In my second novel, one of the main characters is Coroticus, a Romano-British chieftain who ruled the area of Strathclyde in what is now western Scotland.
When I am writing a story like this one, set in ancient times, I use my archaeological research to drive part of the story.
When I discovered this pair of bronze armlets, I had Coroticus wear them. They are a massive pair, weighing over 3 lbs. each!
Because of this, some archaeologist have suggested that real people wouldn’t have worn them but instead they were perhaps intends for large statues.
This sounds plausible but no such statues have been found that could wear them. This pair of armlets presently resides in the British Museum.
They were discovered in 1854 over the entrance to a souterrain (a stone-lined underground cellar used for storage.)
A souterrain played a part in my first novel and I will post about that next.
Statues. Really. What statue would be caught wearing such a cumbersome pair of armlets? This is obviously a test of the ancients to determine the ability of their future ancestors to discern when one is telling a joke. I mean, really… even Venus de Milo wouldn't wear these. And they look like they would chafe a whole lot. It's best to leave the accessories to a minimum. That's why God made Adam and Eve nude. If God had allowed them pockets then they would have felt to need to put something in them. Who need extra stuff in their lives? All of us really need to examine our clutter and get rid of it. You would feel sooo much better. Try it. Fight the clutter!
Cobalt, how nice to hear from you again. I always appreciate your insightful comments.
The armlets do look uncomfortable (an ancient version of the stiletto). Were they meant to be worn by a man as a test of strength? Before we get too critical, think about body piercing, tatoos, etc. I'll pass on the armlets.
I imagine only a wealthy and powerful man would wear something like this and that is why I had my character, Coroticus, wear a pair like these in my second novel.
Good to hear from you, Ann.