Masada and related squamata? scales

[Theodosius the Great]

Ah, from Peter Connolly's "The Holy Land":


I'm not sure why he attributes these scales to the Zealots. Maybe the context of the find led him to that conclusion. But I don't see why they could just as easily have belonged to a Herodian, Legionary, or Byzantine soldier. All three of those types were stationed on Masada at some point. Even if they did 'belong' to Zealots that doesn't mean they didn't snatch them from dead Romans. [A Roman legion was destroyed seven years earlier in 66 AD]

He does say somewhere that the plates were locally manufactured (i.e. in the general region). This fact alone wouldn't make them non-Roman though. At worst it would make the plates Hellenistic - a style the Romans loved to imitate.

However, I also know of a third kind of scale from Masada where there are 8 total holes and a mid-rib.

I'm unaware of this find but the plate sounds like the type used to make locking-scale armor.

If the third scale type has typical Roman characteristics and was found with the others, is it not possible MAYBE that they are all Roman?

I would think so. But then again, I'm not sure I believe there is such as thing as Roman characteristics when it comes to armor. If a legionary's armor is manufactured on the Rhine does that make it non-Roman? If it shows local characteristics rather than Italian does that make it non-Roman?

Maybe I should stop asking these kinds of questions. They might lead to counter-interpretations

~Theo