For my research topic I have decided to study the development of warfare technology in Egypt compared to other surrounding nations. I also want to include a small section on who they influenced and who influenced them. I still have not figured out what specific time periods I want to include, but I am thinking from dynastic to at least middle kingdom. I want to compare mainly to the Mediterranean area, Libra, and the Hyskos.
In my first source, the weapons used during the dynastic period were quite simple. They mainly used daggers, spears, and maces. During the old kingdom this eventually advanced to the addition of shields and bows/arrows. However, they still did not have much protective armor. Most of the army was made up of peasants and farmers, which had little training in combat. Hunting was generally prohibited unless given permission by the upper-class landowners. They did not actively pursue enemies during this period. The military was not very strong at this time. The middle kingdom is when the Egyptian army made a drastic change in their war tactics. Instead, of having an army solely for transportation they started to use their army to defend and conquer more land. They made an official position for a military official and started to train their army better. I would describe why this change occurred and what resources the weapons were made out of.
In my second source, it describes how Egyptians tactics influenced other nations and more background on how they prepared for war. It mainly described how ancient Egyptians influenced westerns. I will explain how they treated their enemies and what specific war tactics were used. Ambush and taking prisoners were some of the Egyptians tactics in war. I would also describe the importance of boats and the construction of them. Egyptians also constructed barriers and the waters that surround them played an important part in barricading foreigners. I think it will also be important to include why they went war. During the dynastic times Egypt seemed neutral for the most part, but during the middle kingdom a strong military became a necessary.
My final source talks mainly about the Hyskos. The Hyskos were one of Egyptians enemies and they eventually beat the Egyptians and changed their culture, religion, and military system. The Hyskos were of Asian descendant. Here I will describe how they conquered Egypt and compare the similarities and differences of their military tactics.
I know my topic is very broad, but I intend to narrow it down to certain time periods and probably focus on one surrounding enemy rather than three. I am just trying to decide which of Egyptian’s enemies would be most interesting. I do not want to take out the part of how the influenced others because I believe this is important part that can relate to world today.
Sources:
Mark, Joshua. “Ancient Egyptian Warfare.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. 10/3/16. Web. 10/31/18.
Rory, Cox. “Expanding the History of the Just War: The Ethics of War in Ancient Egypt.” International Studies Quarterly, Volume 61, Issue 2, 1 June 2017, Pages 371–384.
“How the Hyskos changed Egyptian History.” Ancient Pages. 10/26/16. Web. 10/31/18.
I think that this topic sounds like a very interesting one and would work well for a research paper. I never really thought much about how warfare worked in Egypt, but since we were just talking about a few of the different fortresses in Egypt my interest grown in this topic. I think that examining the types of weapons they used is a good starting point. I thought that it was interesting that you said they did not have very much protective armor, but the weapons they used, like daggers and maces, are weapons that are seem like they are typically used in close combat. I also thought it was interesting that their soldiers were just peasants and farmers with little training and that they did not seem to seek out war. I was a bit surprised that boats were so important to warfare, but I suppose with them being based around the Nile, it makes a lot of sense for boats to be the most important form of travel. I think it is a good idea to make mention of who they fought with and why. I’ve never heard of the Hyskos and was interested to hear that they were one of Egypt’s notable enemies. I also think it is a good idea to include how they have influenced other cultures. This is an area that I don’t think many people think about and bringing attention to it and giving them credit for the effects they have had on the rest of the world is a great idea.
I think this is a very interesting topic to explore. I know if I was writing about this topic what area I would explore. I would start with a brief history of early ancient Egyptian warfare, such as the weapons they used, armor (although you said there was little if any at the time), and tactics. It would be a paragraph each on pre-dynastic, Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. Then I would go in depth about the fall of the Egyptian empire after the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the conflicts that led to their demise. Egypt changed hands so many times after Ramses III died, it made my head swim a bit. The Nubians, the Assyrians, the Persians, and Alexander the Great; all of this from 1100-305 BC. Then the Ptolemaic Dynasty began and survived from 305-30 BC at the death of Cleopatra VII. The Roman Empire conquered Egypt after this an held it for almost six centuries until the Persians took it over for about nine years and then it went back to the Roman’s aka Byzantine Empire. I think it would be interesting to see how Egypt fell, warfare wise. Who fought? Was it trained soldiers or Egyptian men, farmers and peasants? What weapons did they use? Also, after Egypt changes hands, were the Egyptian people included in the new army’s or were they ignored? Since in the class we will be covering Ptolemaic Egypt, I’m pretty sure you could include it into your topic. Regardless of how you decide to do it or what era, I think it is a very good research topic.
I think your topic is very intriguing and not one I had really even thought to consider until I read your research proposal. I think your idea of looking at how it developed over time is interesting because I feel like many people, when discussing not only warfare but many other aspects of different ancient cultures and societies, tend to reduce it to a single event or style when they discuss “Egyptian warfare” that oversimplifies the process or even entirely ignores any development that took place. I think it would be really interesting to see how this development reflects in the archaeological record. As you discussed, there was a change in the types of weapons used and further a change in the materials used for their manufacturing. So, I think that a comparison between more historical accounts of some events of warfare or of significant war related developments with the archaeological record could prove to be very enlightening. Further, I am curious as to how this change in material use and weapon manufacturing could be reflected both historically and archaeologically on trade routes throughout the ancient world and even between the other countries that influenced or were influenced by Egyptian warfare tactics. However, that could be slightly out of the scope of your research paper. But, I think that attests to the intrigue of your paper because it could lead to further related questions that, given more research, could provide even more insight into the influencing factors of warfare development in the ancient world.