Analysis of Medieval Mail Armour – Archaeological Remains from the Prilep Monastery Treskavec

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International Journal of Engineering Research and Development e-ISSN: 2278-067X, p-ISSN: 2278-800X, www.ijerd.com Volume 13, Issue 2 (February 2017), PP.40-47

Analysis of Medieval Mail Armour – Archaeological Remains from the Prilep Monastery Treskavec Ruzica Manojlovic1,Jarmila Trpcevska2,Ordanche Petrov3,Blagoj Rizov1 1

Faculty Of Technology And Metallurgy,�Sts.Cyril And Methodius �University In Skopje,Skopje,Republic Of Macedonia 2 Technical University Of Koshice, Slovakia 3 Institute Of Old Slavic Culture, Prilep, Republic Of Macedonia

Abstract:-In this paper, archaeological material, found in the Treskavec monastery, in Priler, Macedonia, was analysed. In fact, the material is a large fragment of mail armour, made of rings, which, according to archaeological findings, dates from the end of the 13th or the beginning of 14th century. The ring samples were inspected by SEM, metallographic, EDX and X-ray analysis, and the obtained information was used to determine the chemical composition, metallographic characterization, corrosion analysis, as well as the metallurgical processes by which the rings were produced. Keywords:-mail armour, metallographic characterisation, corrosion, archaeology

I. INTRODUCTION The subject of interest in this paper is the material used in the mail armour, property of the Museum of the city of Prilep, Macedonia. This unique artefact is located in the museum since 1973. It was originally found in the Treskavec monastery, within a distance of 10 km from Prilep [1]. From archaeological point of view, the monastery is an exceptional structure. It was built in the 13th century, on the remains of an early Christian temple, and it was restored in the 14th century [2]. In the past, during the medieval period, mail armours were frequently used. They were made with rings, connected at the ends by rivets. It is thought that this specimen was deposited in the monastery, because in those times, mail armours and various types of weapons were frequently deposited in monasteries [3]. On Fig. 1 the appearance of a preserved section of the mail armour from the Treskavec monastery is shown, and on Fig. 2, a detail of the same armour is presented. The appearance of mail armours dates back to the Iron Age. Parts of mail armours were found in archaeological sites in Denmark, Great Britain, Slovakia, Romania, etc. It is considered that the oldest specimen from the Kiev area dates back to the 5th century BC [4]. The mail armour production was time-consuming and demanded a lot of skill, metallurgical knowledge and, of course, iron resources [5]. In the beginning, this type of armour was rare. The required skills include knowledge of the wire drawing process and technology, as well as rivet connecting. Production on a larger scale begins from the 2nd century BC. Because of the variety of desirable properties, such as low weight, adjustability, easy storage and maintenance, the mail armour has been used for centuries [5]. Considering the fact that the mail armours have remained unchanged for centuries and were possibly used for longer periods before they were deposited, the chronological origin of the Treskavec specimen is not precisely determined [2]. However, it is almost certain that it originates from the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century [3, 6].

Fig.1. Appearance of a preserved section of the mail armour from the Treskavec monastery

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