Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Resources => Resources - Ancients to Renaissance (3000BC - 1680) => Topic started by: Druzhina on 18 December 2015, 10:33:25 AM

Title: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Druzhina on 18 December 2015, 10:33:25 AM
For information on, and drawings of, Urartu soldiers see  Urartu: The Kingdom of Van, Opposition for the Assyrians, an article by Clive Naseby (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Urartu.htm)
and
Urartian Infantryman in Armies and Enemies of Ancient Egypt and Assyria, 3200BC to 612BC by Alan Buttery (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/WRG/AEofEA-84-Urartian_Infantryman.htm)
Urartian Chief by Alan Buttery (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/WRG/AEofEA-87-Urartian_Chief.htm)
Urartian Bronze quiver & helmet: embossed with horsemen and chariots, belonging to Sardur II, 7thC BC. State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Central_Asia-50-52.htm)
Statuette of soldier. Urartian, 8th-7thC BC. Musée du Louvre (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Central_Asia-53.htm)

Druzhina
Ancient Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Ancient.htm)
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Techno on 18 December 2015, 10:58:11 AM
Interesting stuff, D

I'm not trying to be facetious here...But I don't 'understand' the 'laddered tights' on the Uratian chief.
Was the 'shin' part just a pattern, or something '3D' in the make up of the clothing (leggings) ?

Cheers - Phil
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Wulf on 18 December 2015, 11:02:18 AM
The text says laced boots.

Laddered tights is just your mind...
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 18 December 2015, 12:56:06 PM
Nice one D
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Wulf on 18 December 2015, 01:02:56 PM
Having said that, thigh length laced boots...  :-\
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Techno on 18 December 2015, 01:41:46 PM
Quote from: Wulf on 18 December 2015, 11:02:18 AM
The text says laced boots.
Laddered tights is just your mind...

Help if I actually read the text,  X_X........properly .
Cheers - Phil
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 19 December 2015, 09:16:45 AM
Want a good reading text book Phil ?

IanS
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Druzhina on 20 December 2015, 04:27:36 AM
I have updated the links to the British Museum. The search function is a "beta" so I may have to change them again in the future.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/index.htm)
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Druzhina on 26 December 2015, 11:44:51 PM
The illustrations by Alan Buttery may not be ethnic Uratians, but, Iranians from the western Zagros mountains.
The Iranian Warrior, 8th Century BC, in Armies of the Ancient Near East 3,000 BC to 539 BC by Nigel Stillman & Nigel Tallis (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/WRG/AofANE-167-Iranian_Warrior-8C.htm) is based on sculptures of Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad; 'Sargon's city'), room 14, 'The Assyrians Besiege and Assault the city of Pazashi (Panzish), in 715BC' (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_14-Relief_1-2.htm)
Manna is on the map - south of Lake Urmia (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Urartu.htm) within the maximum extent of the Urartian kingdom, so Mannai warriors could appear in a Uratian army as auxiliaries or allies. Zikirtu is just east of Manna.
A similar source is sculptures of Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad; 'Sargon's city'), room 2, 'The Assyrians capture Ganguhtu, Bit Bagaya, and Kiundau, and accept the surrender of Tikrakka', in 716BC (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_2-Relief-22.htm)

One man (upper right) has a shield with chevron pattern (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_14-Relief_1-2.htm). The theory of its construction may be influenced by a Sassanid leather and reed shield, from Dura-Europos, at Yale University Art Gallery (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Shield-Dura-Europos-Yale.htm). Other Western Zagros Iranians have shields with brick or cross-hash pattern (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_2-Relief-22.htm). The shield grip (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_2-Relief-18-dt.htm) is shown.

Most of the defenders wear the skin-cloak on the right side. An arm hole, as suggested by Stillman & Tallis, rather than a short sleeve may be more likely. An Iranian warrior in room 2 has a skin-cloak over his left shoulder (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_2-Relief-18-dt.htm) (perhaps with an arm-hole) even though he has a shield. Some Iranian prisoners have skin-cloaks with short sleeve on the left (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_14-Relief_11.htm).

Only a minority of Iranians wear laced boots or patterned hems (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Khorsabad-Room_2-Relief-19-dt.htm).

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers (http://www.warfare.meximas.com/index.htm)
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 27 December 2015, 12:46:39 AM
Nice one D!
Title: Re: The army of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu
Post by: Techno on 27 December 2015, 08:35:23 AM
 8)
Cheers - Phil.