M.A. Littauer & J.H. Crouwel, Chariots and Related
Equipment from the Tomb of Tutankhamun.
118 pp; 19 figs; 78 pls; A4;
ISBN 0 900416 39 4; 1985. £45.00.
The six, actual, full-sized chariots of Tutankhamun are of singular importance, not only
to the history of chariotry in general, but to the understanding of Late Bronze-Age
warfare, and to an intelligent interpretation of what is seen in representations. The
normal, strictly profile character of the latter makes it impossible for them to render
many proportions and details accurately. The tomb of Tutankhamun is unique in the
ancient orient in offering the possibility of comparing six almost complete vehicles of this
period, not only with one another, but with chariot evidence of all categories - actual,
representational and textual, both from Egypt and from other lands.
Six chariots, entirely or partly dismantled, had been stacked in the tomb, four of them in
the Antechamber (cleared 1922/3) and two in the Treasury (1926/7). The volume consists
of a complete catalogue of the chariots themselves and their related equipment (yoke
saddles, blinkers, bridle bosses, harness, etc.) together with a re-examination of
comparative material found in other Egyptian tombs of the New Kingdom, a section on
materials and construction, and a concluding summary. The Florentine chariot,
discovered in Thebes in 1828/9, is discussed in some detail in an important
appendix.
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