Chinese archaeologists uncovered intricate armour scales from the Han dynasty in Jiangxi. Photo: CCTVChinese archaeologists have reconstructed 6,000 composite armour scales unearthed from the tomb of Liu He – the deposed ninth emperor of the Han dynasty (206BC - AD220) – in the first discovery of its kind from the era.
The scales were found in China’s eastern province of Jiangxi, where the main tomb of Liu He was unearthed about a decade ago.
They were made from a mix of iron, copper, and leather bound with lacquer, the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology told state news agency Xinhua.
Each armour scale or plate was just 1cm (0.39 inch) wide and 0.2cm thick, making them “the smallest armour scales ever unearthed from the Han dynasty”, one archaeologist said, adding that smaller pieces would demand more intricate forging and assembly techniques.
The tomb has yielded a large number of relics, showcasing a variety of items from the time period.