Unusual Thracian Tube-and-Yoke corselet

[PMBardunias]

Firstly, it is clearly 'double-breasted'.

It looks this way, but I think if you look closer you will see that it is not really double breasted. Counting the pteryges shows that at best it only overlaps less than 2/3 of the chest, my guess is that only one of the pterygites overlaps, making meet more in the middle. Note how the left side of the front panel slopes and the right is straight.

Also, the true front piece is quite a bit higher than the flap that comes around from the right, which is closer in height to the left hand side-panel. The photo makes the two flaps look the same height, but the central panel is substantially lower. In any orientation the upper chest is not overlapped, perhaps the gorget covers enough of this. The whole thing could be held closed with a sash or best of the type I've posted before.

Second, it has two very unusual circular 'cutouts' on the back of the shoulders on the 'Tube', seemingly creating two weak spots?.....Perhaps these were covered by something else - plate 'rondels' for instance - but one expects the conservators would have placed anything like that found, back 'in situ'.

I have wondered about these and about Xenophon's description because I believe that hoplites struck overhand- which would seem a similar movement. The difference I believe is not in rasing the arm, but in pulling the arm back. Thus I think these cut-outs allowed the arm to be extended backwards as one does when throwing a javelin. The bottom of the cut-out can flex back witht he arm.

As to the right shoulder-front. Other than noting that it is cut like a persian Saddle cloth, I have no idea if there was more to it than is now shown, something over or under for example.