H ASSYRIAN CHARIOT (VIITH CENTURY BC)

Chariots in the Assyrian army, and more precisely in the army of the neo-Assyrian state (from about 950 BC to 612 BC), played a significant role. Initially, units equipped with them served as reconnaissance, perhaps diversionary units, and were rarely used in battle. Over time, however, with the advent of cavalry units, chariots in the Assyrian army began to play a primarily combat role. It is assumed that this change in the nature of the use of chariots probably occurred in the 8th century BC. or at the turn of VIII and VII BC. It is also worth adding that this change resulted in changes in the construction of the Assyrian army chariots themselves. Around the 10th-9th centuries BC, it was harnessed by two, rarely three, horses and was able to carry no more than two soldiers. However, probably already in the 8th century, and certainly in the 7th century BC, they were harnessed by four horses, became much larger and acted as a kind of mobile platforms used by archers. They were also often used to perform charges against enemy positions. It is also assumed that they constituted a kind of elite of the Assyrian army, and the soldiers fighting them were well trained and were probably characterized by high morale.