Chain mail
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The Evolution of Chainmail Armour
The ancient Celts already knew and used chain mail. Many experts believe that it was the Celts, known for their excellent metalworking skills, who invented ring armour. The Romans copied the armour directly from the Celts or Gauls, and called it lorica hamata.
Lorica hamata (Roman chain mail) with an additional part and a decorative clasp
The armour shape imitated a shorter sleeveless tunic and was complemented by an additional piece reinforcing the back and shoulders. The mesh was lined with leather or cloth. In the first centuries AD, the Roman armour was increasingly important.
The chain mail tunic reached down to the thighs and was commonly worn together with full-length sleeves. A padded gambeson was worn underneath the armour. The first mail coifs began to appear as well. Heavy cavalrymen (Cataphracts) used combined, mail-and-plate armour protecting not only the rider but also the horse. This armour type was introduced by the Romans and then the Byzantines, and inspired by the Parthians and Sasanians.
The Dark Ages
Aft
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Mail Armor (Chainmail): History and 11 Different Types by Civilization
For centuries mail armor, also called chainmail, was used for protection by soldiers and warriors all over the world. Soldiers and warriors as chronologically and geographically disparate as the Greek Hoplites and the Japanese Samurai all made extensive use of mail. Although it could be quite heavy, mail provided excellent protection and was relatively cheap and easy to manufacture. Over time, mail evolved to meet the needs of the battlefield and the tastes of those who wore it. Surviving examples range from the very simple, to the very elaborate. In the modern era mail is still utilized as protective equipment in certain situations. Few other types of armor have proven so popular and so effective for so long as has mail.
Etymology: Mail Armor or Chainmail?
It is unclear exactly where or how the term mail originated. It is possible that the term derives from the Latin word macula, which means “spot” or “opacity;” possibly a reference to the metal rings or the ability to see through the armor.
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Chain mail
Personal armour of metal links
For other uses, see Chain mail (disambiguation).
Chain mail (also known as chain-mail, mail or maille)[1] is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and the 16th century AD in Europe, while it continued to be used in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as late as the 17th century. A coat of this armour is often called a hauberk or sometimes a byrnie.
History
The earliest examples of surviving mail were found in the Carpathian Basin at a burial in Horný Jatov, Slovakia dated in the 3rd century BC, and in a chieftain's burial located in Ciumești, Romania.[3][4][5] Its invention is commonly credited to the Celts,[6] but there are examples of Etruscan pattern mail dating from at least the 4th century BC.[7][8][9] Mail may have been inspired by the much earlier scale armour.[10][11] Mail spread to North Africa
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