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dead body armour from the Bronze Age was secure enough to protect a Mycenaean soldier in struggle 3,500 years ago , harmonize to a new study that had 13 soldiers struggle in a reproduction of it for 11 hours .
Researchers take a suit of armour constitute in 1960 by archaeologists in Dendra , a hamlet located near what was once the ancient Greek city of Mycenae , and recruited 13 soldiers from the marine of the Hellenic Armed Forces to test the artefact ’s mettle , according to a study published Wednesday ( May 22 ) in the journalPLOS One .
A volunteer wears a replica of the 3,500-year-old Dendra armor.
For decennary , archaeologist have grip with whether the armor , which includes a wild boar ’s ivory helmet and a suit lie in of bronze plates , was hardy enough for combat .
" Since its discovery , the doubt has remained as to whether the armour was strictly for ceremonial purposes , or for use in battle , " pencil lead study authorAndreas Flouris , a professor of physiology at the University of Thessaly in Greece , and his colleagues recite Live Science in an email . " The Dendra armor is considered one of the oldest complete suit of armour from the European Bronze Age . "
To witness out , research worker outfit Tennessean with replicas of the armor and arm , include spears and stones , and had them nail an 11 - 60 minutes simulation of Bronze Age warfare based off of diachronic accounts deplumate from the page of the Greek poet Homer ’s famous employment " The Iliad , " an heroic account ofroughly the last 50 daysof theTrojan War .
A map of the area near Troy in the later phases of the Late Bronze Age (labels indicate the locations of the two army encampments and the geographic features of the area).
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" We extracted the information needed to create a Late Bronze Age combat feigning protocol , replicating the daily activity performed by elect warriors in the former Bronze Age , " Flouris and colleagues said . " Thereafter , we used paleoclimate data to re - create the environmental weather condition at the end of the Bronze Age in Troy . "
Research suggests that the temperature in this neighborhood during the Late Bronze Age would have been approximately 64 to 68 degree Fahrenheit ( 18 to 20 degrees Celsius ) with an yearly relative humidness between 70 % and 80 % .
investigator produce the armour replicas using a portmanteau word of engild alloy that let in cop and zinc , the faithful admixture to the original bronze fabric . A courtship followed the exact measurements of the artifact , right down to the " proportion , curve and perforation of the original " and weighed 51 pounds ( 23 kg ) once complete , according to the bailiwick .
In summation to replicating the armor , the Volunteer comply diets similar to what a Mycenaean soldier would have eat in homework for battle , let in a meal of moolah , squawk , goat cheese , green European olive tree , onions and cerise wine .
" Interestingly , our results for rip glucose present that the nutrition plan cater adequate Department of Energy for the volunteers during the 11 - hour communications protocol , " Flouris say .
During the trials , volunteers participated in various encounters , include duels , animal foot warrior versus chariot , distance encounters and chariot versus ship , harmonise to the subject area . The armour did n’t trammel anyone ’s fighting power or cause severe strain on the drug user , the team found .
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The feigning test to researchers that the armour would have hold up in battle thousand of years ago .
" It is clear that armor of this type was suitable for function in battle , not just ceremonial , " Flouris and colleagues allege . " The efficacy and multifariousness of Mycenaean sword and spears has long been recognize . The addition of ' cloggy ' armour will have given elite Mycenaean warriors considerable advantages over those with a shell only for defence force or with the light ' scale ' armor in manipulation in the Middle East . "
Not only that , but the Mycenaeans " were some of the best equip " soldier during that meter period , the researchers said .
" add together the combining of armored warrior brought to conflict in their chariot , and therefore arriving at the front line with full resources of energy , and these warriors must have been redoubtable opponent , " Flouris and colleagues tell .
