In this documentary we explore the story of the Nubian Archers - Longbowmen of Africa. The video begins with an introduction to the lands of the Nile, its geography, and the entwined development of both Egypt and Nubia. In this context it appears that the Nubian Archers existed from the very start as skilled hunters in southern civilization. Over time they would develop such a reputation that the ancient Egyptians would call the area of ancient Nubia, Tah-Seti, the Land of the Bow.
Both the Egyptian Army and the Nubian Army would clash for centuries along the Nile. Such was the threat from Nubia that the Pharaohs began to fortify the region of the first cataract with a series of Egyptian Fortifications like the Buhen Fortress. Yet even still the Nubian Archers could not be stopped and their armies are said to have regularly managed to storm these bastions. The Egyptians recognized the military prowess of the Nubian Archers and quickly hired them as mercenaries in their own armies. This was a trend that would continue with later Empires that interacted with the Lands of Nubia.
We talk specifically about what the equipment of these Nubian archers, how they were trained, how they were organized, and how they fought in battle. Finally the documentary concludes with an overview of their service history that would span hundreds of years through the Kingdom of Kerma, the Kingdom of Napata, and the Kingdom of Meroe.
