The Introduction of Plate Armour in Medieval Western Europe (2025)

The Introduction and Development of Plate Armour in Medieval Western Europe c. 1250-1350

Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae

european underwent a period of rapid development and experimentation in the century after c. 1250. whilst very little physical material has survived from this time, artistic depictions, wills, inventories and contemporary accounts attest to the use of metal plate defences much earlier than has commonly been assumed. By the turn of the 14 th century, all the major elements of plate armour had been developed; with the subsequent half century seeing an increase in the quantity of plate worn on the battlefield. however, the development of plate armour was extremely erratic, and did not follow a simple linear progression. the stimuli for its development are still not fully understood. however, improvements to crossbow technology may have had a significant impact.

Armour in England, 1325–99

Journal of Medieval History, 2011

A dramatic change in the personal armour of the knightly classes occurred across the whole of Europe in the middle of the fourteenth century: the addition of plate armour on top of the mail defences that had been worn since the time of the Roman empire. This change is documented in England by the series of monumental effigies and brasses, as well as a very few surviving examples. The story is supplemented by documentary records, especially those of the armoury at the Tower of London, which shed new light on the equipment of the English armies of the first half of the Hundred Years War.

BODY PROTECTING PLATE ARMOR OF HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE INFANTRY IN THE FIRST THIRD OF XVI CENTURY

BODY-PROTECTING PLATE ARMOR OF HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE INFANTRY IN THE FIRST THIRD OF XVI CENTURY. REVISITING THE MORPHOLOGY AND DESIGN, 2017

How to Read European Armor

Arms & Armour, 2018

Excerpt from Surviving Examples of Early Plate Armour 1300-1430: Volume I, Bascinets

Surviving Examples of Early Plate Armour 1300-1430: Volume I, Bascinets, 2013

A poor man's armour? Late-medieval leather armour from excavations in the Netherlands

Brenker, Fabian: The Emergence of the Coat of Plates in the 13th Century, 2022

Coat of Plates, Buckler and Conquistador. Items from the Treasure Chamber of the Bavarian Army Museum, ed. by Tobias Schönauer and Ansgar Reiß, 2022

THE FUNCTION OF BRONZE AGE SHIELDS

With the end of the Middle Bronze Age and the beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made of a single piece of bronze sheet come into use. All over Europe about 86 of these metal shields are recorded, as well as two wooden and one lea- ther shields and two wooden shield formers from Irish bogs. The main focus of distribution is in the British Isles, followed by a larger group in southern Scandinavia and more scattered finds from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and the Carpathian basin. This paper will take a closer look at the possible function of the shields based on their technological characteristics, for ex- ample metal thickness, weight, strengthened rim and riveted on parts. New research on these fea- tures, together with metallographic and material analyses will be considered and compared with the visible signs of use wear on the shields, in or- der to evaluate a possible function as protective armour in combat. Old and newer experiments on the use of shields will be taken into account as well.

Arms and Armor: A Farewell to Persistant Myths and Misconceptions

Perspectives on Medieval Art - Learning through Looking, 2010

A contribution to the volume 'Perspectives on Medieval Art - Learning through Looking' (New York: Museum of Biblical Art, 2010), a collection of papers given at a conference held at MOBIA in 2008.

THICKNESS MAPPING OF BODY ARMOUR: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EIGHT BREASTPLATES FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SLOVENIA

Fasciculi archaeologiae historicae, 2019

There is relatively little information available on the weight and thickness of historical plate armour. The purpose of the present study is to present a detailed analysis of eight torso defences dating from the early 16th to the mid-19th century. Each artefact has been measured in detail and its thickness mapping is presented in graphical diagrams. Also, 3D modelling has been used experimentally to estimate the size of individuals expected to wear the armour. The results illustrate important concepts of armour design, especially in regard to the increasing effectiveness of firearms.