Glued Linen Armour- a simple test

[rocktupac]

Right, well certainly 10 hours is certainly sufficient time, but if the samples were indeed soaked through, then the glue should have been a gel at that point with little to no adhesive quality left- even a minor flex of the 'armour' should have shown delamination, not to mention the whole thing being gooey and unpleasant to touch on the surface (plus a great medium for mould, fungus and bacteria- being near a body, it'd grow some fun stuff to be sure). Did yours not? Of course once it dries again it's just as it was before it got wet (providing it's not flexed anywhere the layers could come apart), it's the when wet period that seems the troublesome time.

The glue did not turn into a gel and retained a sufficient amount of, albeit slightly reduced, adhesive quality. We did bend our pieces once removed from the simulated rain and they remained together. I expected the layers to come completely apart due to the water solubility of the glues we used, but to my astonishment the patches held together. It was a great surprise. Also, our patches, once allowed to dry in the outdoor air and sunlight, did not grow mold or any other noticeable substance. We did run into a similar problem of mold growth during early experiments with rabbit glue, but we came to the conclusion that it was due to the setting of the gluing (a damp basement). We noticed no irreversible damage to the patches when exposed to a light amount of rain, therefore we believe that unprotected armor (i.e. armor without a type of waterproofing) could be exposed to a bit of rain and survive intact if allowed to dry. A full-scale battle in the rain or heavy exposure to water, as Alexander fought at the Hydaspes, could be completed with similar armor. Whether or not the armor would have survived after the battle is another thing: considering that Alexander did order the burning of the old armor almost immediately after the battle (Curt. 9.3.22), and also after a new shipment of armor had been received (Curt. 9.3.21; Diod. 17.95.4). This armor could have been ordered before the venture into India with the anticipation of heavy rains to come.

This is the point I considered the idea pretty much a failure since if even short exposures to rain in a warm environment, which Greece surely is, the glued 'armour' becomes a soft, sticky growth medium for microorganisms; one cloudburst and a hoplite would have to let his armor dry before it was of any use again, no? Adding oil or any other waterproofer adds another layer of complexity and then one has to consider how that might be when worn- armor sufficiently coated with olive oil would also have been nasty to wear I should think.

Again, my experiences show that even a moderate rain would not immediately breakdown or destroy a piece of armor made from rabbit glue. The pitch-covered patches would, admittedly, be difficult and rather unpleasant to wear as it is sticky and becomes gummy in relatively mild Mediterranean heat, or something comparable (around 80 degrees F). The beeswax, whether melted on or simply rubbed on, is far more comfortable and is a very good agent for waterproofing. I see no reason to object to an agent used on the interior, even if irritating, due to the undergarment worn as it appears on the vase paintings. This would prevent from any chafing or discomfort. Any of the patches I covered with olive oil were hardly different to the touch than untreated patches. The oil seems to absorb nicely into the fibers of the outer layer and acts very well as a water-deterrent. I do not see how this would be uncomfortable to the wearer, even if smeared on the interior of the armor.