Ancient Mycenaean Armor: Effective in Battle for Hours
A group of scientists conducted a study in which 13 Greek marine infantrymen, equipped with replicas of Mycenaean weaponry, took on the role of ancient elite infantrymen who participated in the Trojan War. According to the research published in the journal PLoS ONE, it was found that the known armor from Dendra was effective during an 11-hour battle.
Discovery of Mycenaean Armaments in Dendra Necropolis
In the 1930s, archaeologists discovered a Mycenaean necropolis near the Greek village of Dendra, where they found a domed tomb and other burials with armaments. However, the site gained widespread attention only after the well-preserved bronze armor was found in 1960. Based on the findings, scientists hypothesized that such armor may have been used only by warriors on chariots.
Scientific Experiment Testing Elite Warrior Armor
To test this hypothesis, Andreas Fluris from the University of Thessaly, together with colleagues, conducted a large-scale study involving several stages. With the participation of 13 volunteers from the Greek marine infantry, they tested whether elite warriors could use armor during prolonged battles.
Before the experiment, the volunteers underwent medical examinations and lived according to the regimen of ancient warriors. After that, they carried out tasks for 11 hours, relying on data from the Trojan War described in Homer’s «Iliad» and scientific literature.
