Egyptian Chariots

Much of humanity's violence finds its roots in warfare, something that has been part of our makeup from the beginning. Horse-drawn chariots were part of that warfare for hundreds of years. Though the Egyptians cannot be credited with the invention of the chariot (the first chariot, and the wheel for that matter, came from Sumerian civilization), they certainly improved greatly on it.

Pharaoh Rameses II of Egypt rode a chariot into battle in the 13th century BC. The Egyptian chariot was then at the height of its evolution. It was very light, fast, and maneuverable. The chariots had two wheels (the Egyptians lined them with copper or bronze to keep them from squeaking) and was attached the horse by a pole and yoke. The Egyptian warrior stood directly over the axle of the chariot. The balance was such that he could use both hands to fire.

The role of the Egyptian chariot in battle was to attack the enemy's front line from a distance using bows and arrows. This would weaken the enemy ranks, thus helping the infantry soldiers that would close and engage in hand to hand combat.

Egypt's enemies caught on to these tactics quickly and built chariots of their own. Chariots became bigger and faster until the chariot skirmishes before the main engagement (before the troops clashed) represented the climactic part of the battle, and at times the infantry soldiers did not enter battle at all.

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