First International Chariot Conference

Abstract

It was only in 1985 that (the late) Mary Littauer and I published this unique group of actual vehicles from a single, well documented context: ‘Chariots and Related Equipment from the Tomb of Tut’ankhamun’ (Tut’ankhamun Tomb Series Vol. 9, Griffith Institute, Oxford). In this lecture I will tell the story of our study of the chariots in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in 1973. I will also review recent work on the chariots, their remarkably sophisticated construction and their use. In doing so, particular attention will be paid to the practical experiments that were conducted by (the late) Jean Spruytte. In addition, the question of the origin of such spoke-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicles in Egypt will be addressed, in the light of the discovery of an actual wheel at Lidar in southeastern Turkey. Read more...