Info Favorites Register Log in
myArmoury.com Discussion Forums

Forum index Memberlist Usergroups Spotlight Topics Search
Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Scale armor, but from where? Reply to topic
This is a standard topic  
Author Message
Paul Hansen




Location: The Netherlands
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
Likes: 5 pages

Posts: 845

PostPosted: Sat 25 Feb, 2012 12:04 pm    Post subject: Scale armor, but from where?         Reply with quote

I just found these pictures:
http://www.tforum.info/forum/index.php?autoco...mp;img=410

According to the title (above the picture) it's in the Hermitage, but otherwise there is no information.

Anyone know something about it's age and culture?

There are more interesting pictures from other museums in that gallery as well, btw...
View user's profile Send private message
Felix Kunze




Location: Bonn, Germany
Joined: 28 Feb 2007

Posts: 50

PostPosted: Sat 25 Feb, 2012 12:22 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Looks like one of the scythian scale armours from the 5th to 4th century BC. The scales, belt and the shoulderguards look very typical for such an armour. The hole arrangement visible in some of the scales look like some other finds from scythian kurgans.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Dan Howard




Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
Joined: 08 Dec 2004

Spotlight topics: 2
Posts: 3,636

PostPosted: Sat 25 Feb, 2012 1:04 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Need to know where it was found but agreed with Felix. It looks 5th-4th C Scythian. They were wearing the "Greek style" with the shoulder doublings around that time. It is curious that the torso scales are actually smaller than the shoulder scales. Usually the largest scales are on the torso. I'm wondering whether it was originally like the others in that photo set and the shoulder doublings were added later to help the wearer conform to the trendy new Greek fashion.
View user's profile Send private message
Romulus Stoica




Location: Hunedoara, Transylvania, Romania
Joined: 26 Oct 2006

Posts: 124

PostPosted: Sun 26 Feb, 2012 11:10 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

It is a scythian armor, I believe it's one of those found in Ukraine. I remember seeing it on a russian site but I don't remember which one. I have to search my archive.
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Felix Kunze




Location: Bonn, Germany
Joined: 28 Feb 2007

Posts: 50

PostPosted: Sun 26 Feb, 2012 11:39 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

After some research, these armours most probably are the two specimen found in kurgan 491 in Makeevka. The armour was removed from the grave en bloc, but the upper part was so much destroyed by grave robbers, that there is some incertainty about the placement of the fragments here. Only the front part of the armour was made of metal, only the lower end of the back was reinforced with a row of scales (row 14). In the inside rests of a leather garment with linen and coarse wool was found. The armour was dated to the (end of the) fifth century BC. Information according to Cernenko, Scythian armour.)
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Artis Aboltins




PostPosted: Sun 26 Feb, 2012 1:53 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I believe Felix is correct - and I must say that seeing that armour up close in the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg is really interesting - photos, while good, does not really let you appreciate how impressive it is. When you imagine how it must have looked when it was not rusted, but clean and reflecting sunlight when worn by a mounted warrior...
View user's profile Send private message
Paul Hansen




Location: The Netherlands
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
Likes: 5 pages

Posts: 845

PostPosted: Mon 27 Feb, 2012 11:32 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks guys, interesting stuff! I thought the Skythians mainly used lamellar armor rather than scale...
View user's profile Send private message
Len Parker





Joined: 15 Apr 2011

Posts: 484

PostPosted: Sun 30 Sep, 2012 11:59 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Some more Scythian scale armour. I think this is the Ukraine. http://museum.velizariy.kiev.ua/cherkas/cher_ant/index.html The cuirass is spread out underneath him with the outside facing up, with the oval shield underneath. The leg armour is laying sideways.
Here is a modern reproduction. http://www.tforum.info/forum/index.php?showtopic=33493
View user's profile Send private message
Dan Howard




Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
Joined: 08 Dec 2004

Spotlight topics: 2
Posts: 3,636

PostPosted: Sun 30 Sep, 2012 3:08 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Paul Hansen wrote:
Thanks guys, interesting stuff! I thought the Skythians mainly used lamellar armor rather than scale...

Nobody was wearing lamellar that early. The earliest example of lamellar dates to the end of the Warring states period in China.
View user's profile Send private message


Display posts from previous:   
Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Scale armor, but from where?
Page 1 of 1 Reply to topic
All times are GMT - 8 Hours

View previous topic :: View next topic
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum






All contents © Copyright 2003-2024 myArmoury.com — All rights reserved
Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group
Switch to the Basic Low-bandwidth Version of the forum