Introduction: The Chariot on the World Stage

It is generally believed that chariots came into vogue in Mesopotamia around 3500–3000 bc (Figure 1.1). Called a battle-wagon, the Sumerians yoked wild asses to it as the horse had not been domesticated by then. Subseqently, they developed it into a military vehicle to transport the warrior and his weapons to the battlefield. This, in a way, revolutionized warfare in the ancient world by introducing the element of mobility.