[Teaser] Briton War Chariots

Here's a little teaser from our latest Units of History, WAR CHARIOTS OF BRITANNIA. Coming soon to our channel. For now, enjoy!

Origins

The origins of the Briton war chariots begins with the arrival of Celtic culture in Britannia around the end of 2nd millennium BC. It was in this era that the island was gradually introduced to the two Celtic cultural influences which modern historians have designated as La Tene [Tyen] and Hallstatt [Haal-statt]. The latter of these proved more dominant by the time the Romans first arrived on the island around the mid-1st century BC.

Though these Britons may have shared common ancestry and culture through their Celtic heritage, this did not mean they were a united people. Britannia was divided into many tribes, including the powerful Iceni [Eye-see-nee], the Atrebates [Ah-treh-bah-tayz], and the Brigantes [Brih-gan-teez]. These various peoples were ruled by kings, and on rare occasions even queens, alongside groups of noblemen. Though the ancient Britons were certainly a multifaceted group with a rich material culture, much of what gets preserved in our ancient records are their warlike traits which were shared by many of the Celtic peoples.

There is much that could be said of their military practices. For the purposes of this episode however we will be focused on their units of war chariots. It turns out that these were a rather new piece of technology which swept across the Celtic world around the 5th century BC. Chariots had long existed prior to this but were typically reserved as ceremonial vehicles used by aristocrats in parades and funerals as a mark of their high status. It is not clear what served as the spark that precipitated their militarization but some speculate that the trend first began among the Celts who rubbed shoulders with the Etruscans of Northern Italy. Whatever the case, these new war chariots quickly spread across the northern regions. Once introduced among the tribes of Britannia, their relative isolation from the continent meant that their ensuing evolution was quite unique.

Equipment

But what did these war chariots actually look like? Fortunately, enough has survived in the written and archaeological record for us to reconstruct them to a relatively high degree of accuracy. The chariot itself consisted of a platform on a pair of iron-rimmed, spoked wheels about one meter in diameter. In front of it was attached a long pole and a yoke. The sides meanwhile sported low railings of wood or wickerwork mounted while the front and back were left open for ease of access. In terms of propulsion, it was typically driven by two horses or small ponies. Much debate however endures about whether these chariots were scythed. Though later sources do mention them, none of the earlier accounts or our archaeological records corroborate this claim. Arrian even goes so far as to use the lack of scythes as a distinguishing mark from their Persian counterparts. Thus it seems that Scythes were not the standard but it is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that they might have been installed on occasion.

In terms of the crew, the most important individual would be the driver who was situated in the front. Depictions indicate they would be lightly armed with perhaps only a dagger or other weapon that could be accessed in cases of emergency. The true fighting was done by the addition of a warrior on board. Generally speaking, only the wealthiest members of a tribe could afford these expensive chariots and thus the men mounted on chariots were typically well equipped nobles who could bring to bear the best weapons and armor of the tribe.

For defense, a fully kitted tribal warrior would have worn a metal helmet, usually made of bronze, which could also include cheek pieces, to protect the head. On their bodies they would have worn chainmail, which could also include shoulder doubling in the form of a “cape” or two strips connected by hooks. They would have also carried a shield, with large, flat, oval-shaped designs with a metal boss being most prominent.

For offense, javelins were an important part of a chariot-borne warrior’s arsenal, as well as the famous Celtic long swords meant for hacking and slashing. Other weapons like spears and axes may have also been used as well. However it is important to stress that not every warrior would have been equipped this way. For example some Roman coinage depicts Celtic charioteers as fighting without any body armor and or even clothing, perhaps as a mark of courage.

To give you a sense of the powerful imagery of these war chariots, here is a description from later Celtic sources. Quote:

"The hero stepped into his sickle war-chariot that bristled with points of iron and narrow blades, with hooks and hard prongs, and heroic frontal spikes, with ripping instruments and tearing nails on its shafts and straps and loops and cords. The body of the chariot was spare and slight and erect, fitted for the feats of a champion, with space for the lordly warrior's eight weapons, speedy as the wind or as a swallow or a deer darting over the level plain. The chariot was settled down on two fast steeds, wild and wicked, neat-headed and narrow bodied, with slender quarters and roan breast, firm in hoof and harness. One horse was lithe and swift-leaping, high-arched and powerful, long-bodied and with great hooves. The other flowing-maned and shining, slight and slender in hoof and heel. In that style, then, he drove out to find his enemies."