Ploughing with Camels??

[votadini]

Was this possible??

http://www.livius.org/a/libya/bani_walid/b...s_dromedary.JPG

[caldrail]

Yes. I don't know how tractable camels are as plough-pullers but its certainly within the bounds of reason. Horses were too expensive for that work, both in purchase and feed, and the larger breeds intended for pulling hadn't existed then. This sort of thing isn't unusual. Goats were used to pull small chariots for wealthy children in some cases as we know from Julius Caesar. If you're poor and you need something to pull a plough, you make do with what you could find, breed, hire, beg, or steal. Mules would have been a good choice if a little unwilling at times. Oxen even better but such large animals must have been uncommon, paricularly in some areas like deserts.

[Rameses the Great]

I find it hard to believe a camel would do hard manual labor since they're just so lazy. They're not worth the maintenance. There is a term we use in the Middle East, 'horses don't need much and do a lot of work and camels need a lot and do not do much work.' The only good thing camels are good for was to transport things across the desert other than that they're worthless.

 

BTW, mules and camels are VERY stuborn.

Edited January 23, 2007 by Rameses the Great

[Gaius Octavius]

From Iran to China, and in North Africa, camels are still used today for ploughing.

[caldrail]

I find it hard to believe a camel would do hard manual labor since they're just so lazy. They're not worth the maintenance. There is a term we use in the Middle East, 'horses don't need much and do a lot of work and camels need a lot and do not do much work.' The only good thing camels are good for was to transport things across the desert other than that they're worthless.

 

BTW, mules and camels are VERY stuborn.

 

Yep, some anmimals don't like working. Nor do many human beings, which is why we harness animals to our ploughs (and they tend to be stronger than us anyway - very convenient). However, if all you've got is mules and camels, then you hitch them. Mules have a legendary status for being obstinate but then why have they been used by us since the year dot? Because that obstinancy is a two edged coin. It might be difficult to start them but they'll pull when horses would have given up.

[votadini]

From Iran to China, and in North Africa, camels are still used today for ploughing.

 

Would you have any images of that in practice? My main reason for questioning the original image was the mechanics of it (camels being rather tall).

[M. Scaevola]

Would you have any images of that in practice? My main reason for questioning the original image was the mechanics of it (camels being rather tall).

 

Here's one link to an agriculture site.

Another page from the an agriculture company (Camel and camels milk...).

And finally, The Camel in Eritrea: an all purpose animal (maybe we need a smiley with a hump.)

:horse:

Edited January 24, 2007 by M. Scaevola

[Gaius Octavius]

Forgot to mention that the Arabs have camel racing in Dubai and there abouts.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

At the end of the day a camel is big, strong, has four legs, most of the time pretty docile and does as it's told i.e. it's not going to go charging off in the wrong direction, so why not strap a plough to it and make the big lumpy creature do some graft!

[DecimusCaesar]

If the Romans could use camels for warfare, I believe they could have harnessed them to do some agricultural work. Then again, that farmer might be using camels becuase they were the only animals available to him. Perhaps there were no horses or mules to be had.

[votadini]

Here's one link to an agriculture site.

Another page from the an agriculture company (Camel and camels milk...).

And finally, The Camel in Eritrea: an all purpose animal (maybe we need a smiley with a hump.)

:horse:

 

 

Many thanks; you live and learn