Medieval (about 476AD-1600’s)
21 Arms & Armor
Andrew Gunn
Introduction
Throughout history, societal circumstances have motivated the development of many significant technologies related to warfare. Within the medieval period (400s – 1600s AD), some of the most impactful technological innovations were the advancements in armor worn on the battlefield. While the invention of chainmail predates the medieval era, it’s important to consider its impact on warfare leading into this period. Chainmail (Figure 1) can be simply described as a shirt made of interlocking metal rings designed to protect the wearer from cuts and slashes. As improvements were made upon chainmail forging methods, the diameter of the interlocking rings became smaller, and the armor more effective. The reason for this being that the smaller the diameter of the rings, the more fine-tipped a weapon mus
t be to pry them apart. The key result of this advancement was that it forced enemy militaries to adapt their weapon styles over time from specialized slicing weapons, to weapons designed more optimally for piercing. In the medieval era, body armor technology took another leap forward with the development of fully-plated armor (Figure 2). The tactical versatility and durability of this new armor forced a large variety of adaptations on weapon styles, combat styles, and battle formations, making it one of the most significant advancements of the medieval period.
Background
It stands to reason that as armor evolved throughout the Middle Ages, combative strategies would be adapted accordingly. With the emergence of fully plated armor, many of the light
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ght swords designed to pierce through enemy gambeson/chainmail became less effective. Take note of the arming sword in figure 3. Notice the tip is relatively rounded compared to the sword in figure 4. What we can gather from this observation is that the sword in figure 3 was designed more for slicing, while the sword in figure 4 was designed for thrusting. Additionally, both are relatively lightweight swords, which could have been
used with a shield if the wielder so desired. Against an opponent wearing chainmail the sword in Figure 4 would have been the better choice. The finer pointed tip makes it much easier to force in between the interlocked rings of the mail and pry them apart. However, if the opponent were a mounted, fully armored knight our analysis would become a bit more complex as there are several scenarios to consider.
Combative Strategy Against a Knight on Horseback
Mounted on a horse with a sword or lance was the most common, and also most the advantageous position in which one could find a knight on the medieval battlefield. Renowned for their skill in mounted combat, knights in the medieval era were a force to be reckoned with.Renowned for their skill in mounted combat, knights in the medieval era were a force to be reckoned with. As if a grown man covered in 3 mm thick steel-plated armor wasn’t troublesome enough, try