Military logistics during the Ramesside Period: an overview and some thoughts

Although many studies were dedicated in the past to the Ramesside military systems, including sometimes the logistic aspects, those questions are among the topics that are still in need for more detailed investigations, in a broader perpective. Starting from the famous scene depicting the Egyptian military camp of the battle of Qadesh, this paper is an attempt to provide a general overview of the sources available on this topic in the Ramesside documentation. The discussion deals especially with how the Egyptian army managed the transportation, distribution, maintenance of the military material – including weapons or chariots –, and other issues regarding the Egyptian military logistics.