Scales from Vindonissa

[Primvs Pavlvs]

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309 ... ure556.jpg

[markusaurelius]

Is that the original leather where they were attached too?

Pretty amazing find if so......I wonder what part of the shirt that would make up? An opening around the neck area perhaps?

[lup_alb]

It looks like the upper chest front part, just below the neck.

[aitor iriarte]

The main question is that: Does the leather belong to the scales? That is always doubtful with the old Vindonissa finds :evil:
Of course, a close-up examination would reveal (or not) the tell-tale rows of-stitching-holes following each ancient row of scales...

Aitor

[mcbishop]

The main question is that: Does the leather belong to the scales? That is always doubtful with the old Vindonissa finds :evil:
Of course, a close-up examination would reveal (or not) the tell-tale rows of-stitching-holes following each ancient row of scales...

I certainly got quite excited the first time I saw this thing 'in the flesh' some years back but close examination with a copy of Unz and Deschler-Erb 1997* to hand reveals that most of the scales do not belong together and are from their catalogue numbers 844 to 857 (Taf.35), only one of which comes from the Schutthügel (where the leather will have originated – 850, comprising two joined scales: bottom left on the picture linked in the first posting; note the brassy patina typical of Schutthügel finds, unlike all the others, which come from elsewhere in the fort); moreover U&D-E give a reference to Gansser-Burckhardt's book (p.27 Abb.29c) on the leather from the Schutthügel (which I don't have to hand at the moment) so those two scales may be original to the leather, but the rest have been placed there for display purposes.

Mike Bishop

*Unz, C. and Deschler-Erb, E. 1997: Katalog der Militaria aus Vindonissa. Militärische Funde, Pferdegeschirr und Jochteile bis 1976, Veröffentlichungen der Gesellschaft Pro Vindonissa Bd.14, Brugg

[Primvs Pavlvs]

Thanks Mr. Bishop.

I thought that some of the scales looked mismatched when I first saw it myself.

[Dan Howard]

How do they know that the scales were added later?