Medieval Armors : History and Evolution

Posted by Katy J. Beckwith on February 6th, 2018

Guarding them against the attacks that could suffer from swords or other weapons. Already since antiquity when the man had to face a hand-to-hand combat, he tried to protect himself in some way, first with animal skins, then with leather, and finally with metals, with armor.

Thus, we can call medieval armor the best hunting knife a set of pieces used for defense, made of steel (or some type of metal), which covered the whole body of knights of the Late Middle Ages and early Modern Age. Knights' armor was often used in combat, tournaments, and warfare, so the armor helped them greatly in their defense, trying to cause them the least possible damage.

It could be said that the beginning of the use of the armors was in Egypt in the year 4000 a. C., the materials that used in the majority of the armor were crocodile skin and leather reinforced with bronze. These materials that were used to make the armors have evolved over time, starting with the skins and bones, until the use of metals.

The first pieces that were made for protection were intended for the weakest and most defenseless areas of the body, or for parts where a wound could more easily cause the warrior's death, such as head and trunk, which was the first thing protected.

It was started by wearing buffalo-hide shirts, which were reinforced with metal scales, some reaching the hip and others longer than the feet. Some gentleman also used shin guards to protect the front of the legs.

The zone of the head and proximities began to protect because the shield did not cover it. It is possible to say that the helmet or helmet was the piece that formerly characterized the medieval knight, were used metals to realize it and ornaments were drawn, to stand out from the others. Sometimes they were reinforced with bronze or they were placed with tusks of a wild boar since these they weighed very little.

During the first millennium a. C., in ancient Egypt, the campsites extended from the armpits to the knees and were supported to the shoulders with the use of straps. These were made of leather, sometimes reinforced with cushions, with broad metal sheets, even with bronze scales (some more than twenty centimeters wide). The warriors also used shin guards and metal hoops that covered the arms for the first time.

In the fifteenth century a. C. already they begin to see armor covering the torso, these were made with animal skins where they were embedded pieces of bronze, they were called armor of lorigas or scales. On the other hand, they began to wear shin guards with metal sheets, to cover part of the legs, and a large belt to protect the abdomen. Also in this century in Syria began to strengthen the traditional costumes, wear shirts with sleeves covered with bronze scales (sewn in flexible rows in sheets), that was used as armor, this was done since on many occasions they went in cars And they could not wear shields, for they held their hands, and could not hold them.

Later the Greeks developed these armors, making bustles and treads of a single piece, or forge or made in metal one on top with reinforcements padded, and also with shin guards to cover the legs.