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Elias Manuel Morgado Pinheiro Dissertação de Mestrado em ...

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A second type of chariot was used at the time, named the “Hittite Chariot” or<br />

“Anatolian Type Chariot” 24 . Unlike the Egyptians, the Hittites did not use the chariot<br />

exclusively as a firing platform, also using it to fight at close quarters. Therefore, their<br />

chariots were of heavier build, having a fully filled riding, probably with leather or<br />

wood, in or<strong>de</strong>r to protect the crew. Since the “hittite chariot” wasn‟t used to fire<br />

projectiles at the en<strong>em</strong>y, it did not require the ad<strong>de</strong>d stability, and therefore maintained<br />

the axle centred beneath the box. On the other hand, chariots with their axles placed at<br />

the rear of the box significantly increased the pressure on the horses‟ necks; while this<br />

increased pressure might have been tolerable on light-rail chariots, it might not be the<br />

case on these heavier types. Nevertheless, there are <strong>de</strong>pictions of the Hittite chariot<br />

being used as a fire platform. The shift to close-quarter battle is a later <strong>de</strong>velopment, as<br />

early chariots from the heart of the <strong>em</strong>pire were <strong>de</strong>picted with a driver and a bowman.<br />

The heavy Hittite chariots‟ cab had approximately 1.25m width by 1m <strong>de</strong>ep, in<br />

or<strong>de</strong>r to accommodate the third crewman. The riding of the cab was built out of wood<br />

slats, covering all si<strong>de</strong>s but the rear. The standard wheels show six spokes, being c.<br />

90cm in diameter. The draught pole runs un<strong>de</strong>r the cab, all the way to the rear, for ad<strong>de</strong>d<br />

strength.<br />

Besi<strong>de</strong>s the driver, the Hittite chariot carried a spearman, whose mission was to<br />

thrust a spear, not hurl it, into the en<strong>em</strong>y, as well as a shield-bearer, protecting the other<br />

two (fig. 7). The latter is sometimes <strong>de</strong>picted carrying throwing spears. However, early<br />

examples of Hittite chariots are seen carrying a driver and an archer, armed with a<br />

composite bow, in similar fashion to the Egyptian ones. The Hittite chariot warriors<br />

wore heavy scale armour, covering most of their bodies, and bronze helmets, while the<br />

driver and the shield-bearer wore light textile armour. 25 It has been suggested by<br />

Littauer and Crouwel 26 that both <strong>de</strong>signs are resultant of the evolution of previous cars<br />

found either in Anatolia or in the Near East, hence being a local <strong>de</strong>velopment.<br />

According to th<strong>em</strong>, the light chariot had its origins “either as a flat car with open railing<br />

(Anatolia), as a shallow open-railed vehicle with curving pole (Mesopotamia), or<br />

(Syria) as a gradual modification of the old platform car”. 27<br />

24 It should be noted that “Hittite Chariot” or “Anatolian Type Chariot” are a specific type of chariot and<br />

do not represent the entirety of the chariots used by Hittites. They <strong>de</strong>ployed many different types of<br />

chariots, reflecting the many nations un<strong>de</strong>r their control.<br />

25 Fields, 2006, pp.19-20<br />

26 Littauer and Crouwel, 1980<br />

27 Littauer and Crouwel ,1980, §3<br />

18

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