Crimea findings

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

I have just read an article by V. V. Doroshko, "New Findings of Roman Military Equipment in the Southern Crimea" (published in 2005), and here are the pics and descriptions of the findings.

Pic 1:

(1) The scabbard palmette, bronze, 55 mm in width, was found at Kharaks and dates to the 60s of the 1st CE.

(2) The scabbard binding, bronze, 55 x 10 mm, was found in a barbarian sanctuary at the Gurzuf Saddle Pass; the author dates it to the same period and suggests that they originated at the same Roman garrison at Kharaks. He argues that it belonged to a Pompeii type of scabbard, since the Mainz type was wider.

(3) The scutum rim piece, iron, 70 mm, same provenance as (2).

(4) The iron chain link.

Pic 2.

Ten iron fragments of lorica hamatae were found in the same sanctuary; the author classifies them into four types:

(1) Consists of 5 fragments. Alternating rows of riveted (2.2mm internal diameter /4.2mm external diameter) and whole rings (3mm/5mm).

(2) Consists of 2 fragments, one of which is rolled up and measures to
120 x 65 mm. Alternating rows of riveted and whole rings (both 3.5 mm/5.5 mm).

(3) One fragment. Alternating rows of riveted and whole rings (both 7/9.5mm).

(4) Two fragments. Alternating rows of non-riveted (4.5/6.5mm) and whole (3.5/5.5mm) rings. Non-riveted ring ends have 1-1.5mm overlap.

The author dates all the hamata fragments to the 1st c. CE.

(5) Two bronze scales of lorica squamata were found at Kharaks. The dimensions are 16x9 mm, the thickness is about 0.3 mm. The author dates them to the Antonine period. (6) is a reconstruction of the squamata.

[Robert Vermaat]

Any spear/javelins/hastae/pila/ etc.?

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Those are all the findings discussed in the article. On the first page the author lists the findings in the Crimea published earlier, among which is a Roman pilum found in a burial mound near stanitsa Vozdvizhenskaja (a Cossack village) dated to 1 BCE - 1 CE and discussed in a source which I do not have.

[Doc]

CVRIVS ALEXANDER,

Those first two fragments seem quite small for stand alone Roman mail. I wonder if they are not mail that was used in "plumata" armor except that the scales are no longer present.

Consider that I have had extensive discussions with Erik Schmid who is currently making a brass lorica plumata based on the Newstead plumata for a friend of mine.

Now, when speaking with Erik, it is his opinion that mail that small on its own is worthless and would not withstand any real attack. That is why scales were woven into the mail; to strengthen and make plumata viable as a defence.

I have seen one of the samples Erik made for my friend and you can see that his argument is very plausible.

Paolo

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Those first two fragments seem quite small for stand alone Roman mail. I wonder if they are not mail that was used in "plumata" armor except that the scales are no longer present.
...
Paolo

Perhaps, that is an interesting question. The author does not suggest that possibility though, he speaks of all the fragments as hamata pieces. He also indicates that 848 hamata fragments were altogether found in the same sanctuary (discussed in another Russian source I do not have), as well as a large fragment of a brass hamata with small rings.

[Doc]

CVRIVS ALEXANDER that is interesting.

However, it appears that anything that is mail on its own is considered hamata. Now I am not saying that it is not hamata since we do not know for sure. But if you consider the way all yellow parts on Gallic helmets are considered bronze when a vast majority are brass, then it could follow that anything that looks like mail is Hamata.

You would not happen to know the size of the brass hamata rings would you? It would be interesting.

Again as mentioned previosuly, I have spoken to Erik Schmid and I also saw a piece of plumata he made for a friend. You cannot believe how small these rings are and how fragile they would be on thier own. It is the scales that make the armor any good.

I dare not say small mail rings of that nature especailly in brass being "parade armor". :wink: I do not mean that brass is weak but that it would require less maintanance and look like gold; status of wealth :?:

Who knows. I know of middle eastern armor with really small rings that were butted used as armor.

Paolo

[Tarbicus]

Armour only needs to be as effective as the weapons they are meant to stop. Anyone know what the quality of local weaponry would have been in the Crimea at the time?

[Doc]

Good point Tarbicus except that I have seen mail of plumata size and I can tell you that a good thrust would puncture through quite easily unless in Crimea they were using anything other than metal for their weapons.

Even a good wooden stake shaped like a spear would do the job.


Paolo

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

The author suggests that the findings described in the article belonged to the Romans stationed in Kharaks in the 60s of the 1st c. CE., who were possibly brought there by Plautius Silvanus. Apparently, the first garrison in Kharaks consisted of the vexillations of the Ravenna fleet and Leg VIII Augusta. The latter would be replaced in 69 by the soldiers of Leg I Italica.

So, a more general question to ask would be to what extent - if any - the armor of the above Roman vexillations who came from Moesia would depend on specific conditions in Crimea? Also, although upgrading the armor due to weapons used by the enemy is known (Dacian wars), what would be the point of downgrading?

As to the tribes in and around Crimea at that time - there were Scythians, Tavrs, Sarmatians, whose weapons were not of inferior quality, AFAIK.

[Tarbicus]

I understand your reservations about it being practical, but I'd prefer tests to verify that :wink:

[Doc]

Tarbicus, I agree tests would be nice.

Erik Schmid is planning some with a plumata piece he will make. This will at least tell us about that.

The small mail, he may try given the new information provided above on these small rings. I have fowarded the info to him already.

However, being that he has made some really small links already for a plumata, I am quite sure that given his expertise on mail, he could make some empirical conclusion on the strength of mail with such fine links.

Paolo