Used from: Ca. AD 130-280
Used by: Legionary infantrymen,
officers ranked Centurion and below
Made exclusively for IMPERIVM by Daniyal Steelcrafts of India
AUTHENTICITY RATING: 9.75
In the time of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, segmented plate armor, commonly known by the modern name lorica segmentata, was pioneered for usage by the average legionary, allowing protection and cost-effectiveness to go hand in hand, and producing modular armor that could be easily manufactured and easily adjusted to fit a variety of individuals.
From the first century AD onward, the segmentata would undergo numerous uncharted changes by armorers and military strategists, most of which are lost to us. The Corbridge type, named after an important armor cache found in Corbridge, England in 1964, was the most widely used and was in service the longest. The Newstead type, named after the initial find of armor fragments in Newstead, Scotland in the early 1900s, entered widespread use in the second quarter of the 2nd century AD, perhaps as a feature of the Emperor Hadrian’s plans to revamp and update the army (although early versions of the Newstead cuirass may be shown in the reliefs decorating Trajan's Column, carved ca. AD 114-118). The Newstead was far more robust than the Corbridge, incorporating thick shoulder pieces that could withstand the puncturing capabilities of the dreaded Dacian falx. Its girdle section incorporated male-through-female style loop fasteners that were more rigid and protective than the Corbridge ‘laced’ types, which could easily be cut by an attacker’s blade. Yet the Newstead still maintained the level of articulation and versatility of the Corbridge, while providing advanced levels of protection. The only drawback to this type of armor was the fact that it could not be adjusted for the size of the wearer as easily as the Corbridge. The maximum girth was dictated by the circumference of the girdle section and modular pieces would need to be changed out for wearers of different sizes. Nevertheless, the Newstead may have undergone several variant adaptations during its century long tenure, but continued in usage until the second half of the 3rd century AD, a testament to its formidability.
The Scholarship and the Evidence
While the Corbridge may be the most widely studied of all the types of lorica segmentata, the Newstead type has only recently emerged from the mists of history in something like its original form. In 1905, numerous pieces from a shoulder assembly were found at the excavation of the headquarters building at Newstead, Scotland. These fragments were identified and named by the famous H. Russell Robinson. Earlier, in 1899, fragments had been found at Carnuntum that would later be identified as belonging to the Newstead type. Since then, numerous other fragments belonging to this type have been identified from around the Mediterranean. Robinson believed the Newstead fragments belonged to a stripped-down, simplified version of the Corbridge segmentata. He undertook a reconstruction of the Newstead type, and for two decades, his version had been considered to be the most plausible. But the discovery of new pieces of the puzzle, particularly a complete girth section unearthed in Stilffried, Austria, made it clear that the Newstead type differed markedly from Robinson's vision. Rather than being simplified and stripped-down, the Newstead type was in fact more complex and labor-intensive than the old Corbridge type. Using the latest evidence, Dr. M. C. Bishop began work on an alternate reconstruction in the early 2000s, and published his findings in the Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies (JRMES). However, his blueprints were only conceptual and had never been reproduced in actual steel.
In 2002, our own Dr. Arik Greenberg, in conjunction with his work with the Legion Six Historical Foundation, produced a steel version of Bishop’s V1.01 Newstead. It was widely publicized among the reenactor communities as a major coup - both for Bishop, and for Greenberg. Dr. Greenberg’s findings and notes about the reconstruction have been published since then in JRMES 12/13. However, Greenberg’s curiosity was peaked. Noticing several discrepancies between Bishop’s reconstruction and the most recent archaeological evidence, Greenberg decided to revise the blueprints once more, basing his next version on Bishop’s basic plans, but incorporating the newest archaeological evidence, some of which has yet to be published. Through intense study of archaeological material from around the Roman empire, as well as the work of other scholars such as H. Russell Robinson, Peter Connolly, M. C. Bishop, Dr. Greenberg has been able to produce the most accurate reconstruction of the Newstead type lorica segmentata since its usage by the Roman legionaries of the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. In this new version, incorporating the most commonly found elements from Newstead type fragments, Dr. Greenberg has produced a truly superior reconstruction of the armor most widely used the late Hadrianic and Antonine periods. His newest findings will soon be published in another academic journal.
Our Version
Despite the fact that Robinson’s earlier reconstruction of the Newstead have been surpassed by Bishop’s, and now Greenberg’s, more accurate reconstructions, many companies persist in manufacturing and marketing the Robinson design, due to the lack of a viable commercial alternative. Until recently, only a few custom armorers offered (including Dr. Greenberg himself) offered an accurate Newstead cuirass built to order, at prices up to $1,500. But thanks to our exclusive agreement with Daniyal Steelcrafts of India, we are now able to offer a beautifully crafted and highly accurate Newstead cuirass at a price of only $550!
The Daniyal cuirass is meticulously modeled on Dr. Greenberg's improved prototype cuirass, according to his exacting set of standards. It is not only a collectors item, but a work of art. It is made of 14, 16, and 18 gauge (1.8, 1.5, and 1.2 mm) mild steel, approximating that used by the Romans. The plates are hand cut and its pieces are lovingly fitted and finished to the finest replication of ancient world craftsmanship. That is to say that while not all surfaces and edges will bear a machine-cut look, they will give the wearer the feel of donning a cuirass made by the finest armorers of the Roman Empire.
The Daniyal cuirass comes in three chest sizes, designed to fit U.S. jacket sizes 38-40, 42-44, and 46-48, with girth sections sized accordingly. Please specify your jacket and waist measurement when ordering. Keep in mind that the Newstead cuirass is somewhat less forgiving than the Corbridge models in the size department, because of the way the girth hoops are fashioned. Nevertheless, some mixing and matching of chest and girth sections and custom "tweaking" may be possible to improve the fit.
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