Battle testing Dendra armour

[JollyBob]

An interesting article from the Telegraph:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/22/ancient-greek-armour-works-well-scientists-battles/

As a sometime HEMA nerd, I am fascinated by the practical use of some of the more unwieldy looking military outfits from the past.

From the looks of it, it's actually easier to get around in than a modern bomb disposal suit.

[carlos marighela]

Alas, the Torygraph wants cash on the barrelhead to read that piece and it's one of the last things I'd ever subscribe to.

[carlos marighela]

I suppose it must have been flexible enough to fight in. Our ancient forebears weren't daft.

[JollyBob]

In the interests of overseas members then...
Text lifted from article, but some interesting pics of the recreated suit can be found on the link:



Ancient Greek armour tested on marines works surprisingly well
The unwieldy bulky bronze suits keep the military volunteers protected and provide ample movement, scientists find.

Sarah Knapton,
 SCIENCE EDITOR
22 May 2024 • 7:40pm


Bulky bronze armour sported by Brad Pitt as Achilles in the film Troy may look cumbersome but it was surprisingly battle-friendly, experts have proven.

Researchers at the University of Thessaly in Greece asked marines to carry out combat exercises wearing replicas of a 3,500-year-old suit of armour, found near the village of Dendra, near ancient Mycenae.


Since its discovery in 1960, it has been unclear whether it was simply a ceremonial suit or for battle.

With its overlapping bronze plates that covered the shoulders and fell below the knee, the armour was even more unwieldy than Pitt’s, but Greek soldiers from the Hellenic Armed Forces found it kept them protected and provided ample movement.

The authors recruited 13 volunteers from the Marines of the Hellenic Armed Forces, equipped them with Bronze Age weapons and ran them through an 11-hour simulated Bronze Age combat based on historical accounts from Homer’s Iliad. Experiments showed that the force generated by participants during combat hits was “relatively high and could inflict serious injury".

The experiment found that the replicated Dendra armour did not limit a warrior’s fighting ability or cause severe strain on the wearer.


The experiment used replicas of a 3,500-year-old suit of armour, found near the village of Dendra
The team said the results suggest that the Dendra armour was battle-worthy, and implied that the Mycenaean’s powerful impact in Mediterranean history was partly because of their armour. Andreas Flouris of the University of Thessaly, said: “We found that the armour allowed full flexibility of movement and did not exert excessive physiological stress on the body, as all our participants were able to complete the intense 11-hour combat simulation protocol.

“This means that despite earlier views which classified it as only a ceremonial outfit, the armour could be worn for extended periods by fit individuals in battle.



“Sixty years on from the discovery of the Dendra armour we now understand, despite its cumbersome appearance at first sight, that it is not only flexible enough to permit almost every movement of a warrior on foot but also resilient enough to protect the wearer from most blows.”

He added: “These warriors must have been formidable opponents.”

Held together with leather thongs
The Dendra armour consisted of 15 pieces of bronze sheet, held together with leather thongs, that surrounded the wearer from neck to knees. There were also leg and arm guards.

It is the only complete set of armour from Bronze Age Greece, although similar suits were depicted on tablets and vases from the period.

During the combat experiments, the marines performed combat moves and were instructed to hit the centre of a round target made of thick beech wood. To make the experiment as realistic as possible, the soldiers were also asked to eat an ancient Greek diet, consisting of dry bread, honey, goat’s cheese, olives, meat and red wine.

The team concluded: “Taken together, these experimental results indicate that the Dendra armour was compatible with use in the type of combat described by Homer in the Iliad.”

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2024

[ithoriel]

Years ago now I used to take my kids for a walk through Bruntsfield Links on a Sunday morning in part because various historical re-enactors and LARPers paraded about/ practiced combat moves there on Sunday morning and afternoon.

For a while there were two chaps in Mycenaean armour practicing quite regularly. One in full Dendra panoply and the other in the later, lighter armour with a pelta style shield. The guy in the Dendra armour delighted in showing of how easily he could move in it. His pièce de résistance was getting the other chap to push him over. He would hit the ground, roll and be back on his feet. I'm not sure, even then, that I could have done the same in the jogging bottoms and sweatshirt I was normally wearing!

[Basementboy]

Fascinating! Definitely not how one would imagine it at first sight, I’m always impressed by the ingenuity pieces of kit like this
Thanks for sharing!

[carlos marighela]

Cheers! The ancient Greek diet sounds remarkably like the modern one.

[SpaceArmada]

https://www.sci.news/archaeology/dendra-armor-12959.html

Thanks so much Jolly Bob for bringing this to my, our attention.
Link to article on same study 🙂✨

[FierceKitty]

If Homer and History are invoked together, there'd better be the sort of mind involved that knows Snoopy didn't actually fight the Red Baron.

[Easy E]

A very interesting article. 

I always assumed it was functional, but it is great to hear that this has been backed up by some research.