Sumerian Command 2

 

Here are two Sumerian Command stands that I've just finished painting. These 28mm figures are by CP Models and are the same range, different scale, as the the Museum Miniatures 15mm Z range Sumerians. They are more heroic than historic with some of the swords they're armed with, the scimitar type sword and the later Bronze Age swords, were obviously not around in the early Bronze Age! Still they're great figures and you could always remove the swords from the figures, if it keeps you awake at night, but I couldn't be bothered. CP Models generously included two free shield bearers with my order and I've included these but ditched the six boss shields as these should be nine boss shields as depicted in the Vulture Stele. I'm still working on a king in a battle car and despite the inaccuracies with some of these figures they are still probably the best 28mm Sumerian range around. Andrea Salimbeti's site has an interesting page on Greek Bronze Age swords and daggers:

The Greek Age of Bronze Swords/Daggers

Sumerian Spearmen of Lagash

 

Here are some Sumerian spearmen of Lagash, that date to c.2500 BC, a mix of figures from Eureka, Castaway Arts and Warlord/Cutting Edge. The appearance of these is based on the Vulture Stele, see the article, photos and line drawings of this on the Sumerian Shakespeare website. The spearmen of Ur with their distinctive capes with copper discs are based on the Standard of Ur and date to c.2600 BC. According to the Stillman & Tallis WRG book, Armies and Enemies of the Ancient Near East 3,000 BC to 539 BC 'the large, flat rectangular Sumerian shield, first illustrated on the 'Vulture Stela', probably hastened the abandonment of the protective cape. Made of dyed oxhide and having nine (not six as often stated) round, copper bosses on its face, each shield is shown as being carried by a special shieldbearer standing to the left of each spearman on the stela' (p.122 ). 

I have my Lagash units based with shield bearers in the front rank with rear ranks of spearmen, their spears projecting over the shield bearers. Interpretations of their appearance and how they fought are tricky, a lot of figure manufacturers have spearmen with capes, spear and shield and others with spear and shield. Some have six bosses rather than nine on the shields (Museum Miniatures and CP Models). There are a lot of nice Sumerian ranges available now with 15mm (Chariot Miniatures, Essex Miniatures, Eureka Miniatures and Museum Miniatures) and 28mm ( Wargames Foundry, Warlord/Cutting Edge, CP Models, Eureka Miniatures and Newline Designs). Interestingly the Museum Miniatures 15mm range, and the CP Models 28mm range are the same figures, by the Z sculptor but different scales.