Sea Peoples of the Bronze Age Mediterranean c.1400 BC-1000 BC

by Raffaele D'Amato, Andrea Salimbeti, Giuseppe Rava (Illustrator)

Overview

This title features the latest historical and archaeological research into the mysterious and powerful confederations of raiders who troubled the Eastern Mediterranean in the last half of the Bronze Age. Research into the origins of the so-called Shardana, Shekelesh, Danuna, Lukka, Peleset and other peoples is a detective 'work in progress'. However, it is known that they both provided the Egyptian pharaohs with mercenaries, and were listed among Egypt's enemies and invaders. They contributed to the collapse of several civilizations through their dreaded piracy and raids, and their waves of attacks were followed by major migrations that changed the face of this region, from modern Libya and Cyprus to the Aegean, mainland Greece, Lebanon and Anatolian Turkey. Drawing on carved inscriptions and papyrus documents – mainly from Egypt – dating from the 15th–11th centuries BC, as well as carved reliefs of the Medinet Habu, this title reconstructs the formidable appearance and even the tactics of the famous 'Sea Peoples'.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472806833
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/20/2015
Series:	Elite , #204
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	277,012
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dr Raffaele D'Amato is an experienced Turin-based researcher of the ancient and medieval military worlds. After achieving his first PhD in Romano-Byzantine Law, and having collaborated with the University of Athens, he gained a second doctorate in Roman military archaeology. He currently works as vice-head of the Laboratory of the Danubian Provinces at the University of Ferrara. Born in 1962, Andrea Salimbeti has had a life-long interest in ancient military history, in particular the Bronze Age in Greece and the Middle East. He served as a paratrooper in the Italian Army in Beirut and attended the Space Academy and flight training in USA.

Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as Detaille, Meissonier, Röchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride.
Raffaele D'Amato, PhD, is the author of some 40 books and has written numerous articles on the Roman Empire, Byzantium, medieval Europe and the military of Ancient Greece. He has taught at the University of Ferrara, and was a visiting professor at Fatih University, Istanbul. He currently lives in England, working as an archaeological consultant and lawyer for Timeline Auctions Ltd of Harwich, and also as an external researcher for the Laboratory of the Danubian Provinces at the University of Ferrara.
Andrea Salimbeti has had a lifelong interest in ancient military historical research, in particular the Bronze Age in Greece and the Middle East, and has collaborated with magazines and special publications in these fields. He also writes on aviation topics such as aerospace technology and flight equipment. He has contributed to various Osprey titles including ELI 223 The Etruscans, MAA 533 The Normans in Italy 1016–1194 and WAR 180 Early Iron Age Greek Warrior 1100–700 BC.
Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as Detaille, Meissonier, Röchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He lives and works in Italy.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Chronology 6

Historical Background & Sources 7

The wars of Ramesses II, Merneptah and Ramesses III

Other sources

Identification of Groups 12

Sherden

Peleset

Tjekker

Denyen

Shekelesh

Ekwesh

Teresh

Karkisa

Lukka

Weshesh

Mercenary service

Piracy

Clothing & Equipment 31

Clothing

Defensive equipment: helmets - shields - body armours Weapons: spears and javelins - swords, daggers and maces

Military Organization 39

Composition of the host depicted in the Medinet Habu reliefs

Leadership

Tactics 44

War chariots

Siege warfare

Naval warfare and seaborne raids

'The War of the Eighth Year', 1191 or 1184 BC 49

The Invasion

The land battle

The sea battle

Aftermath

Bibliography 61

Index 64