Lamellar in Norse context

[bigdummy]

Does anyone know of any specific archeological finds of lames found in Scandinavia, or at Norse identified sites in the North Sea, Baltic, Flanders / Lowlands, Northern France or British Isles during the period 750 AD - 1100 AD ? Or of any Svear / Rus / Varangian sites in Russia, Ukraine or Eastern Europe during the same time period?

BD

[John]

"More than thirty lamellae (individual plates for lamellar armour) were found in Birka, Sweden, in 1877, 1934 and 1998-2000.[3] They were dated to the same approximate period as the Gjermundbu mailshirt (900-950AD)"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Age_arms_and_armour#Lamellar

[bigdummy]

Yeah I'm sorry I meant other than the Birka finds, I was kind of in a rush when I made the post.

I know there are some others, I've seen references to them before, but my google-fu is not up to the task of finding them now (I think they are hard to find in English)

BD

[craftyfighter]

As far as I know the only lamellae found in a Scandinavian context are the Birka finds...the rest are found in the context of turkic and steppes peoples.

[bigdummy]

How about Latvia, northern Poland, Saxony, Dorsteead, Finland, Normandy, Ireland, Scotland, the Hebrides, the Shetlands, Ukraine, or Russia, from within this same period?

Also ... I could have sworn I read a post somewhere with a link to some other recent local finds from somebody in Norway or Sweden but I can't track it down any more. It was a link to a Scandinavian language academic website IIRC.

BD

[craftyfighter]

There are other lamellae finds, but no others in a Scandinavian context that I am aware of. Try Norman over at Red Kaganate (http://www.redkaganate.org/), he is unusually well versed with this area.

[admin]

I have never heard of any from Ireland or Scotland. But armour of any sort is very rarely found in either, for this period or later. They were mostly naked running round with sticks .

[bigdummy]

And blue paint, don't forget the blue paint

[craftyfighter]

And blue paint, don't forget the blue paint

...and tarten kilts!

[Viking From the East]

Hi, all!
As for lamellar armour in Russia & Ukraine for the period - it is known only as separate plates finds with no whole kit preserved. In the most cases it is hard to define even to which ethnicity a found plate belongs.
It is impossible to make any conclusions of its wide existence based on these rare finds.

Lamellar armour was common in Byzantia of the period but there it was used mostly by heavy armoured cavalry which was absent in Rus.
For this area it is a feature of later period when the influence from the East grows.

[craftyfighter]

Hi, all!

Is this Beathan by any chance? Just curious.

[Viking From the East]

Hi, all!

Is this Beathan by any chance? Just curious.

That's no Beathan - but I know well who he is:).

[craftyfighter]

Cool...just curious, and welcome to the forum

[Viking From the East]

Thanks craftyfighter .
There is no place to hide in this world).

[admin]

Welcome to the forum

[craftyfighter]

...There is no place to hide in this world).

Very true...if you post we will notice