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."
