Posted on 07/22/2011 5:50:42 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Elite members of ancient Egypt, including the pharaoh himself, likely wielded ornate daggers, swords and axes in battle, or to personally execute prisoners, rather than using the shiny metal for ceremonial purposes, research suggests.
The weapons were used during the Bronze Age, a period between 5,000 and 3,000 years ago when the civilization was at its height, according to Daniel Boatright, an Egyptologist at Isle of Wight College in the United Kingdom.
This finding is "strange considering the amount of literature that's been composed so far that basically says that all of them were for ritualistic purposes and were never used in battle," Boatright told LiveScience... Boatright did caution that it can't be ruled out that the weapons may have been used for animal sacrifices.
Boatright analyzed 125 Bronze Age weapons from Egypt, including daggers, swords, arrowheads, axes and spears. He also reviewed reports on 350 additional weapons from that period... He used microscopy and other lab analyses to look for evidence of how the weapons were used...
Not only were they able to be used in battle, it seems about half of the 125 weapons studied showed evidence of wear and tear, suggesting they were actually used. Some of them, such as an ax with a dent in it, are obvious, while others are more subtle, like small nicks on the edge of a blade.
The evidence suggests that elite members of Egyptian society may have gone into battle or executed prisoners personally.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II died from multiple ax wounds. He may have been killed in battle, executed afterwards, or possibly assas[s]inated. A long dagger believed to belong to his son Kamose has evidence of wear and tear, suggesting that he used it to avenge his father's death. CREDIT: Public domain / Catalogue du Musee du Caire (Royal Mummies section), published in 1912.
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Rivals were dealt with in the north african tradition. Yes, they used them.
Um, what is the North African tradition?
I think these swords, axes, and daggers, had ceremonial purposes related to a fertility cult. /s
It always amazes me that these so called scientists or whatever you want to call them can tell us what happened 3000-5000 years ago. Yea, right. Give us a break. Some moron with a degree thinks he’s a time traveler. Science has become a joke. Unless they were there, they don’t have a clue what went on.
They would trade them all, and more, for a single 1911 model pistol and a massive supply of ammo.
They have plenty of clues including pictures of what went on.
Pictures from 3000-5000 years ago? Sorry, I still don’t buy it. Science has become the same as politics, a bunch of self serving lies, only used to deceive the public. And we can’t dispute it because they are the “experts”.
There can be no doubt life was rugged back in the Upper Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
For some archeologists, everything is for ritual use rather than actual use in a real-life situation.
Why would you have a ritual weapon unless its ritual use was based on a real weapon used for normal weaponry purposes?
I mean ritual weapons without a basis in fact begin to sound like a Platonic form concept, eg. if there was a real weapon out there for use, this is what it would look like.
Experts dispute among themselves even more than with Know Nothings. Sure there are drawings, writings and cravings which tell you a lot about, say Egyptian, life 4000 yrs ago. Plus, there are many bodies that can be examined forensically and a great deal of information can be derived about their lifestyles, diets, medical practices, drugs etc.
We have fragments of their clothing, furniture, jewelry, ruins of their cities, weapons and more.
Nothing is easier than to condemn that of which you know nothing significant.
Can we draw certain conclusions about the more abstract elements of life: religion, philosophy, why certain things occurred when they did? No, but one thing we can tell is that the Egyptians did not live like brutes or savages but rather formed one of the greatest civilizations in history. They achieved things that took four thousand years to replicate and some things which cannot be replicated even with our massive machines and advanced technology. Do we know how? No.
Mesopotamian astronomical calculations and observations were not duplicated for thousands of years as well. But we are in the infancy of the study of those civilizations since the translation of their records recorded on clay tablets has only recently become possible. We are introduced to the first hero in history and his adventures, Gilgamesh, through them.
Greece, of course, we know a lot about since we have the writings and observations of the greatest philosophers the earth has ever seen to study. Homer informs us about a huge amount of information, unbelievably huge in fact.
The Public is only deceived when it buries its head in the sand, as it mostly does unless someone gives it a kick in the butt.
Should the “expert” be accepted without doubt? Of course not they should be paid close attention to and questioned when things do not make sense or when their conclusions are self-serving rather that truthful. But the Lie will be found out.
Those hieroglyphics of Momma preparing dinner are often mistakenly thought to be a warrior in battle
and if Momma has her best dress and hat on ???
“Thats a Pharoh stabbing someone with his sword”
And are police forensic labs an equal waste of time, effort and money?
Up until recent times, most rulers were expected to perform in battle. One of the most interesting shows I’ve ever seen was called, I think Death and Diseases of Royalty. I would love to buy all 6 parts.
There was a reason they always talked about English Monarchs being so tall and strong like Richard Lionheart- they were men who were expected to be warleaders.
I remember a while ago the remains of a path being found in an English bog, and the archeologists had this entire story of it being a “ritual path” for worship.
Our freepers had fun with that. I mean, it was some decayed wood spikes in a bog, and the PTB had built a whole religion out of it.
Funny, though inaccurate.
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