Another version of this was a garment that is now referred to as chain mail. The byrnie consisted of a soft backing overlaid with hardened metal rings. It was originally a sleeveless suit of armor that covered the upper half of the body. The byrnie was one of the earliest forms of armor that used mail. Even after that, mail was worn to help protect the inevitable gaps that came from wearing plate armor. Mail served to be the main armor of Europeans until the fourteenth century. Was extremely costly and labor-intensive. Padded undergarments continued to be worn to help absorb some of the shock from blows to the body.Ĭhain mail consists of interwoven rings of metal that provide a flexible, yet strong defense from slashing weapons. Yet, the soft armor was not totally abandoned. This type of armor eventually evolved into chain mail as stronger metals were discovered. This offered real protection against attacks. The first metal armor consisted of overlapping bronze plates sewn onto a protective garment. For obvious reasons, the use of metal to protect the wearer from a blow or piercing objects would be much more effective than soft material. While early body armor was primarily soft, metal protection was introduced with the advent of metal weapons. Eventually, elongated pieces of plate were used to protect many of the joints and this evolved into the metal plates that are often associated with knights by the 1400s. Plate armor was added to protect the vital organs and helped to cover areas left vulnerable by a lack of mail. The 1300s witnessed the use of a stronger helmet with more protection for the skull and face. Initially, knights wore a helmet of quilted fabric covered with leather that may have been covered with mail. The armor of knights changed over the course of time.
#Armor through the ages full#
This struggle dictated the evolution of armor from a soft outer garment to the knight's full metal suit. The makers of weapons and armor were in a constant struggle to keep up with the advances in each field an advance in armor was offset by an advance in weaponry. As technology advanced, so did weaponry and defenses. Padded garments were the predecessors of more intricate and protective armor.
#Armor through the ages verification#
Thus, it is more than likely that the first type of armor used by man was the soft type, but actual verification predates written history. Most likely, prior to that time, other primitive combatants wore protective helmets and clothing made of leather, animal skins and other similar protective materials. It is known that as early as the eleventh century b.c., Chinese warriors wore armor made of rhinoceros skin. It is assumed that the use of body armor predates historical references. The plates were often riveted together and connected internally by leather straps so that they offered maximum protection, yet still allowed the wearer to have freedom of movement. The protective plates were made of metal and eventually covered the entire body. This category also includes the familiar plate armor worn by knights in the latter part of the Middle Ages. Rigid armor was often made of metal, wood, or any other highly resilient material that offered maximum protection to the wearer. This gave the wearer some flexibility without sacrificing a great deal of protection. Mail armor was usually made from iron or steel rings that were interwoven. Soft armor was usually comprised of layers of leather, fabric, quilting or felt, and often, a combination of these materials was used. bulletproof vests), armor has traditionally fallen into one of three categories: soft, mail, or rigid armor. While the body armor used today is primarily designed to give protection from projectiles moving at high velocities (i.e. Armor is designed to ward off attacks from both sharp and blunt trauma. The Evolution of Medieval Body Armor Overviewīody armor is protective clothing that has the ability to repel weapons used in combat against the wearer.