A 1,500-year-old Roman armor, the only one of its kind in the world, was restored in Turkey

The only known Lorica Squamata model legionary armor in the world, found in the ancient city of Satala, has been restored.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that the Roman legionary armor, dating back to the Late Roman Period and belonging to the Lorica Squamata model, which was found during the 2020 excavation season in the ancient city of Satala in Gümüşhane and removed from the field with the contributions of Ankara Regional Laboratory, has been restored. The Ministry’s statement emphasized the significant importance of the armor as the first known example of the Lorica Squamata model. It was further mentioned that the armor, which was brought to the Erzurum Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory Directorate in 2021 and preserved with its soil in the initial documentation phase, was examined with X-ray and tomography at Erzurum Atatürk University.

“Armors of this kind rarely reach our times”

The statement indicated in the X-ray results that almost all parts of the armor were intact. It was stated, “Through micro-CT imaging of the 3-piece block taken from the edges of the armor, the exact measurements and partially metallurgical properties were determined. After 3 years of meticulous work at the Erzurum Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory, all plates of the armor were coded in place, and conservation and restoration processes were completed. The armor was re-sewn on a mannequin to restore its original form and put upright. In the Roman period, legionary armors, although not personalized, were repaired when needed and reused, and when they were damaged beyond repair, they were melted and transformed into other materials. Hence, armors of this kind rarely reach our times.