The Dendra Panoply,Discovered by Swedish archaeologists in 1960 near Dendra in the Argolis region of
The Dendra Panoply,Discovered by Swedish archaeologists in 1960 near Dendra in the Argolis region of Greece, the Dendra Panoply is an impressive full body set of bronze armor uncovered from a Mycenaean Era tomb. Dating to around 1500 BC, the panoply consists of 15 bronze plates held together with leather straps, a set of greaves, a set of arm guards, and a helmet mounted with boar tusks. The armor certainly would not have been used by the average rank and file grunt, but most likely would have belong to a very wealthy noble or elite warrior. The most commonly accepted theory is that this type of armor would have only been used by charioteers who were not required to conduct combat on foot. However, although the armor looks heavy and bulky, it only weighs 15kg (33lbs), and modern high quality replicas have demonstrated that the armor is mobile and dexterous enough for foot combat. Thus some contend that the armor could have been used by heavy infantry as well. One could imagine an elite corps of heavily armored Greek soldiers bashing through enemy lines like tanks. Based on the skeletal remains found in the tomb, it is estimated that the warrior who owned the armor was 1.75m (5′8′’) tall and weighed around 65kg (140lbs). So he certainly wasn’t an exceptionally large man, even by ancient standards.Currently the Dendra Panoply is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Nafplio. -- source link
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