Marines test Bronze Age Greek armour and find it's battleworthy

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-05-23 04:00

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Volunteer marine soldiers in simulated combat wearing the Dendra armour replica during the empirical study (right) and an artistic photo shoot (left). Photo credit: Andreas Flouris and Marija Marković. Permission required for reproduction.

A famous Mycenaean suit of armour that dates back 3,500 years was not just ceremonial, but suitable for extended combat, say international scientists who asked 13 Greek marines to test replicas of the suit against weaponry used at the time during 11 hours of 'Bronze Age combat'. The combat protocol was developed based on historical accounts from Homer’s Iliad along with additional evidence about what ancient Mycenaeans ate, their activities, and their military manoeuvres. During this 'phoney war', the replicated armour did not limit the marines' fighting ability or cause them severe strain, the scientists say, adding that the findings suggest the Mycenaeans' success in Mediterranean warfare was due, at least in part, to their armour. The authors also developed freely-available software which simulates combat conditions to test the armour in different scenarios. The suit is one of the oldest known examples of European armour and was found near the Greek village of Dendra, a few kilometres away from ancient Mycenae, in 1960.

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From: PLOS

Ancient Mycenaean armor tested by Marines and pronounced suitable for extended combat

Hellenic Marines ran combat drills in Bronze Age armor, finding it not just ceremonial, but battleworthy

A famous Mycenaean suit of armor was not just ceremonial, but suitable for extended combat, according to a study published May 22, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Andreas Flouris of the University of Thessaly, Greece and colleagues.

One of the oldest known suits of European armor is a 3500-year-old suit found near the village of Dendra, a few kilometers away from ancient Mycenae. Since its discovery in 1960, it has been unclear if this was a ceremonial suit or if it was suitable for battle. This question has important implications for understanding warfare in Late Bronze Age Europe, but no historical accounts describe the use of this style of armor. In this study, researchers combine historical and experimental evidence to investigate the combat suitability of the Dendra armor.

The authors recruited thirteen volunteers from the Marines of the Hellenic Armed Forces, equipped them with replicas of the Dendra armor and Bronze Age weapons, and ran them through an eleven-hour simulated Bronze Age combat protocol. This combat simulation was developed based on historical accounts from Homer’s Iliad along with additional physiological and environmental evidence to create an approximation of typical diet, activities, and maneuvers of the Mycenaean military. The experiment found that the replicated Dendra armor did not limit a warrior’s fighting ability or cause severe strain on the wearer.

These results suggest that the Dendra armor was battle-worthy, implying that the Mycenaean’s powerful impact in Mediterranean history was due partly to their armor technology. To supplement these results, the authors developed a freely-available software which enables simulation of combat conditions to test the hypothetical efficacy of the armor in more varied scenarios. Further research into Mycenaean combat technology will continue to illuminate details on the Late Bronze Age and the transition into the Iron Age.