Women, weaponry and warfare: A multidisciplinary study of the use of weapons by women in Dynastic Egypt

This thesis is a detailed study of the utilisation of weaponry by ancient Egyptian women during the Dynastic Period. This work incorporates extended literature reviews, including a detailed discussion of several examples of women utilising weaponry and taking part in warfare in societies outside of Dynastic Egypt, an analysis of feminist and gender-based approaches to the subject, an examination of women within ancient Egyptian society, and a review of the specific weapons associated with these women. Detailed experimental archaeology also forms part of the thesis research in order to test the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the specific weaponry when utilised by both men and women. In addition to the experimental work, a comparative discussion of examples of weapons’ trauma on ancient Egyptian remains is carried out. The thesis concludes with the discussion of research carried out and the potential for future work, and the conclusions drawn from all aspects of the thesis research. A catalogue of unpublished ancient Egyptian weaponry in the collections of the Harrogate Royal Pump Room Museum and the Yorkshire Museum in York is also included as an Appendix to the thesis.