Hebrew University Museum/Moshe Cohen

A two-toned suit of parade armor left behind these scales, part of a group of 430, on the lowest terrace of the northern palace. The original red and gold colors resulted from mixing different proportions of alloys with the bronze, while the silvery color may have resulted from patination or cleaning. The scales in this group average about 1.25 inches long and half an inch wide. Although only about four-hundredths of an inch thick, the individual scales are strengthened by a raised medial rib and border. The scales were sewn onto a fabric backing to form a waistcoat. Scale armor was the only type of armor found at Masada, and all the scales found, with one exception, are made of bronze.