CAE.012 / The Battle of Qadesh 1300 BC

'' Hittite Chariots ''

Inhoud:

10 figuren in 5 standen
2 paarden met Chariot in 2 standen

Afmeting: 23mm

The chariot was the focal point of the army for the Hittites as for many other cultures of the time, and the basic Hittite battle tactic was to charge the enemy with their chariots, throwing them into a confusion which would allow the infantry to finish them off. At Kadesh, the battle mentioned on the box, this tactic worked very well, but a lack of effective follow up after the charge squandered the chance of victory.

Much of what little we know about Hittite chariotry comes from Egyptian sources, and these suggest a variety of vehicle designs as might be expected of an empire like that of the Hittites, which drew troops from their conquered provinces as well as their homeland. However it seems that unlike the Egyptians, who used their chariots mostly as mobile firing platforms, many Hittite chariots were heavier, and intended to make physical contact with the enemy, hopefully smashing them with the force of the charge. To achieve this their chariots were bigger, accommodating a crew of at least three, and more solidly built. Such a chariot seems to be the subject of this set. To be strong enough to carry three crew it is thought the axle of these chariots ran under the centre of the cab, yet on this model the axle is at the rear, like the lighter examples of Egypt. A further problem area is the wheels, which have eight spokes. Hittite chariots are depicted with six spokes (where the depiction is clear), so while we cannot be certain that eight-spoke wheels were not employed by the Hittites they would seem to be at best atypical of their chariotry. In all other respects the chariot seems reasonable, although there are experts who believe the cab was rounded rather than square like this model.