So, the theme of the Trojan War and the weapons and armor used in it comes to an end. Actually, almost everything that was possible was considered, significant iconographic material was involved. As already noted, a significant volume of works by English-speaking historians was used, including those who are engaged in the reconstruction of ancient artifacts. However, we did not touch on the most important thing - the reconstructions of the armor of the era of the Trojan War as a whole, so to speak - full-scale reproductions of its military equipment "from head to toe." Someone makes swords and daggers, but what about armor? So far, in the previous material, we got acquainted with the works of only one person - the Greek reenactor Katsikis Dimitrios. But surely there are other and even entire societies?
Here, however, one should digress from the personalities and see what kind of thing this is - "historical reconstruction" and what purposes does it serve? To begin with, the drawings by Giuseppe Rava are also a reconstruction. But this type of reconstruction is the simplest. More complicated is the reconstruction in which the author reproduces the material and the technology of its processing. That is, the fabric for the shirt is made of flax, which is spun and bleached, then it is the turn of the loom, and so on and so forth. Here, it turns out, even a bronze sword is easier to copy: I got the metal of the required composition, cast it in a modern crucible (although it can be done in the old-fashioned way!), Processed it with modern tools, and okay! Although it is possible and it is all the same, like pants and a shirt to do according to "that technology." And, therefore, the first type of reconstruction is 100% complete immersion in antiquity. In fact, this is an extremely expensive experiment, reminiscent of a dive into the past. Here wherever you throw - everywhere a wedge! It is not clever to forge a blade, but you need an anvil and a hammer of that time. And how to polish? Sand? How to drill holes? How to drill? In what clothes and, sorry, underwear? There are a lot of questions and they all affect the purity of the experiment. That is why such experiments, due to their complexity and high cost, are extremely rare.
Ancient Tools can also be obtained from Neil Burridge! A copy of those that the ancient masters worked with!
The second option is easier, when the goal is important, and not the means of achieving it. That is, we pour it into a chill mold, drill on a machine, buy threads in a store, we also dye fabric with aniline dye, and instead of leather we use leatherette. There is also a benefit from such a reconstruction, because as a result we see a “living image” of a person of that time. Can we experiment with whether it was comfortable for him? Whether he could do this or that, besides, such reconstructions are often filmed in films. Finally, the third type is reconstructions for … children! The most, in my opinion, are "not historical", and … the most "grateful", because they well awaken the love of children for history. In a number of schools they are engaged in them, even if their number is small. Several years ago in the Levsha magazine (an appendix to the Yuny Technik magazine) I published a series of articles on how to make the most “cheap and cheerful” (that is, reliably) armor and weapons of different peoples of the past, ranging from warriors of the Egyptians and ending with the knights of the Middle Ages. It is clear that armor and weapons made according to this principle are nothing more than toys, but they are interesting and useful for children - they have been tested in practice.
Well, adult uncles play serious and buy themselves armor and weapons worth several thousand dollars!
For example, in England there is an organization called Ermine Street Guard. They reconstruct the weapons of the warriors of Rome, act in films, they have their own fortress, where they serve and "click" with tourists. The price of one set of armor (not a centurion!) Is £ 3000!
“All this is mine! Please return!"
There are many specialists who collaborate with museums. For example, Mike Simkins, who makes copies of Roman weapons based on museum samples, and museums put them next to "antiques" for comparison. But Neil Burridge (we have already talked about him here when it came to swords and other ancient "iron") also decided to reconstruct the ancient shield of the Bronze Age!
"Shield of Clonbrin"
He himself writes about it this way: “The Clonbring Shield (from Clonbrin) is the only surviving leather shield from the Bronze Age, and it is quite possible that it was made back in the 13th century BC. It was found in 1908 while cutting peat near Clonbrin in Longford and is now on display at the Dublin National Museum. Due to the fact that it got into a peat bog, its preservation was almost perfect, which made it possible to study it well.
This photo clearly shows the pattern of the shield, and even the places where it was stitched with threads.
It turned out that the shield was made of one piece of very thick natural leather, probably ox-skin, and has some traces of combat damage on it. For additional protection, the hands were made of an umbo on it, and also made of leather. Although there is no other such, from the Bronze Age survived bronze shields with a similar pattern, and they were found in places as far from England as Spain and southern Scandinavia.
Shield from the inside.
The relative simplicity of making leather shields compared to bronze shields supports the theory that leather shields were probably the most widespread means of defense in the Bronze Age, and that it was not bad protection. The replica of the shield was made in the technology of that time using a wooden stamp and hot water. After molding, the entire shield was covered with beeswax. In 2009, he was tested for durability with a bronze sword and performed much better than expected, even when attacked with a spear. The shield was damaged, but after that it was immersed in the lake for the night and when the next morning it was taken out of the water, there were practically no signs of damage on it. The cost of a replica of such a shield is £ 350."
The work of most of the reenactors is carried out extremely accurately, and this is understandable: no one needs a bad product! Well, the sources are again the finds of archaeologists.
For example, the Mycenaean bronze leggings from the burial in Kallithea, the Archaeological Museum of Patras (XII century BC).
And this is their reconstruction!
Well, this is a Mycenaean warrior, of course. Dressed, shod and armed in the local fashion!
This is his "shoe" (something looks very modern, it seems to me, but God is their judge)!
Tunic…
And a shield. And then to it there are umbols of different styles.
Well, this is its woven base.
But this is a replica of the shield, which could be used by the warriors of the "peoples of the sea" and sherdans from Egyptian reliefs. The basis of the shield is a braid made of laths covered with leather with a bronze rim along the edge. Wet leather stretches and straightens well, while leather soaked with hot wax becomes water resistant. There are three brass umbons on the shield. Its total weight is 7 pounds 12 ounces. So it's not very heavy.
A warrior with … "vases of warriors". It is possible that he looked like that.
However, the inaccuracy immediately catches the eye. Wrong shield! On the vase it has a cutout at the bottom and … now we see how his replica is being done. First, the base of the shield is glued from the boards, which are grinded along the edges. Then the wood is covered with leather, the umbon and the handle are riveted.
Umbon
And finally, we get the finished shield.
And here is a replica of the shield and armor made by the already known Greek reenactor Katsikis Dimitrios. His shield is a simple "braid" in the manner of the bottom of a basket, covered with goatskin with fur outside. The handle of the shield is covered by an umbon, and three smaller umbils are attached not so much for protection as for beauty. Armor of a warrior - Dimitrios himself calls it "the armor of Menelaus", made of leather with numerous umbols superimposed on them.
"Armor of Menelaus" - view of the front side of the shield.
"Armor of Menelaus" - a view of the back side of the shield.
Also his work - "The Warrior of the" Peoples of the Sea "(Shardan).
At the “feet” of the “armor of Menelaus” we see the original four-horned helmet, But this will already be the topic of the next article …
The author would like to thank Neil Burridge (www.bronze-age-swords.com) and the website https://www.larp.com/hoplite/bronze.html for the photographs and information provided, and the Greek armor re-enactor Katsikis Dimitrios (https:// www. hellenicarmors.gr) and the Greek History Research Association Koryvantes (koryvantes.org) for their photographs.
