Production Of War Elephants at Adulis Chapter 5: Adulis was the primary center for the production of African war elephants (Laxodonata cyclotis) used by major polities during the classical era. The analysis first details how these highly intelligent, non-domesticated animals required a resource-intensive, cooperative process involving specialized mahouts, making capture and training more practical than breeding. Supporting this central assertion, the text examines newly developed taxonomic analysis identifying the specific forest elephant species utilized in combat, which was once abundant in the Adulis region. Further archaeological and material evidence—including ivory artifacts, elephant-skin-wrapped mummies, and protective graduated masonry architecture—is presented to confirm the physical presence and extensive use of these animals at the site. This perspective is reinforced by textual sources, such as the Monumentum Adulitanum, which document the Ptolemies’ reliance on Adulis for their military elephant supply and logistics. Finally, the source places this production within the broader context of the regional political economy, exploring the elephant’s heroic symbolic importance in local origin myths and its strategic role in historical battles like Raphia.

Referenceshttps://www.adulites.com/https://scholarworks.umass.edu/entities/publication/6c43531e-c4e4-49d3-9a9b-ed7063f13765#ForYou #Ad #Eritrea #AfricanHistory #AncientAfrica #EsatAfrica #hornofafrica