Interesting Kaskara from the Askeri Museum

Edster · 28th August 2025, 06:03 PM

Yuri,

Those 19. C travelers'/explorers' reports are unfortunately all we have on the life styles and weapons of the Arabized and Black inhabitants of the Sahel. But we are also very fortunate to have them. Spears and shields were the main weapons with swords a "sidearms" mostly for the elite and their cavalry who also used spears and threw short lances. I think it was the Southern Beja who converted from spears to swords while the Northern Beja retained them. There are also stories of tribal "knights" having sword fights to determine the outcome of tribal engagements.

I was surprised by the large extent of poisoned arrows especially used by the Black tribes in Darfur and more to the West. The stuffed cloth horse armor were the important defense.

So much social and ethnic variation from West of Lake Chad to the Red Sea and technological/cultural change from 1709 to 1899.

Best regards,
Ed

28th August 2025, 06:03 PM	#30
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 435	Yuri, Those 19. C travelers'/explorers' reports are unfortunately all we have on the life styles and weapons of the Arabized and Black inhabitants of the Sahel. But we are also very fortunate to have them. Spears and shields were the main weapons with swords a "sidearms" mostly for the elite and their cavalry who also used spears and threw short lances. I think it was the Southern Beja who converted from spears to swords while the Northern Beja retained them. There are also stories of tribal "knights" having sword fights to determine the outcome of tribal engagements. I was surprised by the large extent of poisoned arrows especially used by the Black tribes in Darfur and more to the West. The stuffed cloth horse armor were the important defense. So much social and ethnic variation from West of Lake Chad to the Red Sea and technological/cultural change from 1709 to 1899. Best regards, Ed