ARCHAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 600-500 B.C.

As P. Connolly remarks (p. 54 in Greece and Rome at War), an 8th century grave was discovered at Argos in 1953 in which were found the earliest Archaic Greek helmet and cuirass yet known; before this find, “there is a gap in our knowledge of body armor stretching back 700 years to the late 15th century” example found at Dendra. The breast-plate presented here is connected to the Argos cuirass in terms of the stylized treatment of the anatomy, including a curving arch for the abdomen and two volutes for the pectorals. This example is late in the series and is sleeker than the 8th century models, featuring narrower shoulder-guards and the omission of a collar and eponymous bell curve along the bottom edge. For a similar example of Thracian origin, see no. 59 in I. Marazov, Thrace and the Ancient World: Vassil Bojkov Collection.