1000s-1400s AD, Han Dynasty 200s BC-200s AD, mid Roman Republic to early Empire 300s BC to 100s AD, Parthian Empire 200s BC to 200s AD, etc

    • @jossemartin
      @jossemartin Год назад +3

      First place for all of them is spear. 🥇

    • @Kris_Lighthawk
      @Kris_Lighthawk Год назад

      @@jossemartin Well, there is exceptions, such as the Roman Empire and the Mongols, both with used (traditional) spears very little.

    • @Intranetusa
      @Intranetusa Год назад

      ​ @Kris Lighthawk - The mid Roman Republic had dedicated spearmen, the early Roman Empire legions sometimes used their pila as a 7 foot stabbing spear (apparently it was commonly used as a spear against cavalry) + had auxillaries equipped with heavier spears, and the later Roman Empire brought back regular heavy thrusting spears for their core legions. The Mongols also used spears a lot for their cavalry troops. 40% of Mongol cavalry were heavily armored lancers (eg. long spears), and their lighter horse archer cavalry often carried spears as well.

    • @Kris_Lighthawk
      @Kris_Lighthawk Год назад

      @@Intranetusa Yes, I am aware that some type of spear was used, which is why specified traditional spear and Roman Empire (should have specified early)
      Also, are you sure about Mongolian horse archers using spears? That seem pretty impractical when your main weapon is a bow. I also seem to remember having read that that the use of heavy lancers was mostly done against European knights, and was such not used as much by most of the Mongolian armies.
      Anyway, my main point was that the spear was not always the number one weapon.

    • @Intranetusa
      @Intranetusa Год назад +1

      @Kris Lighthawk - The core early imperial Roman troops of the early empire just favored a multipurpose throwing spear, while the Roman auxiliaries often used traditional thrusting spears - and auxiliaries were half (and later the majority) of the Roman army. As for spears carried by cavalry, the spear can be carried on the side of the horse or strapped to the rider's back when it is not in use. The horse archer is not carrying a spear in his hands while shooting a bow and arrow with both hands. There are numerous modern and historical depictions of cavalry troops having both a bow and a spear/lance/polearm:
      1. There is a period painting of a Qing Dynasty cavalryman carrying a spear in his hand, a musket on his back, and a bow and arrows at the same time. I can't post links in youtube comments, but you can find that painting by searching for the words "Valiant Cavalry (Qing)."
      2. There is another QIng painting called the "Leopard Tail Imperial Bodyguards escorting the Qianlong emperor during the Grand Review of the Troops" that depicts 2-3 dozen heavily armored Qing cavalrymen in a semicircular formation around the emperor, and half the cavalry are carrying only bows and short weapons, while the other half of the cavalry are carrying both bows and spears/lances.
      3. There is also an 1800s Russian painting of a nomadic cavalryman shooting a bow on horseback while carrying a spear strapped to his back. You can find this painting by searching for the Quora topic called "How quickly could a Central Asian (or similar) cavalryman switch between lance and bow?" - it is the second image of the first reply.
      Furthermore, there is often an overlap between ranged cavalry and melee cavalry because lighter horse archers often carried polearm weapons and even wore heavy armor, while heavier-armored "heavy cavalry" sometimes carried a ranged weapon like a bow and could function like light cavalry/horse archers. Heavily armed/armored cavalry of the Parthians, Sassanids, ancient and medieval Chinese kingdoms, medival Mongols, etc were often equipped with ranged weapons and could function as hybrid cavalry. Hybrid cavalry had the option to shoot their arrows before engaging in melee, and had the ability to function well in melee rather than retreating if the enemy was close. As for lancers being used mostly against knights, I don't think that is the case because 1) nomadic lancers have existed for at least a thousand years before the Mongols came around (there are Han Dynasty records from the 100s BC talking about fighting nomadic cavalry charges) and 2) the Mongols created their heavy cavalry continents long before they began any significant attacks into Europe. The Mongols were fighting in northern China and adopted the heavy armor of the Jin Dynasty, and the Jin Dynasty specialized in very heavily armored cavalry with close quarters weaponry. The Mongols had to use both ranged and melee cavalry to fight the Jin. There are also Middle Eastern paintings of the Mongol invasion depicting heavily armored cavalry that are carrying both spears and bows...and the Mongol invasion of the Middle East happened before they invaded Europe. You can find more period-paintings of Mongol cavalry with spear and bow as well as modern paintings of the same by searching the words "Middle Eastern Mongol lancer painting."

  • @daemonharper3928
    @daemonharper3928 Год назад

    Great work as usual sir.
    A fascinating subject.

  • @robertschriek1353
    @robertschriek1353 Год назад

    Thanks for this informative vid!

  • @garynaccarato4606
    @garynaccarato4606 Год назад +5

    Yes I've definitely noticed that when it comes to the ancient Egyptian mace axe that you don't hear much information on them and you don't really hear too many people talking about it and I also personally think it would have been cool if somebody tried to build one, handle it, test it,and then try to give there opinion on whether or not a weapon like that would have actually been effective in the context of ancient Egyptian warfare.

    • @kickslinging
      @kickslinging Год назад +1

      Honestly, it kind of reminds me of a goedendag. It's a bludgeoning weapon with blade attached. In that way I can see it as being a plausible weapon, but yeah very thin on the ground for information on them.

  • @GrandDungeonDad
    @GrandDungeonDad Год назад

    This has been a fascinating vid its the first time I have seen it as I am new to the channel. Its amazing how much artistry went into some of these pieces too. Even the simple versions have some artistic aspects to them.

  • @woodsman105
    @woodsman105 Год назад

    Fantastic video! Definitely makes me want to learn more about the various Egyptian epochs.

  • @Robsta42
    @Robsta42 Год назад +1

    Looking at the title and guessing the list I quickly came up with khopesh, chariot, bow and spear. Glad you didn't disappoint.

  • @johnguss6087
    @johnguss6087 Год назад +1

    I love watching your videos. I have a brain for military trivia. I had never heard that the khopesh was only sharpened along the curve. I learned something new today. Thanks!

  • @lc1138
    @lc1138 Год назад

    Thank you very much, it was illuminating indeed !

  • @MaidenFan666
    @MaidenFan666 Год назад +2

    This is amazing content. I loved the African swords video too. I hope you do more of these

  • @dogmaticpyrrhonist543
    @dogmaticpyrrhonist543 Год назад +4

    Totally agree on the Khopesh. It's almost obviously a crescent axe, but all bronze. And regardless of it's origins, it would surely be used like an axe. Excluding being able to move your hand around, it's more akin to a late medieval battleaxe with rondels than a sword. Still, thinking of it as a sword isn't quite as slap worthy as declaring it to be a sickle sword.

  • @thomasfisk2467
    @thomasfisk2467 Год назад +2

    I like the music. It's been a bit loud when you used it before, but this is about right.

  • @AndICanTalk2
    @AndICanTalk2 Год назад

    Once again, so fascinating. Love these kinds of things, especially when you do a good job of trying to be impartial by heavily relying on known facts. Thanks.

  • @-RONNIE
    @-RONNIE Год назад

    Thanks for a good informative video 👍🏻

  • @nostalgicdouchebag1912
    @nostalgicdouchebag1912 Год назад +1

    This is one of my favorite time periods so hopefully we'll see more videos about the weapons during this time

  • @frankharr9466
    @frankharr9466 Год назад

    That was pretty interesting. Thanks.

  • @SteveClark-ob1kj
    @SteveClark-ob1kj Год назад +4

    For the "mace axe" see Rosellini, "The Monuments of Ancient Egypt and Nubia" pp 38-39. It reproduces 2 scenes of Rameses II smiting his foes with this weapon. Photographs of two other wall carvings with bladed maces can be found in McDermott, "Warfare in Ancient Egypt".

    • @CallMeMrChainmail
      @CallMeMrChainmail Год назад

      Just googled, you're correct the images are very clear however it is possibly artistic licence.

    • @SteveClark-ob1kj
      @SteveClark-ob1kj Год назад

      @@CallMeMrChainmail In fact, I have not seen any cases of maces being used in New Kingdom armies outside the "smiting of the enemy" scenes. So it is likely that the mace (of whatever form) was mostly a ceremonial weapon by this time.
      I would like to know more about the scenes McDermott photographed but one is from a part of the 18th Dyn. tomb of Sennefer which is not available on Osirisnet. The other, which shows a common soldier carrying which looks like a mace-axe, has no context other than Karnak.
      Basically the archaeological record is tricky, and hoping for a physical object to match the sculptural may be too much. I'll always remember something I read, maybe 50 years ago, that the Vikings had 17 words for spear but only 2 Viking spear heads had been found.

  • @willstith1
    @willstith1 Год назад

    This was really great. I'd love more vids on Ancient Egypt.

  • @wylde_hunter
    @wylde_hunter Год назад

    Great video. I would love to see a complementary one on their enemies, the Assyrian Empire. Well done again Matt.

  • @josephphoenix1376
    @josephphoenix1376 Год назад

    Excellent Episode 👍

  • @SlothinAintEasy
    @SlothinAintEasy Год назад +1

    My dude. I’ve been studying up on ancient Egypt and it’s all better than game of thrones I swear.

  • @ebonytv3414
    @ebonytv3414 Год назад

    Thank you very much for this video on Egyptian weapons as i have ancestral interest in Egypt

  • @volkerw.
    @volkerw. Год назад +1

    Interesting subject! Can you do more videos on ancient warfare? But thanks anyway for your work: i really enjoy your videos! They are very entertaining for a person interested in military history!

  • @filmfan4
    @filmfan4 Год назад

    I like the additional music and visual aids!

  • @charlottesimonin2551
    @charlottesimonin2551 Год назад

    Excellent review. Everything you said echos what I've learned from other sources.

  • @valkoharja
    @valkoharja Год назад

    This was great.

  • @larryc835
    @larryc835 Год назад

    Like the background music, outstanding video.

  • @snowjoe43
    @snowjoe43 Год назад

    In this subject, you are fantastic!

  • @Bob-qk2zg
    @Bob-qk2zg Год назад

    Very good presentation. Excellent subject matter. Professional. 👍❤️😃💯🥇

  • @lovelaven6491
    @lovelaven6491 Год назад

    Very interesting video! Would love to see more in the same vain, i.e. the most important weapons of a particular kingdom/dynasty.

  • @NeBuLiSt
    @NeBuLiSt Год назад

    Love Ancient Egypt!!!!!! What an amazingly elaborate culture!!!!!

  • @yoavedelist6173
    @yoavedelist6173 Год назад

    As a big ancient Egypt fan, this video made me very happy.

  • @heritagehillsecurity8778
    @heritagehillsecurity8778 Год назад

    Thank you.

  • @silentlandthousandvoices
    @silentlandthousandvoices Год назад

    I love this ancient weapon dives.

  • @juangabrielfalcon3253
    @juangabrielfalcon3253 Год назад

    Awesome one!, I would add, as sugestion, breakpoints into the video.

  • @theomelchior2739
    @theomelchior2739 Год назад

    the top ten weapon countdown idea is something I desperately need, metatron did a few of them but doesn't anymore and I need that content in my life now

  • @Million97
    @Million97 Год назад

    Best video in a while

  • @ycplum7062
    @ycplum7062 Год назад +1

    For the charioteers/crew, they were usually higher skilled and worth the cost of armor to protect.
    But probably just as important, the chariot crew can wear armor and fight without overheating or overexertion when compared to those on foot.

  • @kevinjkelliher
    @kevinjkelliher Год назад +2

    I was reading about one of their naval battles against the sea people. They used missile weapons (bows and arrows) and it pointed out the value of reeds which were straight, as shafts for the arrows. Perhaps on land they did also have a preference for missile weapons (arrows and stones) and coupled this with chariots racing across the front of enemy formations to disrupt or break them. Basically hit and demoralise the enemy before mass contact. The spearmen would then close to finish the job.

  • @chrisball3778
    @chrisball3778 Год назад +13

    They definitely had bronze in Ancient Egypt prior to the New Kingdom. Presumably they improved the composition and/or manufacturing techniques in the New Kingdom, or just started using it more often. Also, It's interesting that so many of the depictions of soldiers with axes show them holding them 'backwards'. I wonder whether it was just an artistic convention or whether they were held that way for a reason. E.g. they may have used the back in training, or maybe they were encouraged to only use the blade against armoured opponents in order to maintain the edge.

    • @revjoe250
      @revjoe250 Год назад +4

      Were they only making arsenic bronze before? That seems weird, since classic tin bronze had been around for almost fifteen hundred years before the arrival of the Hyksos. But it would explain the mix-up, since arsenic bronze is sometimes referred to as arsenic copper to differentiate it from true bronze, and possibly the source Matt was using simply referred to it as copper because of this.
      Still seems unlikely though, because the Egyptians were living right next to one of the primary production centers of bronze for well over a millennium. At the very least, they would've imported it.

    • @vytas5584
      @vytas5584 Год назад

      I wondered about that too. Maybe artistic weirdness.

    • @adambielen8996
      @adambielen8996 Год назад +1

      Maybe that is how they carried them when not fighting?

    • @ne0nmancer
      @ne0nmancer Год назад +1

      I think when marching, they would have to point it backwards so they could balance it on their shoulders, if it was pointed forward the weight would rest on their arms as if in combat.

    • @petriew2018
      @petriew2018 Год назад +2

      honestly it's likely just an artistic convention thing.
      It's kind of hard to explain, but Egyptian Art was a fairly rigid thing, you were trained in a special school to paint a certain way, individual expression was just not encouraged. Human figures especially had a certain formula to them, the body was broken up into 4 imaginary quadrants, one for each limb. The individual limbs could then be posed to a certain scale, then the four parts put back together so the size and style remained largely uniform.... it's really interesting, but also really hard to describe without visual aids
      As it applies to weapons, though, the basic problem is when you're painting multiple figures they all have to conform to this same rigid formula, which means any weapons they're holding by and large have to fit within the same imaginary quadrants. Hence the backwards facing axes, because you can't have the axe head intruding on the space of the next figure. Obviously you still get the idea that it's an axe, though

  • @defaultytuser
    @defaultytuser Год назад +1

    I don't know if it is a new feature or I hadn't noticed it before, but I love the background music! Reminds me of the LOTR soundtrack, just beautiful.

  • @QuentinStephens
    @QuentinStephens Год назад +3

    Please ditch the background music.

  • @tapioperala3010
    @tapioperala3010 Год назад

    Khopesh is such a beautiful... Sword? Axe? Weapon.
    Absolutely beautiful.

  • @kennyhagan5781
    @kennyhagan5781 Год назад

    I hardly ever watch these videos, I usually don't need that much scholarly stuff concerning this sort of topic. But I find myself trying to answer an old question, and this is just another breadcrumb on a long trail.
    Thanks for the hard work, I know how research can be.

  • @KUROSHURA
    @KUROSHURA Год назад +3

    It’s a great thing that you mentioned the Zulus as we can create a Composite view of Ancient Egyptian Warfare with that of other African Kingdoms. The Amazulu fought Barefoot; running was also a Staple in their Tactics. They also had Fighting Sticks, Maces, Spears, Shields and Axes that are comparable to that of the Ancient Egyptians.

  • @michellehansen1563
    @michellehansen1563 Год назад +1

    You should do more on ancient warfare and weapons.

  • @thegermaniccoenus2525
    @thegermaniccoenus2525 Год назад +1

    Just saw your Roman pilum vs. armor video. It was really awesome. But you really need to test it out against bronze plates as well (especially those with a good amount of Tin in them which makes them really strong) considering those were also one of the common armor at the time. Perhaps more common than iron armor. I think the thickness of bronze plates were somewhere between 4mm to 8mm (if my memory serves me right)

  • @Dominator046
    @Dominator046 Год назад

    Really like the subtle audio inclusion, Matt! Could be really cool for future videos in general.
    My only suggestion, dial it down just a tiny bit!

  • @wompa70
    @wompa70 Год назад

    Pointy sticks for the win! Great vid, Matt.

  • @08mlascelles
    @08mlascelles Год назад

    “The mace has an association with power and authority” you’re damn right! If I encounter someone carrying a mace of any description, I’m backing off asap! 😂

  • @PpAirO5
    @PpAirO5 Год назад +1

    Please make a video of the following:
    ¹Northern Viking age weapons
    ²Greek weapons
    ³Roman weapons
    ⁴Indian weapons

  • @Rannsack
    @Rannsack Год назад +1

    Its pretty amazing to think that about half of ancient Egyptian history they were using stone age weapons.

  • @TD-dq1gp
    @TD-dq1gp Год назад +1

    I like the music!

  • @Durmomo0
    @Durmomo0 Год назад

    yeah I love this kind of stuff.
    The later stuff is awesome but I really love the stuff from the bronze age. Its just so ancient to us and interesting.

  • @MarcRitzMD
    @MarcRitzMD Год назад

    On the physics of composite vs simple bows: A simple bow made of wood can compete and beat composite bows with regards to efficiency in certain setups. Shooting heavy arrows, efficiency for a simple wooden bow is pretty much maximized. Low draw weight composite bows struggle with efficiency. Composite bows have the edge when it comes to efficiency with low arrow weights. Where the real performance difference comes in is energy storage. Composite bows allow for the extremely reflexed designs which increase energy storage (but not efficiency).
    Reflex composite bows store more energy because they are more work to pull even at equal draw weights. They don't have a linear force-draw curve (that is the term to look up). The composite bow has a greater early draw weight increase which increases the area under the curve. It is the opposite of stacking in archery terms. Reflex composite bows store more energy, have comparable efficiency, greater performance/effectiveness. A composite bow which was just a simple straight bow would have no performance advantages, in fact, it might be worse.

  • @mdh6977
    @mdh6977 Год назад

    I've always loved the khopesh

  • @jocelynjjones
    @jocelynjjones Год назад

    Great stuff, glad to see this period and culture get some attention. There's an awful lot of nonsense out there for many reasons (Egypt's unparalleled cultural footprint, the wealth of older research which is either now obsolete or has never been translated from German, the amount we simply don't know which gets smoothed over with conjecture), but delving into the sources and reputable literature can be incredibly rewarding (or frustrating when it turns out nobody actually knows-like the nature of the khepesh and the use of armour). Looking forward to more

  • @harrykouwen1426
    @harrykouwen1426 Год назад

    Interesting to see in the egyptian art on chariots that their bridles are bonded or strapt around the waist or hips of the rider shooting the bow at the same time, steering with the hips makes it a possibility imho.
    As I recall, the mongol horsemen steered their horses with their knees and feet and whistle signals while shooting with their bows, no hands needed there too. In Hungary there are tourist shows showing amazing horseriding capabilities and control.
    Also the bows and quivers are seen mounted left and right, giving a 2 man chariot chance to steer and control with the hips and whistle signals through the bridles and both shooting arrows and javelins at the enemy.

  • @ObatongoSensei
    @ObatongoSensei Год назад +5

    Wasn't the khopesh more like a cutting blade than a chopping one? In that it worked much like a scimitar, so maybe that's why someone compares it to those more modern curved swords. It would also explain why it was used by charioteers, since it would have been quite well suited to be used in ride-by attacks on foot soldiers.

    • @thornescapes7707
      @thornescapes7707 Год назад +4

      Compare the weight distribution of the sword on this list to the kopesh. The kopesh is balanced to give more impetus to the chop than anything else. While it could also cut, the only reason to go through the effort of making the complicated kopesh is for increased chopping. If you were only cutting, the basic sword would make far more sense.

    • @ObatongoSensei
      @ObatongoSensei Год назад +1

      @@thornescapes7707 Well, it seems to have most of its mass towards the handle, while the crescent blade seems quite thinner. It's a weapon cast in one piece out of bronze, so the hilt would be a thick, solid piece.
      Also, if it was a chopping weapon, the impact point would have probably been further away from the handle than it is in that model.
      It makes me think it was used more with a sliding cutting motion than with a heavy chopping one.

    • @warrenbaker4181
      @warrenbaker4181 Год назад +1

      I am wondering if the physical limitations of bronze favored a shorter cutting edge as that found in a Khopesh instead of a longer sword type of blade

    • @thornescapes7707
      @thornescapes7707 Год назад +2

      @@ObatongoSensei Except there is a simpler sword right there in the same list. It existed and was lighter and nimbler. Why add all that weight at the front if it's just for slicing?

    • @ObatongoSensei
      @ObatongoSensei Год назад

      @@warrenbaker4181 Probably, the relative softness of bronze is also the reason for the T cross-section of that unusual sword. It added some strength to the blade to avoid bending it, but it didn't make it a good chopper.
      Also, since the ancient civilizations mostly used spears as main weapons of war, there was no such need for a longer blade. I don't know any blade as long as the celtic spatha, made from iron, from ancient west.

  • @Hakor0
    @Hakor0 Год назад

    The sling works even if it just slightly injures because it causes general consternation in the ranks which disrupts battle tactics etc It just surprises people how deadly they are too But why so good to me is the obvious ease of carrying so doesn't become a burden like a bow etc

  • @petric334
    @petric334 Год назад

    The kopesh seems to carry direct design dna from the axe you showed at 13:32. Better hilt, but the lines are all there if you follow from handle up the shaft then around the cutting edge.

  • @michaellavaughnrobinson
    @michaellavaughnrobinson Год назад

    Well done, one of the best. Really love the bronze and iron age content.

  • @acethesupervillain348
    @acethesupervillain348 Год назад +2

    What I've always heard was that the old Epsilon axe (long bladed) had trouble cutting through bone, so it left big bleed-out cuts, but it wasn't a manstopper, while the modernized Hyksos axe (duckbilled) could strike with enough force to break bones, even though the cuts it gave weren't very big. Well maintained bronze can be just as sharp as steel, but it goes unsharp more quickly, and I suspect that most conscripted infantry arms weren't kept as sharp as they could be. Some of their enemies might have been more armored, but it's plain to see by Egyptian art that standard infantry was not armored at all back in those days.

    • @ebonytv3414
      @ebonytv3414 Год назад

      You suspect ( the standard conscript infantry weren’t kept sharp ) and how would you know they where not professional soldiers with professional arms.

    • @acethesupervillain348
      @acethesupervillain348 Год назад

      @@ebonytv3414 look it up

    • @ebonytv3414
      @ebonytv3414 Год назад

      @@acethesupervillain348 so you looked it up and only suspect it’s true.

  • @hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156
    @hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156 Год назад

    In my humble uneducated opinion, bronze feels like the noblest of "weapon metals". Something about its glow, its depth, feels like it's connected to our Human guts, in a much different way than steel. The Bronze Age is such a fascinating time.

  • @sassyviking6003
    @sassyviking6003 Год назад

    This accurate representation of spear suppremacy pleases me. Every culture, every period predating modern firarms.

  • @ericvanvlandren8987
    @ericvanvlandren8987 Год назад +1

    Great video! I didn’t know so much of this - especially the prevalence of bronze.
    I know that copper and, especially, tin were one of the few things exported from southern Britain (Cornwall especially) by the early people of the British Isles. Celts? Britons?
    Is there any evidence of trade with Egypt at this time?

  • @elforeigner3260
    @elforeigner3260 Год назад

    The bronze axe is my favorite
    Wherever it hits, bones break

  • @itswamba2060
    @itswamba2060 Год назад

    I’d love to hear you address the Atlatl.

  • @petewatts9475
    @petewatts9475 Год назад +1

    I was trying to work out which of my other tabs were playing music

  • @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145
    @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145 Год назад

    I'd love a vid comparing Huns & Mongols. Also the vid should discuss the origin theories of the Huns including the possibility of the Huns being somehow related to the Mongols.

  • @arturrutkowski2100
    @arturrutkowski2100 Год назад

    Love the music!
    Adds such a oriantalistic vibe. You are an nineteenth century gentelman-chad indeed.

  • @tauIrrydah
    @tauIrrydah Год назад

    I notice in the first relief image of the soldiers at t5:24 that the spears have tapered points on the butt end, I wonder if that's for driving them into the ground to help deal with cavalry?