What is a Jack-of-Plates?

Soldiers like Anas Todkill wore different types of armor to protect themselves. You might have heard of a breastplate or a close helmet. Another type of armor was a “jack-of-plates” where many small, square pieces of iron (similar to Cheez-It crackers) were sewn onto a canvas vest. In this video, Jamestown conservator Dan Gamble describes how he cleaned a jack-of-plates that archaeologists found. This was a long and careful project that took him over a year to finish!