Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

38

Armor

Ancient wArriors quickly realized that they would survive in battle if they

could protect themselves against their enemies. so they made armor—special

clothing that was tough enough to stop weapons from injuring the wearer.

Prehistoric armor was simple. it was made of leather but was strong enough

to provide protection against crude spears and swords. As weapons became

sharper, armor also had to improve. A thousand years ago, the roman empire

employed many armorers who made excellent metal armor. But after the fall of

rome in the 5th century, blacksmiths began to make armor and its quality fell.

in the 14th century, specially trained armorers invented plate

armor, to withstand lances, arrows, and swords. But even

the thickest armor cannot stop a bullet, so armor became

less useful when guns were invented. today, no one

uses traditional armor, but people in combat still

wear protective clothing made out of modern

plastics and tough metals.

suit of Armor

Late 15th-century armor provided

a knight with a protective metal shell.

the armor was very strong and cleverly

jointed so that the knight could move

easily. However, the metal suit weighed

up to 70 lb (30 kg), so that running,

for example, was virtually impossible.

cHAin mAiL

chain mail was easier

and cheaper for a

blacksmith to make

than a complicated

suit of plate armor.

mail was very common

between the 6th and

13th centuries. it

was made of a large

number of interlocking

rings of steel. it allowed

the wearer to move

easily, but did not give

good protection against

heavy swords and axes.

BuLLetProof vest

modern police and security forces

sometimes wear bulletproof vests to protect

themselves from attack by criminals and

terrorists. the vests are made of many

layers of tough materials such as nylon

and are capable of stopping a bullet.

Modern helmets give

protection against shrapnel

(metal fragments from bombs).

Helmets

A single heavy blow to the head can

kill a person, so helmets, or armored

hats, were among the first pieces of

armor to be made. they are still widely

used today. Different shapes gave

protection against different types

of weapon.

The breastplate was flared

so that enemy sword

strokes bounced off.

The vambrace was

a cylindrical piece to

protect the upper arm.

The cowter protected

the elbow but allowed

it to move freely.

The gauntlet was

made up of many

small pieces so that

the hand could

move freely.

Poleyns had to bend easily

when the knight rode a horse.

Greaves were among the

earliest pieces of body armor

to be made of sheet metal.

Find out more

Alexander the great

Knights and heraldry

medieval europe

roman empire

vikings

Pikemen of the

16th century

Bronze Age helmets protected

against swords more than

3,000 years ago.

12th-century helm

The cuisse protected

only the front of the leg.

Arrows bounced

off the curves

of the helmet.

Knights often

wore mail or

padding beneath

the helmet.

AnimAL Armor

soldiers have used animals in warfare,

such as dogs for attack and horses for

riding into battle. Armor protected

these animals when they fought. the

most elaborate animal armor was the

elephant armor of 17th-century india.

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