Throughout history, many unique armors have been designed and used in combat, such as the Chinese “fish scale” armor and the armor of Japanese samurai.
Most Famous Armors
1. Dendra Armor (3,500 years old)
(Image: Andreas Flouris/Marija Marković).
The Dendra armor was excavated in 1960 at an archaeological site near the village of Dendra in southern Greece. It dates back to around 1500 BC during the Mycenaean period. The armor consists of more than 10 bronze plates bound together with leather straps, protecting the warrior from neck to knees, with additional bronze pieces for protecting the shins and arms. Additionally, the warrior wore a helmet made with wild boar teeth.
Barry Molloy, an archaeologist and expert in ancient warfare at University College Dublin, once wore an exact replica of the Dendra armor. Another study indicated that the armor protected the wearer during an 11-hour simulated battle inspired by the Trojan War. Molloy noted that the helmet and the large neck guard provided almost complete protection for the head and neck.
2. King Tut’s Armor (3,300 years old)
(Image: Harry Burton).
Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun passed away as a teenager around 1323 BC. Archaeologists discovered a leather armor in a box when they opened his tomb in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor in 1922. Military training may have been part of the young king’s education, and it is possible he actually wore the armor. It resembles a cloak that covers the body, made of thousands of small overlapping pieces of leather, resembling fish scales.
Paintings in the tomb depict King Tut wearing such armor while hunting and riding in a chariot on the battlefield. However, these may only be symbolic representations, and scholars do not believe he actually fought.
3. Chinese “Fish Scale” Armor (2,500 years old)
(Image: Patrick Wertmann).
This armor, made from thousands of small pieces of leather, was discovered in a tomb at the Yanghai cemetery on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. According to studies, this was lightweight clothing suitable for a large army. The preservation of organic materials like leather without rotting is unusual. Researchers believe that the extremely dry desert environment contributed to its preservation.
Patrick Wertmann, an archaeologist at the University of Zurich, stated that the design of the overlapping leather pieces was likely inspired by fish scales. He is currently reconstructing a replica of the ancient armor to test its functionality and other technical issues.
4. Serbian “Lorica Squamata” Armor (1,700 years old)
(Image: Sofija Petkovic/Miroslav Vujović).
Due to its flexibility, fish scale-style armor was used for many centuries. Later examples include the “lorica squamata,” which means “scale armor” in Latin, used by the Romans. This armor was discovered at the Timacum Minus archaeological site in eastern Serbia.
Today, the Roman warrior is best known for the segmented lorica segmentata, but many different types of armor have been used throughout history. Scholars believe that the lorica squamata may have represented seniority in the Roman army. Some contemporary paintings and sculptures depict Roman emperors wearing this type of armor.
5. Japanese Yoroi Armor (700 years old)
This armor was gifted to a temple near Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji in the 14th century. Image: Metropolitan Museum of Art/Gift of Bashford Dean/Creative Commons Zero
Samurai were members of the noble warrior class in Japan, serving the government and nobility from the 12th to the 19th centuries. During this time, samurai wore various types of armor, but perhaps the most famous is the ō-yoroi, meaning “great armor” in Japanese. They typically wore these when riding horses. The armor, made of intricately decorated iron and leather plates, later became cherished family heirlooms.
6. Kiribati Armor (300 years old)
(Image: Auk Archive).
Warriors from the island nation of Kiribati in the Pacific not only drew inspiration from fish but also actually wore fish armor to protect themselves from weapons. The island has limited resources, so the people utilized whatever they could, including thick coconut coir mats and protective helmets made from dried pufferfish.
This type of armor is associated with Kiribati, but researchers indicate it was also used on nearby islands such as Nauru and Tuvalu during ritual hand-to-hand combat. According to European missionaries, the use of traditional Kiribati armor began to decline in the 19th century.
7. Ned Kelly’s Armor (145 years old)
(Image: The AGE).
Australian outlaw Ned Kelly used a special suit of armor when he was captured and executed in 1880. According to the State Library of Victoria, where the armor is currently displayed, Kelly and other gang members designed bulletproof armor in 1879. They then fashioned personal suits of armor from steel plowshares and wore them during a train robbery near Glenrowan in June 1880.
The armor provided a psychological advantage for Kelly’s gang during the robbery, but it was also quite cumbersome. After taking hostages in a local hotel, the gang donned their armor for a 15-minute shootout with the police. While protected by the armor on their heads and bodies, Kelly still sustained several gunshot wounds to his arms and legs, leading to his capture. Kelly’s armor bore the marks of 18 bullet strikes. Other gang members perished in the confrontation.
