Learn All About The Amazing Ancient Egyptian Tools And Weapons

The Egyptian military equipment consisted of defensive equipment, weapons, transport equipment, and an array of other items.

Impact weapons included clubs and mace. Edged close combat weapons included knives, swords, and axes.

Projectile weapons included slingshots, bows and arrows, javelins, spears, and sticks that were thrown. Defensive equipment consisted of shields and in some cases body armors. Transportation equipment consisted of horses, chariots, boats(navy), and all kinds of utility wagons.

Items like tents and water bags were used by the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Egyptians also used battering rams, siege towers, and scaling ladders for attacking fortresses.

Films of the modern era and other media depict the military in ancient Egypt as heavily armed. They are portrayed as a formidable fighting force, disciplined and equipped with lethal weapons. However, this description suits the Egyptian army mostly in the period when the New Kingdom ruled from 1570-1069 BCE.

Amenemhat I (c. 1991-1962 BCE) had first created a professional force for armed conflict. Before this, the pharaoh's army was made of conscripts from several nomes(districts).

These were enlisted by the nomarchs(respective governors). However, this large force cannot be compared to Egyptian armies. An Egyptian soldier in this group did not possess a formidable weapon.

If you like reading this article, you may also like reading about the ancient Egypt maps for kids and the ancient Egypt history for kids.

Weapons In Ancient Egypt

The weapons in Egypt in ancient times were developed as and when they were needed. The necessity of the situation contributed to the development of the weapons. To curb rebellions in the local areas or to conquer foes(neighbors) on the border, who were similarly armed, early weapons like bows, axes, and knives were useful.

These early weapons were in use through the Predynastic Period in Egypt that ruled in between c. 6000-c.3150 BCE and the Old Kingdom that ruled in between c. 2613-2181 BCE. However, as Egypt developed into a force to be reckoned with, it expanded its influence in the surrounding areas.

In doing so, it went into frequent conflicts with other nations. In order to win these battles, developing other weapons was crucial.

The Egyptian soldiers used many effective weapons like spears, daggers, cudgels, maces, throwing sticks, bows, and arrows during both the Predynastic and Protodynastic eras. By the end of the former era, they also knew how to use shields and defend themselves.

Weapons like maces, clubs, cudgels, and throwing sticks were not in use extensively in the later eras. However, many of these were in use one way or the other within the military of Egypt.

Weapons like maces continued to have ceremonial importance even in the later ages. Weapons like throw sticks had limited use in the military in the later eras.

However, they were very popular in hunting birds. Weapons other than these, like bows, and arrows, and even spears were used in the dynastic era and even in later time periods.

However, they underwent some improvements. Weapons like battle axes (axes with semi-circular ax heads) and quivers were prominent in the Old Kingdom.

Later on, arrowheads that were made of copper and were hardened by hammering became popular. Along with this, battle axes that had scalloped heads also became popular.

However, the arrowheads made of bronze and found in the Middle Kingdom were in all probability imported from the Middle East. The production of these arrowheads may not have been common in Egypt until the 18th dynasty.

Early Egyptian Weapons

What were the early Egyptian weapons? What were they made of?

The mace is considered to be one of the oldest weapons found in Egypt. It was basically a wooden handle that had the head of stone. Later on, this stone head was replaced by a copper head.

In Egypt, in the Early Dynastic Period, that is in between c. 3150-c.2613 BCE, many weapons were in use by the military. The Egyptian weaponry in this era usually included spears, daggers, and maces.

The hunters in the Predynastic Period had developed the spear. Not much was changed in these weapons in the successive eras. In some (like the dagger), the tip was changed into copper from flint.

However, in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, several spears and arrowheads were made from flint. The Kingdom soldiers would have carried a dagger, a spear, and a shield.

The shield would probably be made of woven papyrus or animal hide. The weapons used in this era were supplemented by single-arched bows with reed arrows and copper or flint tips. These arrows were used by the archers.

However, these archers were mainly low-class peasants and as such had little experience in hunting with bows. Moreover, the bows were not easy to draw.

They were effective only at close ranges. Even then, the bows did not meet their precise targets always. In this era, not only the archers but the majority of the Egyptian army was drawn from the lower-class peasantry.

Military Of Ancient Egypt

The military and weapons did not develop significantly until the Middle Kingdom was established in Egypt.

The First Intermediate Period of Egypt (c. 2181- 2040 BCE) started when the central government of the Old Kingdom collapsed. In this era, the individual nomarchs or the governors were more powerful than the king.

These nomarchs would send conscripts to the central government if the need arose. However, they were free to exercise and extend their power beyond their respective districts.

This was the process through which Mentuhotep II elevated Thebes from a mere nome in the country to the capital of the country.

Mentuhotep II (c. 2061-2010 BCE) established the Theban rule in Egypt after defeating the ruling party at Herakleopolis c. 2040 BCE. The soldiers in the Old Kingdom were usually shown as carrying clan totems and wearing skull caps.

Maces with wooden heads or stone heads that were pear-shaped were in use by them. Swords, spears, bows and arrows, slings, and daggers were among the weapons used by their nearby empire, the Assyrians.

The Equipment Of Pharaoh's Military

The Pharaoh was the head of the Egyptian army. He had two generals. One of these generals led the army in Upper Egypt, while the other led the army in Lower Egypt.

These generals were usually close relatives of the Pharaoh. Each of these armies had three groups- the Navy, the Chariotry, and the Infantry. What kind of weapons were carried by these group armies?

The infantry associated with the New Kingdom carried daggers, battles axes, spears, and scimitars. The scimitars came into prominence for the first time in the New Kingdom. The scimitars were first employed in Syria by Tuthmosis III.

They were introduced in Egypt from there. Depictions showed the Pharaoh being handed over this weapon by the gods. It was considered as the weapon of victory.

Soon it found a place in the basic equipment of the infantryman. In the New Kingdom, soldiers enjoyed high social standings in Egyptian society. The most feared weapon found in this kingdom was a curved sword known as Khopesh. Khopesh means 'foreleg of an animal' in Ancient Egyptian.

In ancient times, the khopesh would have served as a short sword or an ax. It would prove to be useful in defeating the enemy in close combat. The soldiers used the spear for stabbing.

It ensured greater reach for the soldiers. Charioteers carried many spears with them along with bows and arrows. This ensured that they did not remain defenseless after they shot their arrows.

The battle axe became widely popular as a wartime tool. Egyptian short swords were usually of two types. The first one was dagger-like in shape and had a sharp point.

The second one was longer. It had flat sides and a rounded 'butter-knife' type point. Ramesses III had ordered helmets to be distributed within his troops.

These helmets looked like the Syrian imports. However, there was a marked difference.

The Syrian ones were decorated with horsetails while the Egyptian ones had cords. These cords ended in pendants. The body armor used by the soldiers had an Asian origin as well.

The Pharaohs wore body armor that was adorned with semi-precious stones. These semi-precious stones provided better protection to the kings. This was because the stones used were harder than the metal used for making the arrow tips.

The charioteers during the reign of Tuthmosis III sometimes wore scale armor. The Egyptian javelin was not just a hand-launched missile. A javelin also served as a short spear that was used in close combat.

Egypt produced a part of the copper needed to make weapons. It was dependent on the rising empires in the Eastern nations for the import of tin needed for the manufacture of bronze. It also needed to import iron from these empires.

It put Egypt at a position of disadvantage. The bow and the arrow remained the principal weapon for the Egyptian army. The  Egyptians relied heavily on the simple bow.

However, the composite bow gradually became popular. The composite bow was a Hyksos invention made of wood, sinews, and horn.

These composite bows along with the war chariot enabled the army to attack within a short span of time. They could also attack from a distance. Composite bows became so popular that the military leaders in Egypt demanded these as spoils of war after winning wars and conquering lands.

They demanded these bows instead of gold. The materials used in manufacturing the composite bows were expensive. They struck much fear amongst the enemies of Egypt.

Tools Used By Artists In Ancient Egypt

The carpenters used axes, chisels, saws, wooden mallets, adzes, bow drills, and stone polishers.

The sculptors used stone hammers. A crank-shaped drill was used in making a stone vessel. It was used to hollow the interior of the vessel. A bow drill was used in making beads.

This work was done by artisans. Hammers, hard stone tools, and others were used in making pyramids. The plough, the hoe, and the axe were used in agriculture. Houses used saws and chisels.

Ancient Egyptian Warfare

Though a gradual improvement was noticed in the hardware made available to the soldiers in the Egyptian armies, yet no substantial change took place until the New Kingdom was established (more specifically, until the Second Intermediate Period).

The Hyksos invasion of Egypt taught the Egyptian kings that a buffer zone was crucial in providing protection to the northeastern border. This area was vulnerable to foreign attacks.

The kings also realized the importance of radically modernizing their weaponry. Modernization of the weaponry was the need of the hour for Egypt if it wanted to keep pace with the levels of modernization that were taking place amongst its neighbors.

In the 18th century BCE, with an influx of immigrants into Egypt from Palestine, the Hyksos kings rose to power. These people brought with them new and improved technologies.

They introduced the chariot, the horse, the compound bow, and improved weapons made from metals. The majority of these immigrants established themselves as dominants in trade with the countries in Western Asia.

They settled in the Eastern part of the Nile Valley. Large quantities of superior weapons have been discovered in this area of the Nile Valley through archaeological excavations.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly factsfor everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions forancient Egyptian tools and weapons,then why not take a look atancient Egypt Nile river facts or ancient Egypt games for kids?