Caesar Miniatures H015 Mitannian Mariyannu Chariot (Byblical Era)

Mitanni is an ancient state that existed in the first half of the second millennium BC and probably spread across today's Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, as well as northern Iraq. The capital of this power was the city of Vashuganni. The state was founded by a people called Hurricians, who began their expansion probably from the region of the Armenian Upland towards the south, around 1800-1700 BC. A big problem when trying to recreate the history of Mitanni, but also its armed forces or broadly understood military, lies in the fact that at present historians have almost no native (i.e. Mitannian) sources on this subject, which means that they must rely on foreign sources (e.g. Egyptian) and archaeological material. Based on these often uncertain sources, it can be assumed that the elite of the Mitanni army were combat chariots, which were probably most often harnessed by two horses. Probably the chariot wheels had spokes, and the spokes themselves were relatively lightweight. They were probably manned by crews of two soldiers. It can also be assumed that soldiers fighting on chariots were called "maryannu". It is highly probable that the combat chariots were adapted to the army of the Hittite state precisely under the influence of this formation's role in the Mitanni army.