Ancient Egyptian pharaohs first formed an army in the Old Kingdom to protect them and their land. The early pharaohs wouldn't have had any idea of how important this army was to become in the later periods. From warriors and weapons to paramedics everyone in the army played a part in making Ancient Egypt the formidable country it was.
Ancient Egypt's defence systems changed from the ways in the Old and Middle Kingdoms to new customs in the New Kingdom. The main change between these two periods was the introduction of chariots and archers. These improvements meant that the archers shot before the foot soldiers went in thus reducing the death rate slightly. The chariots could charge before the foot soldiers began. Both of these became important additions to the military.
The army was predominantly made up of foot soldiers. There were two types of foot soldiers: the light military and the heavy military. The light military had a bow and copper-headed arrows. The heavy military carried the shields, spears and swords.
The shields provided the military with some defence against the attacking army although they were heavy and restricted the men's movement. They were also heavy making it hard to move fast and making the bearer more susceptible to injuries. Shields were typically were a rectangular full-body shape thus providing the maximum protection. The shape and size depended on the type of weapon being used. If a bow and arrow were used the archer would be accompanied by a shield carrier. The archer could then shoot with both hands without worrying about protection. The shields had a wooden frame that was covered in a rawhide skin. After coming into contact with the Asiatics the shield was developed into a smaller, lighter one. This gave the Ancient Egyptians an advantage with manoeuvrability; they were able to block faster and more efficiently. Though there were some disadvantages to this; firstly the shields were smaller this letting more of the warrior exposed. Secondly the archers could no longer have a shield bearer to move with them as the shields were too small.
The army were also provided with spears. These were a weapon that didn't need direct contact, reducing the risk of death and injuries. The spear heads were made of copper and were a deadly weapon. The wood used to make the shaft was from the local wood and the copper was from other countries brought in by trade. The wood could only be used in short planks as the trees that grew in Ancient Egypt were small, low-quality ones. The shaft and copper head were connected by a leather strap that was called a tang. These spears were also used for throwing or spearing the target.
Light military carried the bow and arrows. Bows were made out of wood and the strings were made of plant fibre. The bows and arrows were often not made in Egypt themselves but imported from the Middle East. The copper headed arrows were made by hardening a piece of copper and attaching it to the shaft much like a spear. The archer could only shoot as fast as his skill allowed him therefore the archers needed several years of practise to perfect their skills. Though the bow and arrow was a deadly weapon they were only good from a distance and couldn't defend themselves at close range. Archers were usually accompanied by a shield carrier who could defend them both at close range.
Swords and daggers had a curved bronze and had a wooden or ivory handle. In the Old Kingdom only the officers had swords. Later during the Middle and New Kingdoms nearly every warrior had one. Although the men that specialised in that weapon would've had better quality weapons. The army favoured the swordsmen with skill. The timing and precision were the key factors to make the sword the dangerous weapon it is. As the swords improved iron was used to make the blade as it was stronger, lighter and could be made thinner.
After the Middle Kingdom chariots came into use. The chariots could move at high speed enabling a surprise attack. They could carry different amounts of people depending on the size and the number of horses pulling it. Most only carried two people, the driver and the archer. Archers were preferred in chariots as they could fight from a distance and didn't need to carry a shield as they were moving fast. Chariots belonged to the warrior who had to pay for the construction and upkeep of it. Chariots cost three deben of silver for the shaft of the chariot and five for the body, the equivalent of a small fortune in this day in age. Only a nobleman could afford such a luxury. The owner was provided horses from the royal stable and five attendants. He had to take care and equip all of them.
The chariots were made out of different woods, some of which were imported. Elm, ash and sycamore were used to build the chariot. Whilst leather was used in the horses' harness. The harness went around the horses' chest and had a strap that secured around the horses belly, also known as a girth strap.
The horses' used were Arabians.
