Day of the Zulu: A Review.

The British force suffered one of its worst defeats at Isandlawana in 1879 at the hands of the Zulu population.  “Secrets of the Dead” is all a~-term documentary/drama series aired attached PBS (Public Broadcasting System).  The line attempts to re-examine a multiplicity of famous cases from history, ranging from historical events and mysteries to prehistorical events.  In this particular occurrence, Secrets of the Dead re-examines the British conquer at Isandlawana by the Zulu in 1879.  The program examines the battle in articles of agreement of its archaeology, ballistic forensics, and up~ the anthropological pharmacology of traditional Zulu healing art.

Archaeologically, the battlefield itself holds a small bit.  There are stone piles, or “cairns”, which show the settle where groups of British soldiers who were killed and died.  There are metal fragments of the pair the bullets and firing pins, and the tabs that opened the canisters which held the powder and shot the soldiers needed to replenish their united shot Henry breech loading rifles.  Little in the course of human remains were examined in the pellicle. Battlefield forensics can detail the make known-tale cut marks, and smash wounds inflicted in handful to hand combat, the like of what one. occurred at Isandlawana.

In terms of the ballistics and forensics of this, the Henry rifle is examined in famous detail.  This .50 caliber, hinder part loading rifle was a formidable weapon to utter the least, and could kill at a cyclopean distance.  However, as demonstrated in the film, it was prone to overheat and crowding, as well as to discharge a liberal amount of smoke when fired, limiting the perceptibility and therefore the effectiveness of the weapon in the external aspect of oncoming soldiers, approaching by the thousands and at a force.  Further, the tactics reconstructed from the battlefield display the soldiers were not standing shoulder to shoulder, but were quite a remoteness apart, and not massing their fire (as was done at Rorke’s Drift).

Finally, the orally transmitted medicine administered by the medicine living soul, and its pharmacological bag of tricks, is examined.  The Zulu would be obliged taken a variety of drugs what one. would have increased their stamina and hinder any fear on the part of the warriors.

All in all, “Day of the Zulu” is a unblemished analysis and reconstruction of the historical events of the Battle of Isandlawana, single in kind of the British Empire’s greatest warlike defeats.  The film “Zulu Dawn” may be viewed with some of the conclusions raised in this documentary kept in intellectual powers. 


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