It's the Ancient's on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes your host and in today's podcast

it's the start of a new mini-series on that incredible ancient military vehicle that was

the chariot. Now in this first episode we're going to be focusing on shall we say a golden

age of the chariot in the second millennium BC. We're going to be looking at the use of

this ancient military vehicle by the Egyptians but also by the hit heights we're going to

be looking at its use in the Trojan War and also we're going to be going to the far

east to ancient China and see what the archaeology is telling us about how the chariot was used

was designed in the far eastern part of the world. Now to talk through all of these topics

I was delighted to get back on the show the chariot expert the one and only military historian

Mike Loads. Mike is a good friend of mine it was great to get him back on the podcast

he has tested out various chariot designs from ancient history he knows his stuff and

he goes into incredible detail so without further ado here's Mike. Mike Loads it's fantastic

to have you back on the podcast. Now last time we talked about horse archery which was

a huge topping in itself we're talking about another huge topic now chariots across antiquity

because one of the things that you've told me that you find most interesting is the

pancultural activity of chariots in ancient history. Yeah I love it I mean chariots have long been

a passion and they've given me a ride to all these different cultures you know I've been to China

with chariots I've driven chariots across the sands in Egypt in front of the pyramids I've

written across the plains of Troy in a chariot with bettany hues as my passenger that was a pretty

glamorous sports car moment I've driven Celtic chariots with Alice Roberts as a passenger I need to

get a third glamorous historian lady to whiz about in the sports car that was the chariot and I've

been to ancient Assyria in Turkey now but Haran you know the site of battle at Haray which was

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