10-04-2009, 09:47 PM
We know that leather armour was worn during this time by many cultures. The trick is to demonstrate that the Romans wore leather which can't be done using the above analysis.
What we do know is that leather segmentata cannot be constructed using the same method that the Romans used for metal segmentata. In order to provide any protection at all,the leather plates have to be much much thicker, which would lead to the type of assembly that Nicolle's Middle Eastern examples have. To put it simply, it is not possible to make leather segmented armour look like the depictions on Trajan's column. The only way to do it is to make the leather too thin to provide any kind of protection, which means that it no longer fits the definition of "armour".
What we do know is that leather segmentata cannot be constructed using the same method that the Romans used for metal segmentata. In order to provide any protection at all,the leather plates have to be much much thicker, which would lead to the type of assembly that Nicolle's Middle Eastern examples have. To put it simply, it is not possible to make leather segmented armour look like the depictions on Trajan's column. The only way to do it is to make the leather too thin to provide any kind of protection, which means that it no longer fits the definition of "armour".
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books