I don't know about on the body, but there's definitely iron in the grave: https://musee-archeologienationale.fr/objet/la-tombe-char-de-la-gorge-meillet
Len Parker wrote: |
How do you explain these four buttons in this celtic burial (lower right) https://vk.com/club867363?f=1&z=photo-60392205_456240861%2Fwall-867363_777 |
Oh, I always thought the assumption was that those were closures from a regular tube and yoke cuirass, made of leather or linen. (Or *possibly* felt?) Yes, it would be nice to have a set for the side closure as well, but it could have been tied or belted.
We know organic (and "composite") cuirasses were common in the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and North Africa, so why be surprised that they were used farther north?
Matthew
Just in case there are any doubters, I want to show that there were leather and linen cuirasses.
Strabo on Sardinians:
"Again, Sardo produces the rams that grow goat-hair instead of wool; they are called, however, "musmones" and it is with the hides of these that the people there make their cuirasses. They also use a small leather shield and a small dagger."
Strabo on Lusitanians:
"Most of them wear linen cuirasses; a few wear chain wrought cuirasses and helmets with three crests, but the rest wear helmets made of sinews."
Strabo on Sardinians:
"Again, Sardo produces the rams that grow goat-hair instead of wool; they are called, however, "musmones" and it is with the hides of these that the people there make their cuirasses. They also use a small leather shield and a small dagger."
Strabo on Lusitanians:
"Most of them wear linen cuirasses; a few wear chain wrought cuirasses and helmets with three crests, but the rest wear helmets made of sinews."
Here's something kind of interesting. Lucian is comparing bad writing to mixing expensive and shabby armour:
"That is not the way to do things; the whole should be homogeneous and uniform, and the body in proportion to the head--not a helmet of gold, a ridiculous breastplate patched up out of rags or rotten leather, shield of wicker, and pig-skin greaves."
Another version:
"For certainly this ought not be; but all should correspond and be of one colour, and the body conformable to the head; not the helmet of gold, and the cuirass patched up of rags and half-rotten leather, the shield of wicker, and hogskin boots."
"That is not the way to do things; the whole should be homogeneous and uniform, and the body in proportion to the head--not a helmet of gold, a ridiculous breastplate patched up out of rags or rotten leather, shield of wicker, and pig-skin greaves."
Another version:
"For certainly this ought not be; but all should correspond and be of one colour, and the body conformable to the head; not the helmet of gold, and the cuirass patched up of rags and half-rotten leather, the shield of wicker, and hogskin boots."
Len Parker wrote: |
Just in case there are any doubters, I want to show that there were leather and linen cuirasses.
Strabo on Sardinians: "Again, Sardo produces the rams that grow goat-hair instead of wool; they are called, however, "musmones" and it is with the hides of these that the people there make their cuirasses. They also use a small leather shield and a small dagger." Strabo on Lusitanians: "Most of them wear linen cuirasses; a few wear chain wrought cuirasses and helmets with three crests, but the rest wear helmets made of sinews." |
Oh, no doubting from me! I've been wanting to make a Sardinian cuirass from mouflon hides for years. LOTS of good depictions with the nuraghic bronze figurines. And just in case I didn't make clear earlier, I'm a firm believer that the Greek version of the tube and yoke cuirass was leather or hide of some sort, called the spolas. They also write about a number of other cultures using linen armor, though the best descriptions are clearly twined from cords, rather than layers of regular fabric.
Quote: |
Here's something kind of interesting. Lucian is comparing bad writing to mixing expensive and shabby armour:
"That is not the way to do things; the whole should be homogeneous and uniform, and the body in proportion to the head--not a helmet of gold, a ridiculous breastplate patched up out of rags or rotten leather, shield of wicker, and pig-skin greaves." Another version: "For certainly this ought not be; but all should correspond and be of one colour, and the body conformable to the head; not the helmet of gold, and the cuirass patched up of rags and half-rotten leather, the shield of wicker, and hogskin boots." |
THAT's interesting! Not sure I'd use it as evidence that such horrible things were at all common, but leather greaves? Hhhhhmmmmmmmm..... Thanks for digging that up!
Matthew
Some interesting things here: https://mennytaika.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-new-roman-weapons-relief-found-in.html First time seeing a celtic gauntlet.
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