Were mounted camel archers actually a thing?

[steve_holmes_11]

Similar to elephants and scythed chariots.

Camels appear to have features in a tiny number of victories where their particular qualities came to the fore.
Horse frightening, ability to force march through terrain considered impassable.

So, like elephants and scythed chariots, they've entered the world of ancient wargaming through the medium of army lists.


My observation about ancient warfare is that historians rarely describe weapons and tactics in the kind of detail that modern wargamers desire.
(I've probably posted this before).
A trip back to the classical world sees most male citizens with army experience, or  nominally part of a militia.
These guys didn't need a detailed description of weapons and rations, or the progress of a typical military engagement.
So the tales were written to feature the unique details of that campaign.

It's a style that emphasizes the exotic and unusual.
The risk is creating an unbalanced view of some of warfare's mechanics.

[FierceKitty]

Since the case has been reopened, the Parthian or Hatrene cataphract camels would make very little sense if they weren't intended for riding into action.