SoA Forums

did camels carry swords and if so was it only the long ones?

This isn't strictly army research, as I have no intention to use it to raise forces.  But, given it is "The Year of the Camelid", others might.

Long ago, I remember my WRG books had images of Hellenistic camel riders with giant swords. I would be sceptical about these except that Duncan, IIRC, quoted the original evidence. Yet I couldn't help but wonder about them. I presume their form is dictated by engaging infantry who might attack the camel, rather than camel v camel action.  Were they fully sharp swords or simply sharp at the cutting end? Do we have any surviving examples?

Ahhhhhh roman drones

 

I thought they were the main characters from a 1960s western series. 

When I first saw this topic I thought it would be about some epic piece of ancient civil engineering.   

User "andrewnz" over at TMP gave this reply:

QuoteI spent a lot of time looking around for images or information. My best single source resource was Potts, 1999. The archaeology of Elam: Formation and transformation of an ancient Iranian state. Cambridge University Press. There is a copy of the first edition on line with academia.edu

There were some great items in the Louvre: cylinder seal impressions, chariot wheel hoops, some stone reliefs.

Ultimately I decided that the Late Bronze Age was a very international era (long range trading tin to make the bronze) so perhaps well equiped Elamites did not look so different from others. More unarmoured archers with head bands as a nod to the much later Assyrian relief sculptures to be sure.

Also, that chariots were not mass produced in factories so they could also look different. And ideally should. But most pulled by armoured horses.

I think I can get access to the 2nd edition, so I'll report back if/when I get around to reading or skimming it.

Obviously a slow Tuesday

The music gets annoying, though, like being stuck on hold.

I can understand why no people but there should be barges on the Tiber - the river was a main import route up from the coast.

Quite impressive. The sheer number of statues in high positions on buildings is very striking.