Glued Linen Armour- a simple test

[MeinPanzer]

Why do we only have one? If this was more than simply an ornamental piece of equipment, and possibly a battle-worn type of armor common or fairly common to other soldiers/officers/etc., why is it that this is the only example that survives to this day? Many Macedonian tombs have been unearthed and none have anything remotely similar inside them. Compare this to the multitude of very fine bronze cuirasses that are extant.

I think I'll leave Paul to respond to your other points, since he's by now a veteran of this debate. To this I would just say three things. Firstly, other iron examples of cuirasses have been found. One from Prodromi, for instance, is very well preserved (now in the museum at Corfu), and the very fragmentary remnants of iron armour (likely a cuirass) were found in the tomb of Agios Athanasios. Secondly, as you well know iron does not survive very well through the ages. Thirdly, as we know from literary records, throughout much of the Hellenistic period, iron armour (both helmets and cuirasses) would have been extremely expensive, so that in the time of Alexander and the Diadochoi, we hear of only the richest individuals wearing iron armour. When you combine these three factors, it is no surprise why iron cuirasses are not a dime a dozen in Greek archaeology. And, in return, I would ask of you how many bronze cuirasses dating to the Hellenistic period have been found within the Greek speaking world (excluding Italy)?

And to provide something new, here is another literary reference which I don't think has been discussed before.

From A.S.F. Gow and D.L. Page, ed. The Greek Anthology. Hellenistic Epigrams (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965):

Then eight thureoi, eight helmets, eight woven cuirasses [okto hyphantous thorekas], and so many blood-stained kopides, Hagnon son of Euanthes the violent fighter set up these arms from the Lucanians to Athena Koryphasia

This was an epigram recorded by Leonidas of Tarentum alongside another recording equipment captured from Lucanian cavalry which was dedicated as well. It is thought to have been authentic, and was likely written some time in the last years of the fourth century BC, but before 285 (when the Tarentines and the Lucanians were allied against Rome). The cuirasses would most likely be linen cuirasses, and it is interesting to note that they are woven. I don't think this is all that revolutionary, though, given that it is pretty well known that the Etruscans wore quilted cuirasses.