Asyut scales

[Dan Howard]

Four scales in the Petrie Museum. Dated c. 2000BC. Only two lacing holes in each scale. How would these be assembled, what lacing pattern?

http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/detail/details...ils%2Findex.php

[Sean Manning]

All I can think of is filling some gap somewhere where the usual type of scale wouldn't fit.

There are some wierd types of scale out there. I wish more scale armour survived intact so we could study how the different types of scale were put together.

[mjbroyles]

Dan,

I have been thinking about this since I first noticed your post. Perhaps they were laced directly onto a backing of some sort? I am uncertain if such was done by the Egyptians. But it seems to me to be the only way to attach them. You could set the overlap and just sew them on. I have also been mulling over making some Egyptian armor of some sort or another. This would make it easier if it could be determined. It would be nice to know if the resinous material is on both sides or just one. The only other thing I could think of would be a 'coat of plates' style jacket where they were sewn into a fabric again, but this time spaced out a bit and either inside the fabric, or in between two layers of fabric.

Where is our expert on all things scale?

Cordially,

Michael

[Dan Howard]

Thanks guys. I wonder how accurate the dating is. These scales are very early. Kendall reckons that the Egyptians didn't adopt scale armour until it was introduced by the Hurrians in the 16th century.

[Matthew Amt]

I guess my question would be, Are we sure these are armor scales? Much depends on how they were found, but could they be something else entirely? Though I suppose if they are a "first attempt", that could explain the odd hole pattern. Just trying to question the answers, ha!

Matthew

[Dan Howard]

That's how I see it. Assuming they are from piece of armour then they should be classed as some sort of proto-scale armour. The two holes enable the plates to be attached to a backing but not to each other.

[mjbroyles]

Hello again,

Matt's questioning them as Armor plates sparked another idea. What if they were from a necklace/collar? Then the two holes might allow them to still line up for stringing, and perhaps the odd sizes might even allow them to line up to 'lay' appropriately.

Just a thought.

Michael