Militaries of pre colonial africa
- Thread starter Joyboy13
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Joined Dec 2021
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France
Here a rare and little-known type of Numidian shield, showcased on the San Omobono monument in Rome. The shield has a distinctive shape not found elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin, featuring a depiction of a winged serpent. It seems to be more of a votive or ceremonial shield.
The serpent-buckler (Figure 8.24) is not Roman, Greek, Celtic, German, Iranian or of any other ‘ethnic’ protagonist people in big Hellenistic and Roman histories whose arms or images of them are known. Whether or not Romans understood the specifics of its foreignness, the logical hypothesis is that the shield contour, in the larger context of Numidian resemblance, should be Numidian too.
The strange collage reminds of the mixture of culturally diverse canons of mimesis and outright stylisation on the North African mountain-markers and tombs discussed above. It is not possible for me to imagine a Greco-Roman Hellenistic artist conceiving such a guardian serpent without direction by someone thinking visually like a North African, and so, adding North African elements to the pantheon that the representations on the relief armours collectively present. Since the actual shield-shape has no analogue in any other context and as SO’s only extant formal and conceptual cousin is the Numidian monument genre, it seems a strong hypothesis that this winged serpent buckler is meant to be ‘Numidian’ votive armour. In this reading the fragment strengthens the case for collaborative design between artists aware of Numidian ideas and forms, and artists trained, as many details show, elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
Ann Kuttner, Representing Hellenistic Numidia: Africa and Rome, in: The Hellenistic West Rethinking the Ancient Mediterranean, Cambridge University Press, 2013
The serpent-buckler (Figure 8.24) is not Roman, Greek, Celtic, German, Iranian or of any other ‘ethnic’ protagonist people in big Hellenistic and Roman histories whose arms or images of them are known. Whether or not Romans understood the specifics of its foreignness, the logical hypothesis is that the shield contour, in the larger context of Numidian resemblance, should be Numidian too.
The strange collage reminds of the mixture of culturally diverse canons of mimesis and outright stylisation on the North African mountain-markers and tombs discussed above. It is not possible for me to imagine a Greco-Roman Hellenistic artist conceiving such a guardian serpent without direction by someone thinking visually like a North African, and so, adding North African elements to the pantheon that the representations on the relief armours collectively present. Since the actual shield-shape has no analogue in any other context and as SO’s only extant formal and conceptual cousin is the Numidian monument genre, it seems a strong hypothesis that this winged serpent buckler is meant to be ‘Numidian’ votive armour. In this reading the fragment strengthens the case for collaborative design between artists aware of Numidian ideas and forms, and artists trained, as many details show, elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
Ann Kuttner, Representing Hellenistic Numidia: Africa and Rome, in: The Hellenistic West Rethinking the Ancient Mediterranean, Cambridge University Press, 2013
Also, medieval Ethiopians seem to use less of this armor type compared to their close neighbors. Does anybody know why?
Joined Jan 2024
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Spain
Gambeson is a pretty loose word in what It means, and lifidi can be considered a type of gambeson. There were some lighter than lifidi and others on the same "heavy" class.
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Would there have been different classes of lifidi as well? (Light/heavy), (Infantry/Cavalry) Also, do you have any sources that talk about the history of Lifidi and the construction of it. If so can you please share.
“Warfare in the Sokoto Caliphate” by Joseph P. Smaldone touches a bit on lifidi used by cavalry and infantry.
“Arms and Armor in the Warfare of Pre-Colonial Hausaland” by the Ahmadu Bello University
Joined Jan 2024
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Spain
About the first question, probably yes, but I don't have specific information.
Joined Jan 2024
3,592 Posts | 5,495+
Spain
An Afar warrior in the last decades of the 19th century. Their iconic shortsword can be clearly seen.
Some infantry soldiers from Wadai, in the early 20th century
Some infantry soldiers from Wadai, in the early 20th century
Joined Jan 2024
3,592 Posts | 5,495+
Spain
A group of riders in Hombori, and their chief with his wife.
A Songhay courier in Niamey
A Dendi chief on horseback
A Songhay courier in Niamey
A Dendi chief on horseback
Joined Jan 2024
3,592 Posts | 5,495+
Spain
The chief of Fada N'gourma, in Gourma. The first photo, with his mounted escort, was already posted in the thread, but not the second one. The leather accoutrements for the horse that were popular as horse armour for the Mossi/Bariba/Dagomba can be seen, but these ones are quite fancy.
A group of Mossi cavalrymen:
And finally, some Bariba cavalry. Some of their horses are protected by leather barding, similar to the photos above:
A group of Mossi cavalrymen:
And finally, some Bariba cavalry. Some of their horses are protected by leather barding, similar to the photos above:
Joined Jan 2024
3,592 Posts | 5,495+
Spain
The Africanarms site recently uploaded a great quality photo of one of the wickerwork shields of the Bijagos, of a similar type to the one that, as we have discussed previously, was commonly used by Mandinka warriors. I also include a photo of a man from the Bijagos with one of these.
Joined Jul 2021
2,391 Posts | 2,067+
The Other Side
The extent of the Nubian empire in the Ancient world, covering the reign of 5 of its kings (obviously territorial holdings shifted over the duration of its existence)
Joined Feb 2018
547 Posts | 870+
California
Attachments
Joined Feb 2018
547 Posts | 870+
California
Looking back on this, you were overreacting to me wanting to see stuff from beyond whatever you had in your folder, you got mad then straw manned me with points I never made because I struck a never and you got reflexively defensive, you didn’t need to respond, I never made any disparaging remarks, and you were mad because you felt insecure over whatever
Joined Feb 2018
547 Posts | 870+
California
Nah no what this was a pointless argument and response tbh if mods want to they can delete this
Joined Feb 2018
547 Posts | 870+
California
Joined Feb 2018
547 Posts | 870+
California
Joined Feb 2018
547 Posts | 870+
California
Do you know which museum this photo was taken or wich empire this armor is from?
Joined Sep 2024
122 Posts | 454+
USA
National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Kaduna, Nigeria
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