The logistics of the New Kingdom Egyptian Military in the Levant

Warfare in the New Kingdom has been described as a revolution in military organisation. For the first time in Egyptian history, New Kingdom armies were composed of full-time soldiers that were coordinated on a state scale. The motivation for this change is thought to have originated in the wars with the Hyksos and maintained its momentum throughout the 19th and early 20th dynasties. Many scholars have argued that the introduction of the chariot, scale armour and composite bow (the ‘tripartite association’) enabled the Egyptians to transform themselves into a cohesive military power which held a tactical advantage over their Canaanite neighbours. As a result, previous studies have tended to focus on weaponry to explain how Egypt was able to conduct campaigns and maintain political control in the Levant. This thesis illustrates that the logistical component of New Kingdom Egyptian military gave the Egyptians an advantage over their geographic northern neighbours; examining the constraints they faced in trying to meet their territorial goals. By utilising archaeological data from fortresses along the overland route to the Levant (the eastern Delta, north Sinai and southern Levant), it can be demonstrated that the military relied upon logistical support to expand Egyptian influence to its greatest extent. This strategy relied upon rapid deployment, communications and the acquisition of supplies from either vassals or Egyptian-held centres in the Levant. By utilising modern medical and veterinarian data, it investigates how physical limitations would have impacted the Egyptian military’s capabilities. Furthermore, this study refutes the idea that the New Kingdom Egyptians held a technological advantage over their Levantine vassals. It can be demonstrated there was an ‘internationalism of arms’ during the New Kingdom/Late Bronze Age (LBA) throughout the Near East. In order to explain why the New Kingdom Egyptians became a dominant political power, this research considers numerous factors in addition to military equipment