Elamite's War Allies

The main period of interest for our Bronze Age military history is that from 3000 to 1120 B.C. This period was marked by almost constant wars among the major city-states and against foreign enemies. Among the more common foreign enemies of the Southern city-states were the Elamites, or the peoples of Numma (now in South Western Iran). The long conflict between Sumerians and Elamites arguably extended back to Neolithic times, but the first recorded instance of war between them now appears to be around 2700 B.C., when Mebaragesi, the first king of record on the Sumerian King List, undertook a war against the Elamites, and "carried away as spoil the weapons of Elam." (note 12). The Elamite-Sumerian wars were fought in the same area (around Basra and the salt marshes) as where the modern conflict of the 1990's between Iran and Iraq took place (note 13).

What Did They Look Like?

For wargamers, there is a natural tendency to just pick up the latest figures from a dealer, and "assume" that all the research has been done, and that the figures are "accurate". Worse, the figure is assumed to be accurate and the costume the same, for a whole 2000 years or more. (Doesn't make sense when you think about it that way, does it?) And to give the manufacturers their due, the figures are usually based on the latest historical evidence, although the specific time frame is rather vague. However, the further back we go in history, the harder it is to find corroborating detail. The Stele of Vultures showing the early Sumerian phalanx-like formations is a remarkable counter example, but it is much more difficult to find Elamite equivalents. The earliest records seem to be pottery from 3000 BC with nearly naked warriors with bows; then we have a relief dating from 2150 showing beards, pigtails, and wearing kilts (note 14). Essex have a very good, generic, 15mm bearded Elamite with a short kilt or skirt (note 15). Essex chose an elaborate oval shield for their javelin figure. Eureka have an equally impressive range of 28mm figures, probably of the Neo-Elamite period (note 16) that show a woven-reed squareish shields for the foot soldiers.

Some material suggested that war drums marked the Elamites approach, but I haven't found specific references from reliable sources, nor any references to carvings or drawing. They apparently used tar- pitched reed corracles to ford any river in their way, but again the specific documentation is missing. For the middle Elamite period, there is a bronze relief from Susa depicting Elamite archers wearing helmets and short tunics, with bows and curved short swords (note 17).

Most of our information comes from the later wars, when Babylonian joined Neo-Elamite allies against Assyria, in the late 8th century BC. There were allegedly some 80,000 Elamite archers in the battle of Kutha, around 706 BC. Although this falls outside this particular Bronze Age survey, the details MAY reflect earlier Elamite practice. (note 18). So from these later records there is a probability that Elamites had a high proportion of bow, and also supplied a lot of the cavalry. They also seem to have had lots of war-chariots{ed. war carts might be a better term} --- a heavy flat mule-drawn vehicle with low sides and several archers, as well as light 2-wheel horse-drawn bow armed chariots, and possibly a 4- horse heavy chariot variation (note 19).

One of the problems was finding that ancient city of Anshan. And in 1970 through 72, an extensive archeological dig at a site in Iran 36 km Northwest of Shiraz unearthed brick fragments showing incscriptions in Elamite cuneiform (note 20). They showed parts of a temple dedication, and these findings would seem to support the suggested identification of the site as the ancient city of Anshan.