Mycenaean armour mystery resolved by ancient battle simulations

Greek naval infantry conducted combat exercises in armour replicas from 3,500 years ago. This helped resolve a 64-year-old dispute among archaeologists, and scientists now know the role ancient armour played.

The armour used by the soldiers is one of the oldest known European armours. It is 3,500 years old and dates back to the Mycenaean period. It was discovered near the village of Dendra in Greece in 1960. Since then, scientists have not been able to agree on its purpose, as no historical sources describe this type of armour.

Some researchers argued that this armour, composed of bronze plates and weighing over 18 kilograms, was used only as ceremonial attire and was not effective in battle. Other scientists believed that the armour was part of the equipment of Mycenaean soldiers but was likely worn by warriors fighting on chariots rather than infantry.

This issue was crucial for understanding the art of war in late Bronze Age Europe. Researchers behind the study and experiment, described on May 22 in the online scientific journal "PLOS ONE," sought to resolve it.

Dr Andreas Flouris from the Laboratory of Functional Architecture of Mammals in their Environment (FAME) at the University of Thessaly in Greece found an unusual way to explain what the Mycenaean armour was used for. The physiologist and his team combined data from historical sources with experimental results to determine how the armour affected warrior mobility and whether it was effective protection. They also examined how wearing the armour affected the cardiovascular system and fatigue of the users. Volunteers from the Greek Armed Forces' naval infantry participated in the experiment.

Dr Flouris's team prepared replicas of the Dendra armour and Bronze Age weapons. Then 13 marines underwent a quick course in ancient fighting principles, developed based on Homer's "Iliad," among other sources. The soldiers, dressed in armour and equipped with swords, spears, and daggers, conducted a eleven-hour simulated battle.

The experiment showed that the replicas of the Mycenaean armour did not restrict the warriors' movements and combat abilities nor posed a significant burden to them. As the study's authors wrote, it was unequivocally proven that the Dendra armour was useful in battle. It strongly suggests that the Mycenaean civilisation, which peaked between 1450 and 1225 BC, owed its power partly to its weapon technology.

To complement the experimental results, scientists from the University of Thessaly developed software that allows for the simulation of combat conditions. Using the program, they could test the hypothetical effectiveness of armour and weapons in different scenarios. Now Dr Flouris's team will conduct further research on Mycenaean weaponry using computer techniques.

The Dendra armour was discovered in 1960 by archaeologists, Prof. Paul Aström from Sweden and Greek Dr Nikos Verdelis. The researchers found a complete cuirass in a Mycenaean tomb in the village of Dendra, near the citadel of Midea and a few miles from ancient Mycenae. Their discovery was considered groundbreaking for archaeology.

The find was a complete plate armour, whose bronze elements were connected using leather straps. The soldier's torso was protected by a two-piece cuirass with shoulder guards and a high collar protecting the neck, nape, and chin. From the waist down, the armour was composed of a skirt made of three pairs of wide, curved plates reaching the warrior's knees. The armour was complemented by a boar’s tusk helmet with plates protecting the cheeks. Experts believe that the armour also included greaves and forearm guards, attached to the limbs with linen straps.