Haven't seen it ever posted on myArmoury, or almost anywhere, really, and it's a shame, since it's some really terrific work.

Very detailed data about several preserved pieces of historical mail from 2nd century BC to 11th century AD.

With attempts at recreating weight (per given surface) and properties of given mail weave.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S129620742030515X

Here is Youtube chanel with short videos detailing given mail fragments:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvYvU1gULO653ugTwLPsxBA/videos

[ Linked Image ]


Not sure what to think about generalizing about theoretical shifts in trends of mail trough the centuries like in this fragment for example:

Quote:

During Late Antiquity thickness and rigidity became once more very important, while during the medieval period up to the 10th century we see more a balance of all the properties of mail.

I would rather guess that Stary Jankovii mail is just some particularly heavy weave for a cataphract or some other very heavily armored rider, and other combatants in 4th-6th centuries. would be wearing more "normal" mail.

As far as I am aware, there's mail from Chersonesus that looks to be of at least as heavy weave, and it's probably from 10th to 12th century.

Given the tiny number of samples i'd be weary of assigning any trends.
The Stary Jankovii mail is interesting as its so much of an outlier, and while it can be view as some kind of indestructible super mail with its far dense weave an thick rings.
Its also a economic item from the labour view point, not only are there fewer rings but the wire is much larger, dozens of passes thru a draw plate have been save from production.

I've read the article a while ago.

Personally I think it would be really interesting if someone could push this even further and develop a comprehensive model for design considerations and parameters of historical mail armour. Something which could help us determine why a certain shirt was made the way it was or why mail evolved towards a certain direction.

Factors like internal and external diameter of the ring and its thickness, the density of the weave, the flexibility of the piece, the metallurgical qualities, the strength of the rivet or closing method, the coverage provided and the weight per surface area.

Say I wanted a piece of mail covering my chest to be as protective against spear thrusts as possible. Would I want a flexible or a stiff set of mail, do I want thick rings or thin rings, do I want a dense weave or an open weave, do I want welded links, round rivets or wedge rivets etc.

Then once we have established an "optimal" design for this you would want to know the downsides. Does it not protect against cuts as well as other designs, is the design very costly or very heavy, does it impede mobility more than another type.

I hope some of you can share your thoughts on this matter to direct me to a work in which all these considerations are analyzed.