Ancient Egyptian Army Weapons
The Ancient Egyptians employed a diverse and advanced arsenal of weapons, which aided them in commanding a preeminent place among the kingdoms of the Ancient World. Whether it was in short-range or long-range combat, the Ancient Egyptians excelled at conquering territory or defending their realm of influence from invaders.
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Bow and Arrow
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This weapon was the most highly utilized of the Egyptian army. Mercenary archers from Nubia formed the core archery unit. After the introduction of a composite bow made of horn, sinews and wood, the bow and arrow become even more feared by opposing armies. Soon it was used in conjunction with body armor and war chariots. Many of these more effective bows were imported from other Middle Eastern countries.
Spear
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The spear was initially used more in hunting until it slowly evolved into a weapon used by the Egyptian army. It was often used for stabbing at close range. For instance, charioteers used the spear after running out of arrows, or when chasing down enemies who were on foot. The spear was often quite short in length, measuring the height of a man.
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Battle Axe
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The Egyptian army employed two types of axe: the cutting axe and the piercing axe. The former was used in close range, hand-to-hand combat. The latter was specifically used against armored enemies. An infantry wielding axes rushed for the enemy after the opposing side was weakened by the assault of arrows. By the end of the New Kingdom (16 B.C. to 11 B.C.), the sword was favored to the axe, and the latter fell into disuse.
Sword
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With the introduction of metal into Egypt, the sword became the favored weapon of hand-to-hand fighting. The first swords were cast in bronze, which was easier to cast than copper and more durable. Egyptian swords had short wooden or ivory handles. One type of early sword was the khepesh or khopesh, which had a bent blade introduced into Egypt during the early New Kingdom. The design of the blade was intended primarily for slicing opponents.
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References
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