Reconstructing Ancient Linen Body Armor - New Book

[Sean Manning]

Yes, I've finished it now. I'm at the moment writing a review for another medium, of both this book and Wearing the Cloak together. It's certainly a well-thought-out book and well worth reading. The authors' favoured linen cuirass reconstruction is 10 or more layers of linen laminated with rabbit-skin glue to produce a cuirass about 10-12mm thick. Now Granger-Taylor's article in Wearing the Cloak discusses possible fragments of pteryges from Masada and a greave from Dura, both 5mm thick, produced with composite threads and a characteristic "twining" weaving technique. I can't help wondering how differently Aldrete et al would have gone about their reconstructions if they'd had available the information that you could produce at least half their proposed cuirass thickness in one layer of cloth.

Even discounting that, the Aldrete book is a valuable one. There's a good catalogue of depictions of "Type IV" cuirasses, interesting discussion of variations in style in those depictions, and some quite carefully-described tests of the effectiveness of the reconstructions. I'd recommend it.

Duncan, I had been reluctant to read their book, because their public statements repeat many of the ideas which were brought up and rebutted in the tube-and-yoke thread here in 2008, but after that review I will have a look.