VOLOS, GREECE—According to a statement released by the Public Library of Science, Andreas Flouris of the University of Thessaly and his colleagues equipped 13 volunteers from the Marines of the Hellenic Armed Forces with replica Bronze Age battle gear in order to test possible Mycenaean armor technology. The replica armor was based upon a 3,500-year-old suit of armor discovered in 1960 near the village of Dendra, which is located in southern Greece, just a few miles from the ancient site of Mycenae. No historical accounts referring to the use of such armor have been found, and so scholars have long wondered if the Dendra armor was worn in battle or reserved for ceremonies. The volunteer soldiers wore the replica Dendra armor for an 11-hour simulated Bronze Age combat scenario based upon descriptions of battle in Homer’s Iliad and what is known of the diet, activities, and maneuvers of the ancient Mycenaean military. The study found that the Dendra armor did not cause the volunteer soldiers severe strain, nor did it limit their fighting ability. Flouris and his colleagues also developed software to test Dendra armor in additional scenarios. Read the original scholarly article about this research in PLOS ONE. To read about the grave of a Bronze Age Mycenaean warrior discovered at Pylos, go to "World of the Griffin Warrior."
Volunteer Soldiers Test Bronze Age Armor
News May 23, 2024
Recommended Articles
Features January/February 2024
In the Time of the Copper Kings
Some 3,500 years ago, prosperous merchants on Cyprus controlled the world’s most valuable commodity
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2022
Spice Hunters
(Bridgeman Images)
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2021
Formatting Bronze Age Tablets
(Courtesy of The Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati)
Digs & Discoveries March/April 2020
A Barrel of Bronze Age Monkeys
(Photo Archive of Thera Akrotiri Excavations)
-
Artifacts May/June 2024
Medieval Iron Gauntlet
(Courtesy Canton of Zurich) -
Around the World May/June 2024
OMAN
(Oman News Agency) -
Digs & Discoveries May/June 2024
Ancient Egyptian Caregivers
(Metropolitan Museum of Art) -
Features May/June 2024
Alexander the Great's Untold Story
Excavations in northern Greece are revealing the world that shaped the future king
(Veronika Pfeiffer/Alamy)