Worn by a warrior in the 15th Legion during the decades just before Rome fell in 476 C.E., this armor was found near a castle along what was the Empire's eastern border in present-day Türkiye.
Turkish Ministry of CultureThe fully restored Lorica Squamata armor once worn by a soldier in ancient Rome.
In 2020, archaeologists working in the ancient city of Satala in Türkiye unearthed a well-preserved and one-of-a-kind example of ancient Rome’s Lorica Squamata armor.
This armor, with its scaly and flexible design consisting of many small plates, originated in the Late Roman Period. During the armor’s heyday in the first and second centuries C.E., it was worn by high-ranking warriors, including officers and standard bearers.
Now, four years after the initial excavation of the 1,500-year-old armor found in Satala, workers at the Erzurum Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory have announced the full restoration of this stunning artifact.
Discovering The Lorica Squamata Armor In Türkiye
Wikimedia CommonsThe remains of the ancient city of Satala, where the Roman armor was found.
In 2020, archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Satala, in Gümüşhane, Türkiye unearthed remnants of Roman Lorica Squamata armor. This discovery was the first of its kind in history.
In 2021, the archaeological team transferred the mud-caked armor to the Erzurum Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory. There, the lab conducted X-rays and tomography to reveal the form of the armor below the grime.
Turkish Ministry of CultureThe armor as it appeared when archaeologists first unearthed it.
Just recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye confirmed that the armor was 1,500 years old and belonged to the Lorica Squamata variety from the Late Roman Period.
This type of armor was referred to as “scale armor” due to its uniquely scaly look. Roman soldiers of high rank, such as officers and calvary, likely wore armor of this type.
Lorica Squamata featured bronze or iron “scales” sewn onto leather or cloth. Its design provided ease of movement for soldiers and the ability to easily replace damaged scales.
So far, the Lorica Squamata found in Satala is the only surviving example of this armor, and researchers have just announced the historic news of its full restoration.
The Painstaking Process Of Restoring This Ancient Roman Armor
@muzeler_dairesi/XA worker from the Erzurum Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory restores the Roman armor.
At the Erzurum Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory, X-rays showed that the armor was relatively intact. This surprised the researchers, as most armor of a similar age has not survived to the present day.
Typically, armor of this kind was not custom-made. It was meant to be mended as needed and reused by soldiers. When armor became irreparably damaged, it was typically melted down.
Therefore, researchers understood that they had an immensely important historical artifact in their possession that needed to be restored. After concluding X-rays, researchers used CT scans to reveal the armor’s precise measurements and metallurgical properties.
For the next three years, the laboratory carefully cataloged each plate of the armor. After repairing and cleaning them, researchers reattached or strengthened their hold on the leather body, which sat on a mannequin.
“Through rigorous efforts over three years at the Erzurum Restoration and Conservation Laboratory, each plate of the armor was carefully cataloged, conserved and restored to its original form. The armor was reassembled on a mannequin to reflect its original appearance, standing once more in its full glory,” Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in a social media post announcing the discovery.
“I would like to thank our…staff who contributed to the creation of this magnificent work,” said Ersoy, “which opens a unique window into the warrior past of the Roman Empire.”
After reading about the Roman armor, dive into 44 of history’s most magnificent pieces of armor. Then, read about decimation, the brutal Roman punishment for cowardly or insubordinate soldiers.
