The chain mail from Vimose

The chain mail from Vimose is the oldest completely preserved chain mail from Northern Europe. It is made of small iron rings that interlock much like a knitted sweater. It consists of over 20,000 small rings and weighs approximately 10 kg. The half-length sleeves and the four brackets around the neck of the Vimose-armor reminiscent Roman chain mail from the 3th century AD, which was mainly used by the Germanic mercenaries (auxiliarerne), an integral part of the Roman army. They are seen depicted on gravestones and e.g. Trajan's Column in Rome. In the southern Scandinavian armies it was probably only the leaders who carried the expensive and prestigious chain mail.