Armour

One of the most exciting finds of the excavation was the discovery of several articulated pieces of roman armour, in a waterlogged context within a possible workshop. These have been X-rayed and studied at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, and are now undergoing conservation in Durham.

The most striking piece is a section of neck guard or cuirass, made up entirely of small iron scales joined together with copper-alloy wire. A second piece consists of two sections of laminated limb defences, possibly for protecting the lower arm. Examples of these in use are depicted on Trajans Column. These arm defences are constructed of overlapping rectangular strips of iron fastened with copper alloy wire ties and rivets, and perhaps a leather backing. They would have been very strong and flexible.