Archaeologists in Xinjiang, China, have discovered the oldest armor in Eurasia (the two continents of Europe and Asia), made of leather scales between 543-786 BC, in the tomb of an adult man who died at the age of 30.
Археологи обнаружили в Синьцзяне древнейшие кожаные доспехи, когда-либо найденные в Евразии. Они лежали в погребении взрослого мужчины в могильнике Янхайhttps://t.co/MCwznQbZqY
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The ancient warriors made shields to protect themselves from various external factors, and they used several elements in their manufacture, such as some types of papers or scales, pieces of leather from animals or using metals, but the leather shield with scales was of great importance, as it is considered the oldest evidence of human use of shields and was found in documents Cuneiform from the Nuzi archives, late 15th – early 14th century BC.
Although leather is an organic material, it is rarely able to withstand for a long time in the face of external factors, but scientists have discovered an exception to this case, according to what was published in the journal “”Quaternary International“.
The shields and tools of Tutankhamun are among the rare shields that have survived to this day, as they have a good ability to protect the skin and are much lighter than metal shields and do not constitute any resistance to human movement such as metal.
Scientists counted about 5,000 criteria for a different study to study the quality of the armor, which forms a piece of skin in contact with the blanket, weighing about 4 to 5 kilograms, and the dry climate in northwest China, about 43 kilometers from the city of Turpan, specifically in the ancient Yanghai cemetery, helped Drought by preserving organic materials, which are sometimes more than three thousand years old, in a tomb that extends over about 54,000 square meters and contains about 3000 burials, where at least 520 shields were examined.
Radiocarbon analysis showed that these burials were used for more than a thousand years, between about the twelfth century BC and the second century AD.
Scientists found the oldest woolen trousers (end of the second millennium BC), the oldest leather balls, many household items, musical instruments and weapons in this huge tomb.
The researcher, Patrick Wertmann, from the University of “Zurich”, and his colleagues examined the preserved shield made of a number of leather scales, which they discovered during excavations in a tomb at Yanghai Cemetery. The shield was found in a grave pit measuring 132 x 165 x 84 centimeters, with remains A man of about 30 years old.
Scientists were able to obtain direct radiocarbon dating of the shields through the accelerating mass spectrometry method, and calibrated radiocarbon dating indicated that the shields were buried around 786-543 BC. .
Scientists pointed out that the shield was made in the form of a jacket that protects mainly the front part of the torso, the thighs and the lower back. It could be worn quickly without someone else’s help, and the shield appeared as a versatile protective clothing for soldiers of an organized army with great freedom of movement due to the shield’s shortness, and freedom of movement for the right hand, which was suitable for both warriors and foot soldiers.
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