"Sea Peoples: Who is styling whom?" Topic

Hello everyone,

The peoples of the sea are recognizable for example, in relation to their headgear…

Here is what I believe but in fact according to historians there may be some differences, so I await your opinions on what I indicate below, thank you.

The 'feathered' or 'reed' headgear for the Peleset, the Tjekker, The Denyen and the Weshesh (Without feathers or reeds for the Denyen?).

The 'horned helmet' for the Sherden and (perhaps) the Shekelesh.

The 'Hairstyle' with the 'Low turban' and the 'Cap' also for the Shekelesh.

The 'Achaean type helmet', with or without horns for the Ekweshs.

The 'Cloth' Headwear for the Lukka and the Teresh.

And the Karkisa in all this?

Paskal

Perhaps they just all wore whatever. The sources are so limited it's hard to make generalisations. It's not like the headdress is "team colours".

I have steered clear of Sea Peoples so far bc I honestly don't know how to recruit them in miniature. The description of Goliath of Gath in 1 Samuel 17 basically describes the panoply of a Bronze Age proto-Hoplite. Recent archeology and a genetic survey of present-day gentile inhabitants of the Palestinian coast suggest that at least the Philistines were of Greek origin. You raise a fascinating subject. The Wewesh description you offer above I think is based on a pharoaic descriptive stela; I fear that that that is about all we actually know.

You have license, my friend… create!

Yes, we can only speculate, but, but…

First invasion described below, according to the Egyptian monuments, no warriors are wearing the feathered headgear, characteristic of the future Philistines…

In an inscription from Merenptah at Karnak:

"The vile leader, the vanquished of Libya, Meryre, son of Ded, descends from the country of the Tjehenou, with his archers […] from the Shardanes, the Shekelesh, the Aqwesh, the Lukkas, the Turesh, having trained the elite of the fighters of his country. […] He had reached the western limit (of Egypt) in the countryside of Perire. »

Second invasion described below, according to the Egyptian monuments, except the Shekelesh, all the warriors are wearing the feathered headgear, characteristic of the future philistines…

"Foreign countries made a conspiracy in their islands. All countries were immediately struck and dispersed in the fray. No country had been able to stand before their (the peoples of the sea) arms, from the Hatti, Carchemish, Arzawa and Alashiya. They established their camp in a single place, the country of Amurru. […] The whole (of these peoples) included the Peleset, the Tjeker, the Shekelesh, the Denyen and the Weshesh. All these countries were united, their hands (were) on the countries up to the circle of the earth, their hearts were confident and assured: "Our designs will succeed! » »

— Inscription of Ramses III at Medinet Habu

So as the Shekelesh participate in the two invasions, we are certain that they did not wear the feathered headgear, characteristic of the future Philistines…

The Peleset are the Philistines, are they not? From related Hebrew and Assyrian terms. I don't follow your second paragraph. Sorry, my friend. If the Rameses inscription distinctly shows a Shekelesh warrior without feathers, you have evidence. I did not realise it did. My personal hunch is that the Philistines were a refugee hellenic culture driven out by the Myceneans…. but if Homer didn't know, I sure don't. They could equally have been Phoenician.

Remember the so called historical books of the Old Testament (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) was written down during the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE. So descriptions of Goliath as a photo Hoplite is because that is the source the authors had available.

The theory that the philistines were a refugee Hellenic culture may have value, the present leader in Peleset origins place them in Crete.

An interesting Sea Peoples group is the Tjekker, they are depicted with two javelins/spears whereas other Sea Peoples normally have a sword or single spear. Graves have been found in Cyprus of the period with burials including two javelins so this might be their origin. It also means a sea people tribe not just charging barbarians bur possibly peltasts types.

A few things to add on to this: one the ethnic dress of the various Sea Peoples would have been known to the Egyptians because they captured so many of them to the point where they were settling them in their Kingdom and probably helping them establish footholds outside it. Methods of dress are a good way to proclaim to the world who you and your people are, and an alien costume can frighten the locals, which can be an advantage if you are attempting to assert yourself as a warrior aristocracy.

Also as time went on the various Sea Peoples would become more and more absorbed into the surrounding culture, and arms technology and fighting styles do have a tendency to shift over time. So the example of Goliath, a warrior champion from well after the Philistine kingdom was well established, wearing full armor and carrying a long spear and large shield isn't too surprising. Besides, that description could cover a lot of heavy infantry from Assyrian Warriors to Carian Hoplites, and I suspect fighting in the hills and valleys of Canaan a similar style of armor would crop up, especially if you can use a chariot to get around on the plains.

@Archon64:

No, they weren't wearing just anything and the sources, although limited, are precise.

@Regicide1649:

The Philistines are not Greeks or Phoenicians.

On the other hand the Ekweshs were certainly Greeks, but not from continental Greece.

And yes Yes the Peleset are the future Philistines.

@sidley:

Interesting what you wrote.

@Crazyivanov:

It is certain that Pelesets were different in their outfits from their Philistine descendants and there are many Philistine figurines on the market that do not wear the outfits and types of protections of the Pelesets shown on Egyptian monuments…

They may as well be used for Philistines rather than Peleset.

@Paskal. Yes the Philistines would change their dress over time as they were absorbed into the surrounding cultures, or rather abosrbed elements of the surrounding cultures. I definitely don't think Philistine troopers during the period of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel would look very much like their ancestors by that point.

@Crazyivanov. Yes, yes and difficult to know what types of chariots they used.