Scale armour fragment
Medium:Iron
Geography: Excavated at Tell Defenneh, Egypt
Date: c. 664-525 BC
Period: 26th (Saite) Dynasty, Late Period
Dimensions:4.4 x 2.4 x 0.6 cm
Object number: 885.6.111
Gallery Location:Galleries of Africa: Egypt
DescriptionThis small fragment of iron scale armour is made up of rows of rectangular scales with three stitching holes on one corner of the top of each, and three more holes opposite corner. Originally sewn onto a leather or linen backing, they are now held together by corrosion. The armour would have belonged to one of the Greek mercenaries fighting in the service of the kings of the XXVIth Dynasty. Similar fragments of armour have been found at Memphis.
Object History: Excavated by Sir William Flinders Petrie for the Egyptian Exploration Fund, 1886.
