Corbridge A Breastplates - to cross or not cross diagonally?

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

I think it's all down to how diagonally? in other words what angle. I use a subarmalis heavily padded with sheepskin, which makes the pltes sit not far of vertical, but there is a slight 'V'ing going on.

Another point with shoulder padding is it pushes the seg higher on your body to the neck opening meets a thinner part of your neck. withou padding the mid inner shoulder plates would rest on the lowest and widest part of you neck, causing increased splaying :? if you follow.

If the plates are widely splayed at the top this will stress the buckle mounts, particulrly in the case of Corbridge A. As I understand it, the original finds didn't show signs of this. Of course the definitive answer would come from Mike Bishop.