Armor from Mycenaean Greece turns out to have been effective

Experimental study and results

• Commenters highlight that the study used Greek marines in high‑fidelity reconstructions of the Dendra armor, monitoring performance over an 11‑hour, Iliad‑inspired battle day and feeding them a reconstructed Bronze Age diet.
• Many see this as a strong example of experimental archaeology—actually wearing and stress‑testing gear rather than theorizing from the armchair.
• Some note the decade of research and modeling seems long just to prove the armor wasn’t “useless,” but others point out the broader value of developing and applying such methods.

Ceremonial vs functional interpretation

• A major thread disputes the claim that the armor was “considered purely ceremonial.”
  • Some say there was never a real consensus it was ceremonial; many specialists already assumed it was battle‑worthy or at least practical for charioteers.
  • Others point out the original paper only listed “ceremonial” as one of several hypotheses, while the popular article overstated that angle.
• Discussion notes that a single, very expensive suit supplied by palatial centers could be both functional and reserved for elite or emergency use, blurring “ceremonial” vs “combat” categories.
• Several argue that ceremonial gear usually descends from functional gear; it is unlikely people would invent complex, fully nonfunctional armor from scratch.

Comparisons to other armor myths

• The thread repeatedly connects this to myths about medieval plate armor being too heavy to move or stand up in, noting past experiments and modern videos that show good mobility.
• Some suggest misconceptions come from jousting armor, movie depictions, and unusual conditions (e.g., mud at Agincourt).

Historicity and context

• Side discussion on whether the study “assumed the Trojan War happened.”
  • The paper itself, quoted in the thread, explicitly says the war’s date was used only to model environmental conditions and that the epic is not reliable as straightforward history.
• Another subthread debates anachronistic use of “Persia” in Bronze Age contexts and clarifies that, for that period, different polities and ethnonyms are more accurate.

Armor design, cost, and role

• Commenters are struck by the large collar/gorget as an elegant way to protect the neck without complex articulation, though potentially vulnerable to hooks.
• Some link this to Homeric motifs like Achilles’ heel and exposed neck gaps.
• There is agreement that a full bronze panoply would have been extremely costly, implying an elite wearer with a specialized battlefield role.

Meta and tone

• Multiple comments criticize modern assumptions that ancient peoples were irrational or “dumb.”
• Others critique popular science journalism for exaggeration and loose sourcing.
• The thread also contains lighthearted reactions to the armor’s “Dark Souls/Stargate” look and the appealing 4,500‑calorie “Bronze Age rations.”