Roman Lorica
Segmentata chest buckle armor armour
|
Date Acquired
|
2004 |
Location Discovered |
Balkans |
Material
|
Bronze/ Copper Alloy |
Dimensions |
3.3cm long x 2.2cm wide |
Roman Empire |
2nd or 3rd
Century AD |
Description |
|
A section
of a Lorica Segmentata buckle for the Corbridge style of segmented
plate armor. The standard armor for the Roman Legionary during Rome's
prime.
This piece
is only the front section and the hinge indicates that it matches to an
unknown rear section. The front section has a rivet matching the
complete examples already in the collection.
This type
of armor had many advantages over scale mail and chain mail, primarily
being that it could withstand much harder impacts from pointed weapons
while still allowing a good amount of flexibility. The only inherent
weakness, at least on these earlier versions was that all the buckles and
hinges could easily break and required constant repair. Furthermore the
leather straps trapped in moisture on the iron, making it harder to keep
corrosion free. This early version was also relatively hard to put on and
invariably required a second person to do the buckles up. It was not until
the Newstead type that the buckles, hinges and laces were largely done away with.
(1)(2)(3)
Click on Pictures for higher resolution
Reverse View |
Examples of similar
buckles & attachments |
|
(1) References to
similar items: FEUGERE, Michel; Weapons of the Romans, page
103 2002.
(2) References to
similar items: CONNOLLY, Peter; The Legionary, page 24 2000.
(3) References to
similar items: CONNOLLY, Peter; Greece and Rome at War, page 229-230 1998.
*Image of Segmentata by
P.CONNOLLY
**Note on background. A
Fresco from the ancient Roman City of Pompeii. The interior walls of a wealthy
Roman's Estate 79AD. Picture taken July 2005.