Villanovan "Poncho" cuirass, Research and reconstruction

Khairete!

Been a while since I had something new, here! Last Saturday (Oct. 18) I went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia. I was on my way to a medieval event, so kept my focus tight: Villanovan artifacts, particularly the "poncho" cuirass from Narce, Italy. Ever since I saw this illustrated in Peter Connolly's "Greece and Rome at War" many years, ago, it has been at the back of my mind. Now I'm gonna make one!

For those who don't already know, the Villanovan culture is basically the era of Romulus and Remus, Italy in the 8th century BC, early Iron Age or late Bronze Age. With my two main interests being the Bronze Age and Rome, it's the obvious reenactment impression!

This cuirass is unique, and was found in a very fragmentary state. Only the breastplate remains, though presumably there was a backplate originally. It was obviously reassembled from bits and pieces like a puzzle, and some parts are missing. A chunk is gone from the right shoulder, and the entire end of the left shoulder, so there is no trace of how front and back plates might have connected originally. The entire inside is fiberglass or some kind of modern material, simply holding the bits together. Nevertheless, it seems to be a trustworthy reconstruction.

It was hard to get good measurements since it's sealed in its case, but I measured it at 17" tall by about 16" wide. This seems too big! I'll have to make a few cardboard patterns to be sure, but I have a feeling that's going to inhibit arm motion and bending. Might have to chop an inch or more when I start cutting metal.

The entire surface is covered by decoration, mostly dots, raised lines, and zigzags. Right below the neck opening is a line of vertical bars--they seem to be in pairs, but the area is badly damaged and the line tapers to nothing at the ends, so I'm not certain. Dots are easy, of course, but all the raised lines will be a little bit of a challenge. Getting those to come out nice and even is not easy! However, a few of the original lines are also a bit lumpy--you can see individual chisel marks! Ha, I can do *that*.

The cuirass has more depth to it than I expected. The middle is dished out to a depth of a good 4 inches, and there is a distinct ridge down the center. I took a lot of photos and notes and drawings, though it's very hard to get good photos due to the glass and lighting. Flash photography is permitted, but I found that shooting without the flash was often just as good.

Overall, this is not a simple or cheap armor by any means! It'll take me a while to get it done. Plus, the backplate is going to be mostly guesswork, though obviously based heavily on the breastplate.

Then I'll make a couple helmets to go with it! I'll keep you posted.

Enjoy,

Matthew

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That seems a "dishy" project Matthew. Once again though we have the "how did they get large sheets of bronze?" question. One thought I had about that was the existence of cauldrons rivetted from sheets of bronze so it must have been a quite common and accessible technology and armour if desired or thought of could have been made virtuallt anywhere.

Edwin

The Catalogue of the collection is also on Google Books and the cuirass is shown in a colour plate here

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mkrmZB9...9-1&output=html

Edwin

I wonder how big a piece of bronze they were able to melt? One reason for the moderate thickness of bronze armour could have been the fact that light ingots, and therefore small or light plates, were easier to cast. (Medieval armour was heavier, so clearly heavier armour could add worthwhile protection).

Whatever they needed. From the early iron age, there are bronzes weighing hundreds of kilos, like the Hochdorf couch (though made of several pieces), giant cauldrons, statues, and the big bronze door I've yet to find out more about.

Good luck with the cuirass Matt!

Whatever they needed. From the early iron age, there are bronzes weighing hundreds of kilos, like the Hochdorf couch (though made of several pieces), giant cauldrons, statues, and the big bronze door I've yet to find out more about.

Good luck with the cuirass Matt!

Wow! It would be interesting to compare that some time with the Shang who are famous for big bronzes, if you could get weights for individual pieces in Europe.

Thanks, Edwin! I never think of Google Books. Hmm, doesn't seem to print out, but at this point that's no biggy. There's a brief description of the find, too, not much info but it's intriguing.

Of course, now more domestic and Roman projects are popping up! This may take longer than I'd thought.

Khairete,

Matthew

Here we go! After enlarging 2 different drawings of the cuirass to various sizes and making 3 cardboard patterns, I cut out a steel mockup and started pounding. I'm glad I did! The shoulders really liked to pinch the neckhole shut, and I got the front profile wrong. So I cut out another mockup, just the top half or so, without cutting out the neck opening, and that worked much better. Tweaked the pattern, took a deep breath, and cut out the bronze.

This photo shows the cuirass at left, with the central ridge chiseled and the shoulder area curved back. Above it are the two steel mockups, and at the center is a mockup for a crested helmet to go with it. The gray plastic bag holds my sandbag, an attempt to contain the dust while dishing! Below are my hammers (with red tape marking the heads I have shaped and/or polished for metalworking, so they don't get used to drive nails...), the big bronze bearing I use for a lot of dishing, and a screwdriver and wide chisel that have been rounded for making lines and ridges.

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Hauled the forge out into the yard and spent an hour annealing and dishing. Seems to have worked! It's still wet from the last quenching, and VERY dirty. Next I'll cut out the neckhole and finish shaping, and get an idea how it actually fits to see if it needs any trimming.

Also this evening I cut out the halves of the helmet, but I can start another post for that. Got 2 Villanovan helmets going, actually. Might have to make a pectoral to go with the second one!

Enjoy,

Matthew

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Looks cool! Makes me wish I had time and energy to work on the scale armour, but its a busy term. A pectoral would be neat too, and a lot easier than all these helmets and cuirasses.

What do you quench bronze for?

Heating and quenching bronze anneals it, i.e., makes it softer. Hammering work-hardens it. With steel, you anneal by heating and letting it cool as SLOWLY as possible--heating and quenching would harden it (and steel also work-hardens). So annealing is the opposite for copper alloys and steel.

Yeah, pectorals are easy, but not flashy enough if I'm going to be portraying Romulus, eh? I already have a later pectoral, good for Punic War era and somewhat earlier, so another one isn't as enticing. Plus, I'm not even sure if a pectoral in the Villanovan era was worn with a matching backplate or not! Those that I've seen don't seem to have been found in pairs. Obviously that makes it even easier to do, but I'd kinda like to know for sure...

Besides, "easy" isn't always the point!

Matthew

Okay, so far so good! Gave it a little plannishing, and then a quick cleaning to make it easier to see where plannishing is needed. The neck flange was surprisingly easy. I also trimmed a good inch off the bottom, and about 3/4" off the edge at each shoulder. I'm pretty happy with the fit.

I'm surprised by the color! It's noticeably more coppery than greaves that I cut out long ago and haven't finished. And since I already cut a few other things out of that big piece, there isn't enough left of it for the backplate, so I HOPE one of my other big pieces is the same color! Can't tell under years of brown buildup. Should be fine. Of course, I only cleaned it with a Scotchbrite pad, so maybe it'll change with some sanding.

Edit: Yup, just tested a scrap with sandpaper, and it's actually the same goldy bronze that I'm used to. The coppery shade is just discoloration from the annealing, and the generic Scotchbrite substitute pad I used wasn't harsh enough to cut through that. So far so good!

Valete!

Matthew

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Nice! The copper look is for some of the BA and early IA finds ok!

Pectorals are cool. I want to make a early urnfield one, found near Graz (Austria, not-puplished).

You know, looking at the picture in Connolly, I always thought this covered both front and back. But of course the neck opening is too small for that. I guess this Villanovan was sure he'd never turn his back on the enemy.

Yeah, Connolly states "The cuirass consists of a front and back plate made in one piece and held in position by straps joining the front and back plates under the arms." His reconstruction shows it continuing over the wearer's back, as well. But you're right, no way to get the head through the neckhole if it's all one piece! I've always loved his reconstructions, but have learned to be careful with them. I am planning to do a backplate for this, conjectural though it will have to be.

Steve----An Urnfield PECTORAL??? Give, give!! Round or square? How big? Found on a skeleton? Backplate or just breastplate? Decorated? Picturespicturespictures??? Yer killin us, man!

Matthew