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http://medarch.blogspot.com/2006/10/den ... rinth.html
Quote:The famous Mycenaean cuirass from Dendra is to be moved to the Archaeological Museum of Corinth.
The armour has been recently chemically re-analysed in order to establish the best restoration procedure.
The armour, which weights 15kg will be exhibited along with other artifacts recovered from the chamber tomb that it was found in 1960.
For more information on the cuirass (and the remains of the boar-tusk helmet found with it) take a look at:
Taracha, Piotr. 1999. "Reconstructing the Dendra Panoply." ArchaeologiaWar 50. p. 7-12.
Wardle, Diana E.H. 1988. "Does Reconstruction Help? A Mycenaean Dress and the Dendra Suit of Armour." French, E.B. and K.A. Wardle, eds. Problems in Greek Prehistory. Papers Presented at the Centenary Conference of the British School of Archaeology at Athens, Manchester, April 1986. Bristol Classical Press, Bristol. p. 469-476.
Åström, Paul. 1983. The Cuirass Tomb and Other Finds at Dendra, Part 2: Excavations in the Cemeteries, the Lower Town, and the Citadel.. SIMA 4.Paul Åströms Förlag, Göteborg.
Greenhalgh, Peter. 1980. "The Dendra Charioteer". Antiquity 54:212. p. 201-205.
Åström, Paul. 1977. The Cuirass Tomb and Other Finds at Dendra: Part 1, the Chamber Tombs. SIMA 4, Part 1.Paul Åströms Förlag, Göteborg.
Protonotariou-Deilaki, E. 1970. "Mikinaikon kranos ek Dendron (Casque mycenien de Dendra)". AAA 3:1. p. 106-108.
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http://medarch.blogspot.com/2006/11/den ... rt-ii.html
Quote:The only complete example of a Mycenaean suit of armor ever found is to be sent for conservation work, 46 years since its discovery at Dendra in the Argolid, the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) has decided.
Dating from the 15th century BC, it is made up of four pieces: a neckpiece, two epaulettes, a breastplate and an articulated section with three straps to protect the rest of the warrior’s torso.
Broad strips of metal were fastened to a leather lining which appears to have covered the body from neck to knee. At 15 kilos, its weight must have made it hard to move in and it is believed that it was not worn on the battlefield but in circumstances where a show of prestige was in order.
Until recently, the armor was on display at the Archaeological Museum of Nafplion among other objects found in May 1960 by Nikos Verdelis, then head of the Fourth Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, and Paul Astrom, director of the Swedish Archaeological School.
At that time they were investigating one of the graves in the cemetery at Dendra, which had been the subject of an attempted raid. They found a large number of impressive objects, of which the suit of armor was an exceptional example of Mycenaean art, the only one known to have been found that predates the Geometric era.
The Ancient and Modern Monuments Conservation Directorate, which studied the suit of armor, reported that it needed treatment, not only because it was 46 years since the original preservation work, but because modern methods can reveal more detail.
So far, examination has shown that the armor is fragile, has severe cracks and is broken in places.
The study proposes construction of a new display case from Japan with anti-seismic features and made of glass so that the armor is visible from all angles, as well as a firmer means of support.
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The WEIGHT! They gave the weight! I figured that was secret, since even the excavation report doesn't list it....
"At 15 kilos, its weight must have made it hard to move in and it is believed that it was not worn on the battlefield but in circumstances where a show of prestige was in order."
Twits. 33 pounds. That's a little over half the weight of the full suit of mail that I wear on occasion as a 13th century knight. And even being a weakling office jockey, I have no trouble moving or even running in it! And the battlefield was EXACTLY where a "show of prestige" was needed! Sheesh...
Thanks for posting, though, it's great information! Too bad they aren't moving it to Baltimore or DC, eh?
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
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Actually, a friend of mine has tried an exact replica of the cuirass and he told me that even if you fall down, it's very easy to get up with no help and continue fighting.
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Hi Ioannis,
I didn't realize you were a member here! I hope you don't mind my reposting from your blog....
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Not at all!
Actually, I only joined today!
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Gianni the info was great.
You might find this forum of interst too:
http://s8.invisionfree.com/Bronze_Age_C ... Reenacting
Also 15 kilos is the weight of the "light webing" of many modern armies Running in Dendra armor then must not be much of an issue.
Well none Mathew!
Kind regards
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That article is wrong. The plates definitely were not fastened to a leather lining. Leather was only used around the edges. It is possible that it may have had a LINEN lining, but definitely not leather.
Matt's right about the weight. I can run, jump, and play cricket in my replica, which weighs 25 kg, not the pissy 15 kg mentioned above.
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Thank you all for your contribution. Dan, you're a really lucky guy! *S*
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Ioannis, whats your PhD in?
The weight of the Dendra Panoply stacks up with the weight of other armours that appear latter, my research is consistently turning up metal less than a mm thick.
Jason
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou
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I just read your Bio on your Blogg.
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou
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Jason,
My PhD was entitled "The Archaeology of Early Iron Age Thessaly (ca. 1100-700 BC)". One chapter was devoted to weapons and warfare. Subsequently it appeared as an article at the Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry journal (available at: [url:lzxkjw1p]http://www.geocities.com/i_georganas/GEORGANAS_Dec05.pdf[/url])
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While your here have you done any research on persian arrows by any chance
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou
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I'm afraid not. What do you have in mind?
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I have been working on the Linothorax for the last three years, and a repeating theme is the lightness of Persian and Greek Arrows. Most research i do turns up that they were made using the reed Phragmides Australis/commonus which is extremly light yet quite strong. However this would have made them easier to stop.
any thoughts
Jason
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou
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