Elias Manuel Morgado Pinheiro Dissertação de Mestrado em ...

After c. 1600 B.C. the chariot became widespread in the Near East, from Egypt
to Anatolia. Between c.1800 and c.1600 B.C. new innovations took place. These can be
seen in the Egyptian chariots, the main source of evidence for this period. Perhaps the
most relevant innovation is the shift in position of the axle, being attached to the chariot
at the very rear of the cab, instead of right underneath it. This new design, despite
putting extra pressure on the horses‟ necks, does increase the overall stability of the
vehicle. This increase of stability was paramount to the use of the chariot as a firing
platform, a practice now fully widespread both in Egypt and in the Levant. The box is
made of bent wood and rawhide, being an average of 1.0m wide and 0.5m deep 22 . Since
the focus was on speed rather than protection, the crew was shielded only by a stretched
ox hide, in the front of the cab, while the sides remained vulnerable. The six spoked
wheels averaged 90cm in diameter and were made with light but sturdy materials,
mainly elm, ash, and almond. The wheels were of an extremely complex design: each
spoke was made by gluing together two halves of bent-wood V-shaped pieces. This
structure would then be attached to the nave of the wheel through the use of fresh cattle
intestines that would later harden and shrink as it dried, keeping the entire structure
together. The rim was made by binding four felloes to four felly-bands, united by strips
of rawhide and reinforced with bronze wire, while an outer tyre, also made of rawhide,
would compress the entire structure. The wheels were secured to the axle by a lynch-
pin. The axle was much larger than the superstructure, averaging 1.45m in length. This
allowed for sharp turns, and contributed to the stability of the vehicle, by providing
significant shock absorption. 23
Each chariot was manned by a crew of two: the charioteer, often carrying a
shield, and a “chariot warrior”, armed with bow and arrows, as well as maces, axes and
khopesh, presumably for dismounted combat. However, the main weapon was the
composite bow, and the chariots were fitted with quivers of arrows for extra
ammunition.
For protection, these warriors wore either textile armour (linen layers mixed
with resin) or scale armour (made of bronze or hardened leather). In addition to these
two crew members, the chariots were deployed in conjunction with light-armoured
22 Littauer and Crouwel, 1980, §4
23 Fields, 2006, p.16
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