Figure 1.--This is a full suit of full plate armor made for a boy in 1505. It was pur on displsy at Marshall Field in Chicago. Because of the age involved and the date, we know this would have been ceremonial suit. Unfortunately we do not know who produced it and for who it was made. These suits were very expensive. It almost certainly would have been for a prince from one of the major royal families at the time.

Warriors have desired to protect themselves in battle since the advent of weapon in the stone age. The nature of this protection has evolved both with weapons technology and metalurgy. Medieval European armor is certainly the most famous and most elaborate, but crtainly not the only armor. In the ancient world the cost of metal limited the ability to armor soldiers. Bronze was very expensive to produce. Iron was much less expensive, but required more advanced technology to use for weapons and armor. This development permitted the creation of larger armies as iron weapons could be produced much more cheaply. The fall of Rome (5th century AD) took place along wih a general decline of technology in the West. As a result, the use of armor was limited in the early medieval era. Not only had technology declined, but the cost of armor limited the size of armies that medieval monarchs and nobels could amass. The armor used in the early medieval era was chainmail. This consisting of thousands of interlocking metal worked painstakingly by hand to form a shirt, coif, or ro a lesser extent leggings. The "mild" or soft steel produced with medieval technology meant that each ring had to be riveted. This was necessary to keep the rings from spreading and opening under the weight of the piece. This mail was worn with a padded garment called an "aketon," or "gambeson." The knight would also be equipped with a shield. This was normally leather-covered wood. Metal shields would be both expensive and heavy. Knights were also equipped with iron and then steel helmets. As medievel weapons technologu developed, chainmail became less effective. Here the principal development was the English longbow and the crossbow. Such matters are not just of interest to military historians. English kings using yeomen cheaply armed with long bows to defeat heavily armored French knigts. The important of the yeoman class played a role in the rise of democracy in England. The answer to the long bow and crossbow was plate armor. This became possible with the advance of technlogy. This was not only hugely expensive, but significantly restricted mobility. Plate armour has become a symbol of medieval Europe, but in fact only appeared in the late-mefieval period (late 13th/early 14th century). At first plate armor was only used in limited srea to protect vital areas such as the chest and shoulders. Only at the very rend of the medieval era did full body plate armor appear (early 15th century). This was the proverbial "knight in shining armor". It was hugely expensive. It was often combined with chainmail to protecting vital areas that could not be easily covered with plate armor (the groin and underarms). With such armor the shield became redundant. The era of plate armor was a short one. Shortly after full plate armor appeared so fdid gunpowder weapons. And once an effective gunpowder weapon was developed which could penetrate plate armor (16th century), the heavily armored knight rapidly disappeared. It was very expensive to field armored knight and their mobility was limited. A lightly armored soldier with a gunpoder weapon was realatively inexpensive to field and could be quickly trained. The whole nature of combat and warfare rapidly changed. And it meant the end of the medieval era because armies were no longer formed primarily from a small aristocratic class. Plate armor did not immediately disappear, but continued to be worn for cerempmial purposes. Such "ceremonial" could be very ornate and decorative.

Ancient Armour

In the ancient world the cost of metal limited the ability to armor soldiers. Bronze was very expensive to produce. Iron was much less expensive, but required more advanced technology to use for weapons and armor. The major hurdle here was uron's higher melting point. The development of iron weapons permitted the creation of larger armies as iron weapons could be produced much more cheaply. The fall of Rome (5th century AD) took place along wih a general decline of technology in the West. This was primarily the result of economic decline.

Chain Mail

As a result of the economic decline associayed wiyh the fallmof Rome, the use of armor was limited in the early medieval era. Not only had technology declined, but the cost of armor limited the size of armies that medieval monarchs and nobels could amass. Much of the armor used in the early medieval era was chainmail. This consisting of thousands of interlocking metal worked painstakingly by hand to form a shirt, coif, or to a lesser extent leggings. Metal was expenive labor less so. The "mild" or soft steel produced with medieval technology meant that each ring had to be riveted. This was necessary to keep the rings from spreading and opening under the weight of the piece. This mail was worn with a padded garment called an "aketon," or "gambeson." The knight would also be equipped with a shield. This was normally leather-covered wood. Metal shields were both expensive and heavy. Knights were also equipped with iron and then steel helmets. As medievel weapons technologu developed, chainmail became less effective. Here the principal development was the English longbow and the crossbow. Such matters are not just of interest to military historians. English kings using yeomen cheaply armed with long bows to defeatv heavily armored French knigts. The important of the yeoman class played a role in the rise of democracy in England.

Plate Armor

The answer of medieval knights to the long bow and crossbow was plate armor and eventually full body armor suits, strangely the iconic symbol of the Europen medieval era. There were predecessors such as the Romana lorica segmentata, but it was in the late-medievl era that full plate armor was perfected. These full body suits became possible with the advance of technlogy and the increasing wealth of Europe. Plate armor as the name suggests was armor made from iron or steel plates. The move from iron to steel marked great advances in technology. The suit itself proved of transitory significnce, the advnced metalurgy marked the begining of Europe's emergency as the dominant world power. These suits were not only hugely expensive, but significantly restricted mobility. There were also limits on how heavy a suit of armor could be. Plate armour has become a symbol of medieval Europe, but in fact only appeared in the late-medieval period (late-13th/early 14th century). At first plate armor was only used in limited areas to protect vital areas such as the chest and shoulders. Only at the very end of the medieval era did full body suits of plate armor appear (early-15th century). This was the proverbial 'knight in shining armor'. These suits were hugely expensive. It was often combined with chainmail to protecting vital areas that could not be easily covered with plate armor (the groin and underarms). With such armor the shield became redundant. Not only did the suits cover the entire body, but theadvancing metalurgy of Europe produced not siftbirin, but high-quality steel. The era of plate armor was a short one. It was notble in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France. Even plate armour did not insure a victory against archers. Not so much because bowmen could penetrate the armor, but because their horses were almost always not as well protected. And armor suits could only be used by mounted nights. Dismounted they were basically impbile and unble to fight effectivlt because of limited mobility and sight, but also due to fatigue. Henry V's great victory at Agincourt was achieved with a force of mostly archers against the cream of the French mobility, magniicently arayed in full suits of plate armor (1415).

Gunpowder

Gunpowder was one of many technological imports from China. Major technologies that remade medieval Europe originated in China abd gunpowder ws one of the most imprtant. Gunpowder is believed to have been invented in China. It took centuries to reach the west. The first know undertanding of gun powder was notd by Roger Bacon (13th century). Developing effective weapons took longer. Shortly after full plate armor appeared so did gunpowder weapons. And once an effective gunpowder weapon was developed which could penetrate plate armor (16th century), the heavily armored knight rapidly disappeared. It was very expensive to field armored knight and their mobility was limited. A lightly armored soldier drawn from the yeomanry with a gunpowder weapon was realatively inexpensive to field and could be quickly trained. At the same time cannons could demolish catle walls at a fraction of the cost of a seige. This undercut the power base of medieval lords. The whole nature of of not only combat and warfare rapidly changed, bit inevitably the very structure of medieval society..

Social Changes

And it meant the end of the medieval era because armies were no longer formed primarily from a small aristocratic class. This sift would have had enomous social and cultural cinsequences.

Ceremony

Plate armor did not immediately disappear, but continued to be worn for cerempmial purposes. Such "ceremonial" could be very ornate and decorative.

Created: 8:34 AM 5/3/2010
Last updated: 9:41 PM 1/4/2016