I have revived this ancient but excellent thread because I think we have fresh evidence.
A conference on Military Textiles examined the following themes:
Purchase orders of military garments from papyri of Roman Egypt by Kerstin Dross, University of Marburg
• Ancient Greek linen corselet by Eero Jarva, University of Oulu, Finland
• Linen Corselets in Etruscan Culture by Margarita Gleba, CTR
• The Iberian’s linothorakes in Roman Army: an approach to Military Textiles in Antiquity by Carmen Alfaro Giner, University of Valencia
• Covering the vitals: the use of textiles as part of the defence armour in the Roman army by Jorit Wintjes, University of Würzburg
• Military Textiles at Masada: fragments of linen armour and fragments of Roman legionary cloaks by Hero Granger Taylor, London
• Il miles di Herculaneum by Umberto Pappalardo, University “Suor Orsola Benincasa”, Naples
• Roman military tunics as shown on the grave stones in Mainz by Astrid Böhme-Schönberger, Direktion Landesarchäologie, Mainz
• Late Antique Egyptian military garments? by Annette Paetz gen. Schieck, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim
• Dressed for the occasion. Clothes and context in the Roman army by Michael A. Speidel, MAVORS, Basel
• Scandinavian warrior costume in the Iron Age weapon deposits by Susan Möller-Wiering,CTR
• “Clothing” Fleets: The Supply and Cost
All are interesting but I have highlighted one of particular relevance, concerning claims of pteryges found at Masada.
See here for an abstract:
http://ctr.hum.ku.dk/upload/application ... %20May.pdf
Apparently the find is weft twined, like the known greave/lining found at Dura Europos. This latter was apparently some 5mm thick!!!
[attachment=0:1899dh1q]<!-- ia0 Dura Europos Textile244guard - Copy.jpg<!-- ia0 [/attachment:1899dh1q]
This leads me to think one or two layers would be sufficient.
This confirms very neatly Travis' assertion that ancient statuary showing weave on pteryges looked to be weft faced, a very good guess it turns out!! Though few seem to have developed his assertion.
We reenactors should look more seriously at reconstructing the weave of Roman military textiles, here being a very good example. We get too caught up on the shiny bits!
For examples of what weft twining looks like, and how it is made see here:
http://www.beduinweaving.com/webarchive/weft/weft01.htm
Food for thought...