African siege tactics

[truthcentric]

How did African armies besiege and infiltrate enemy cities? I don't think any Africans had catapults or cannons similar to those used in Europe and Asia. Did they use battering rams and ladders or something?

[anansi]

Jun 7, 2010 17:01:25 GMT -5 truthcentric said:

How did African armies besiege and infiltrate enemy cities? I don't think any Africans had catapults or cannons similar to those used in Europe and Asia. Did they use battering rams and ladders or something?

Well the ladder was used and Piankhi used his ships as plat-form pantoon like bridges to scale the walls at Memphis..later techniques may have been borrowed from out side



The earliest representations of siege warfare is dated to the Protodynastic Period of Egypt, c.3000 BC, while the first siege equipment is known from Egyptian tomb reliefs of the 24th century BC showing wheeled siege ladders
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_warfare


Buhen is a fortress that was built in Egypt during the 12th dynasty rule of Sesostris III, around the year 1860 BCE. The fort is located near the head of the Nile River, and lies near the ancient Nubian border. The fort was a part of a chain of forts that lined the Nile. The other forts along the banks were Mirgissa, Shalfak, Uronarti, Askut, Dabenarti, Semna, and Kumma. All the forts had visual contact with one another to warn of would-be attackers.

The fortress itself covered over 150m of the West bank of the Nile. It spanned across 1.3 hectares, and had within its wall a small town laid out in a grid system. At its peak it had a population of around 3500 people. The fortress also included the administration for the whole fortified region of the Second Cataract. Its fortifications included a 3m deep moat, drawbridges, bastions, buttresses, ramparts, battlements, loopholes, and a catapult. The walls of the fort were about 5m think and stood 10m high. In front of the main walls there was a secondary wall that had the moat in front of it. This meant that attackers would have to cross the moat under archer fire, and then climb both of the walls that surrounded the city.

It is unsure if the fort actually ever saw any battles, but there are burn marks on the front walls. It is not known if these marks are from a battle or an accidental fire in the past. The fort was occupied not just by the Egyptians, but also the Kushites, and the Meroitic peoples without need for major reconstruction. The complex probably served as a customs and naval depot for the Egyptians. It would have been a checkpoint for goods entering from Nubia and southern Africa, and to restrict river traffic from the south. The fortress at Buhen today has been covered by Lake Nasser, which was the result of the building of the Aswan High Dam in 1964. Before the site was covered with water, a team led by Walter B. Emery excavated and published their findings to ensure a record of the site.
www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/africa/buhensite.html

[zarahan]

^^Indeed, and as noted often on these boards and by credible scientists, the ancient Egyptians and Nubians are indigenous tropically adapted Africans. The siege engines noted above would be put into use by Africans. No doubt Nubian bowmen rendered good service in providing covering fire for assaults.

[sundiata]

Well, Sundjata used fire archers and ladders to raid Sosso. Idris Alooma used scorched earth tactics and rifle onslaughts using Turkish formation to defeat his enemies (of which he had many),. Sonni Ali invaded Djenne with flaming arrows and cavalry, but it took him 7 months due to fierce resistance. The Awkapim raided and captured Dutch forts in Ghana through ambush. Later the Ashanti laid siege to the British and defeated them in the battle of Nsamankow during the first Anglo-Ashanti war by using the Pra river as cover and firing from one side of it, before rushing them after they ran out of ammo.

European siege weapons did not apply in Africa. It was mostly about tactics. This is why Morocco, even after conquering Songhay, couldn't hold on to it. The damage that was inflicted was quick and overwhelming, but could not be sustained.

[anansi]

Jun 22, 2010 12:23:58 GMT -5 sundiata said:

Well, Sundjata used fire archers and ladders to raid Sosso. Idris Alooma used scorched earth tactics and rifle onslaughts using Turkish formation to defeat his enemies (of which he had many),. Sonni Ali invaded Djenne with flaming arrows and cavalry, but it took him 7 months due to fierce resistance. The Awkapim raided and captured Dutch forts in Ghana through ambush. Later the Ashanti laid siege to the British and defeated them in the battle of Nsamankow during the first Anglo-Ashanti war by using the Pra river as cover and firing from one side of it, before rushing them after they ran out of ammo.

European siege weapons did not apply in Africa. It was mostly about tactics. This is why Morocco, even after conquering Songhay, couldn't hold on to it. The damage that was inflicted was quick and overwhelming, but could not be sustained.

That's right out thinking the defences rather that braking them down.