The chain mail, which dates back to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, shows how Roman soldiers repaired their armor to be ready for battle.
How the Roman army maintained its battle equipment has been a mystery until now. A huge block of armor discovered in a small settlement outside a Roman legionary fortress has finally shed light on this unknown aspect of the military prowess of the Roman Empire, which spanned 1.9 million square miles.
“This is the first clear evidence that chain mail was being repaired outside the Roman military structure,” the scientists noted.
Using high-resolution X-rays and CT scans, archaeologists penetrated the piece of metal without damaging it. They were able to identify not one, but four different suits of armor, they report Noi.md with reference to .
They concluded that over time, two nearly complete layers of armor rusted and fused with two fragmentary pieces to form a stock dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
The authors of the study assume that the Roman army recycled metal equipment in various ways, but iron armor could not be melted down because of the small linked links that make up the structure.
Since the piece was found in a settlement near a Roman fort, this suggests that the army was working with local craftsmen who could repair chain mail armor.
