Fighting Techniques
Although it is often argued that the inhabitants of Palmares defended themselves using the martial art form called capoeira, there is no documentary evidence that the residents of Palmares actually used this method of fighting, which historian Thomas Desh-Obi has connected with the Benguela Highlands region of Angola. Most accounts describe them as armed with bows, arrows and guns. They were able to acquire guns by trading with the Portuguese and by allowing small holding cattle raisers to use their land.
The inhabitants of the larger towns typically protected them with elaborate fortifications, including walls and palisades, pit traps and trenches. However, often the inhabitants abandoned and burned their towns when sizable Portuguese armies approached, melting away into the woods and mountains. Hence even the most successful Portuguese expeditions rarely captured more than a few hundred people. Zumbi's determined defense of his capital against the Portuguese, who brought up artillery to assist in the attack, was unusual.
Read more about this topic: Palmares (quilombo)
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