3,900-year-old bone armor suit discovered in Siberia

Archaeologists in Siberia made a surprising discovery in Omsk: a complete set of bone armor from the Bronze Age.

The armor was found in "perfect condition," reports The Siberian Times, and experts speculate that it belonged to an "elite warrior." The armor is still being analyzed to determine its exact age, but the Siberian archaeologists estimate it is roughly 3,500 to 3,900 years old. The experts are not certain what animal's bones were used to make the armor.

The bone armor is particularly of note because it was buried separately from its owner, and no other bone armor suits have been found in Omsk. Boris Konikov, the curator of the excavation, told the Times that this is the first case of armor being found in a settlement.

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Experts suggest the armor may be from the Samus-Seyminskaya culture in the Altai Mountains and may have been a war prize. The site of the discovery is home to monuments from various epochs, from the Early Neolithic period to the Middle Ages. The armor is currently being cleaned and restored. --Meghan DeMaria