Can this Ancient Greek armour survive a modern battle test?

A 3,500 year old suit of armour has been put to the test, to see if it could have been used in battle in Ancient Greece.

The full-body armour, which included a boar's tusk helmet and bronze plates, was discovered in a tomb in Greece by archaeologists in the 1960s.

Since the discovery, experts wondered whether the armour was used in combat, or just for ceremonial purposes.

So a team at the University of Thessaly in Greece, put it to the test.

Researchers asked some military volunteers in Greece to wear replicas of the body armour and take part in a simulation of ancient warfare.

That included recreating battles between foot soldiers and those on chariots, then seeing how the armour held up.

The team made sure other factors were the same as 3,500 years ago, such as the temperature. Volunteers were exposed to the same heat that soldiers would have experienced in an Ancient Greek summer, somewhere between 30-36 degrees Celsius.

They even gave the volunteers a similar pre-battle meal to that eaten by a Late Bronze Age soldier - things like bread, beef, goat's cheese and onions.

The international team of researchers, including some from the UK, found that despite the armour's "cumbersome appearance" it allowed lots of movement and that it didn't get too damaged.

When the discovery of the original armour was made in Greece, more than sixty years ago, there was some doubt it would have protected a soldier in battle.

But following the test results experts now think it was a battle suit, writing in the study:

“We now understand... that it is not only flexible enough to permit almost every movement of a warrior on foot but also resilient enough to protect the wearer from most blows.”

It is hoped this discovery will help researchers further understand this period in history, including more about the impact of battles on everyday people.