Scientists tested replica Bronze Age armour on Greek marines. Here’s what they learned | CBC Radio

More than a dozen elite Greek marines dressed up like Bronze Age warriors and practised historical preventing methods — all within the title of science.

The 13 troopers, all members of the Hellenic Armed Forces, roleplayed as warriors from Greece’s late Bronze Age, referred to as the Mycenaean civilization, so as to check the fight suitability of a 3,500-year-old swimsuit of armour.

The examine, printed final week within the journal PLOS One, is being hailed by some specialists for its modern strategy of blending physiology, the examine of how the human physique works, with archeology, the examine of historical supplies and stays. 

But they additionally questioned the historic accuracy of the simulated fight, and cautioned towards utilizing this one swimsuit of armour to attract broad conclusions concerning the Mycenaeans — individuals whose cultures and societies stay one thing of a thriller.

Recreating historical circumstances

At the center of the examine is a swimsuit of Mycenaean armour found within the southern Greek village of Dendra in 1960.

Made of copper alloy plating tied along with leather-based, and that includes a boar-tusk helmet, it’s one of many oldest full fits of European armour in existence.

But, given its weight and bulk, there’s lengthy been debate about its objective. 

“The main question was: Was that particular armour for ceremonial purposes, or was it also a battle tool?” University of Thessaly physiologist Yiannis Koutedakis, one of many examine’s authors, advised As It Happens host Nil Köksal. 

“The verdict was that it could be used for both.”

To attain that conclusion, Koutedakis and his colleagues created a replica of the Dendra armour, then tested it on trendy troopers throughout a gruelling, 11-hour simulation of late Bronze Age fight. 

Using descriptions of the legendary Trojan War from Homer’s Iliad as a information, the troopers fought, tossed javelins, ran on treadmills and carried out numerous fight actions. Throughout, scientists monitored their blood sugar, coronary heart charges, oxygen consumption, core temperatures and extra.

The staff additionally tried to imitate Bronze Age battle circumstances by recruiting male volunteers of roughly the identical age as historical Greek troopers, controlling the temperature of the room the place they carried out fight simulations, and feeding the members a standard eating regimen of meats, dry bread, goat cheese, olives and pink wine. No espresso was allowed.

“We measured the physical … impact that this armour had on the individuals, and we noticed that it was fine, not something extreme,” Koutedakis mentioned. “It was heavy, but not too heavy. Not unbearable.”

The findings again up earlier analysis by archaeologist Barry Molloy who, in a 2013 evaluation, concluded the Dendra armour was match for intensive fight.

Molloy was unavailable for remark, however he advised National Geographic: “Suits of armour like this would have transformed the battlefield.”

Who had been the Mycenaeans?

The examine’s authors write that their findings “support the notion that the Mycenaeans had such a powerful impact in Eastern Mediterranean [society,] at least partly as a result of their armour technology.”

But Dimitri Nakassis, an archeologist on the University of Colorado Boulder who specializes Mycenaean societies, cautioned that there is a lot we do not find out about this era — together with whether or not the Mycenaeans had been actually the fierce warrior tradition they had been reputed to be.

“I think most archaeologists would recognize [Mycenaean is] kind of a shorthand,” Nakassis, who wasn’t concerned within the examine, advised CBC.

“We don’t know who these people were. We don’t know what they called themselves. We don’t know that they had a kind of unified identity.”

In order to make certain this fashion of armour gave Mycenaeans a bonus on the battlefield, he says extra proof that it was in broad utilization is required. 

What’s extra, he says related experiments are wanted on different units of armour from the identical interval.

“They suggest … maybe this gave the Mycenaeans an edge, and I think that’s a possibility that we should take seriously,” Nakassis mentioned. “But, obviously, it requires more research.”

Historical inaccuracies

There had been additionally limitations on the researchers’ potential to completely replicate Bronze Age fight in a traditionally correct approach.

Ioannis Georganas, an impartial archeologist and member of the Society of Ancient Military Historians, famous that whereas Dendra armour was 90 per cent copper and 10 per cent tin, the replica was 95 per cent copper and 5 per cent zinc.

What’s extra, he mentioned, in an e-mail to CBC, basing the fight simulations on Homer’s epic poetry is “more than problematic.”

Scholars have lengthy debated what’s reality and what’s fiction in Homer’s tales. The Trojan War was set centuries after the Dendra armour was created, and a few 500 years earlier than Homer was even born.

In the examine, the researchers acknowledged each of those shortcomings, noting they used the closest approximation of metals, and probably the most correct descriptions of Bronze Age fight that they may get their fingers on.

They say these discrepancies do not name into query their key discovering — that the Dendra armour is sensible, versatile, and fight prepared. 

Despite their caveats, each Georganas and Nakassis mentioned they welcomed the examine’s distinctive strategy to mixing physiology with archeology, and mentioned they hope to see extra analysis prefer it. 

Koutedakis agrees.

“We have now coined a new term — archeo-physiology,” he mentioned. “And I hope that … other projects may be done in a similar way, and that will be very good.”

Asked if he had an opportunity to strive on the replica armour himself, Koutedakis instantly replied: “Of course I did!”

“To have something on your body, which you knew that people were wearing 3,500 years ago,” he mentioned, “that feeling is really amazing.”