10-04-2012, 11:44 PM
I thought I ought to report back on some findings.
I re-examined the rock reliefs at Firuzabad closely. Ardavan is wearing what looks like a muscle cuirass without the abs - you can see the outlines of the chest, and a ridge or groove running from the bottom of the chest to the bottom of the cuirass.
A muscle cuirass may be depicted on the gem showing Shapur and Valerian. The exact nature of Shapur's armour is debated but most Iranologists I have spoken to are of the opinion that it is a muscle cuirass.
On the legs:
It seems that Sasanian leg armour was a very different beast to that found at Ai Khanom. It was made up of two pieces with a round knee cop. There also was an element of interchangeability - banded cuisses could be worn with banded or Greek-style greaves, and banded greaves could be worn with banded or scale/lamellar cuisses.
I will be writing all this up in due time
I re-examined the rock reliefs at Firuzabad closely. Ardavan is wearing what looks like a muscle cuirass without the abs - you can see the outlines of the chest, and a ridge or groove running from the bottom of the chest to the bottom of the cuirass.
A muscle cuirass may be depicted on the gem showing Shapur and Valerian. The exact nature of Shapur's armour is debated but most Iranologists I have spoken to are of the opinion that it is a muscle cuirass.
On the legs:
It seems that Sasanian leg armour was a very different beast to that found at Ai Khanom. It was made up of two pieces with a round knee cop. There also was an element of interchangeability - banded cuisses could be worn with banded or Greek-style greaves, and banded greaves could be worn with banded or scale/lamellar cuisses.
I will be writing all this up in due time
Nadeem Ahmad
Eran ud Turan - reconstructing the Iranian and Indian world between Alexander and Islam
https://www.facebook.com/eranudturan
Eran ud Turan - reconstructing the Iranian and Indian world between Alexander and Islam
https://www.facebook.com/eranudturan