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Jojo Zerach
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 Posted: Sun 19 Sep, 2010 8:22 pm Post subject: Wood splints, really? |
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In my Ospery book about the Byzantine military, the splints are said to be wood, and illustrator made them look wood as well.
Did they really use wood? I mean, I suppose it'd provide protection if you did it right, though it just strikes me as an unusual material.
(Although I don't know a lot about armour fro mthis time/place.)
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Matthew Amt
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| Posted: Mon 20 Sep, 2010 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Ave!
Wooden greaves are mentioned in the Strategikon of Maurice (Maurikios). There's no description, so we're pretty much just assuming they are of splinted construction.
If you think wood is wacky, somewhere there is also a Byzantine reference to ceramic helmets! Good to the first shot...
Matthew
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Lafayette C Curtis
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| Posted: Mon 20 Sep, 2010 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| Matthew Amt wrote: | | If you think wood is wacky, somewhere there is also a Byzantine reference to ceramic helmets! Good to the first shot... |
Or they had advanced structural ceramics! Quick, invent some secret society that could have developed and kept this knowledge!
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Reece Nelson
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| Posted: Mon 20 Sep, 2010 2:54 pm Post subject: wooden splinted legs |
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maybe they could of laminated it somehow, like a sort of fiber glass like coating? I had read they used to that crossbows made from Sinew from the neck tender of an ox. Maybe the had some means to make it tougher
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Sam Gordon Campbell
Location: Australia. Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 678
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| Posted: Mon 20 Sep, 2010 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I don't see why they couldn't (in an emergency) churn out really basic and disposable armour.
And hey, they use ceramics today to counter bullets!
Member of Australia's Stoccata School of Defence since 2008.
Host of Crash Course HEMA.
Founder of The Van Dieman's Land Stage Gladiators.
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Mon 20 Sep, 2010 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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Some of the North American First Nations used wood slat armour too before muskets became common. And I think Herodotus mentions a wooden helmet. In some places and times (usually ones without lots of metal weapons or firearms) people have been quite ingenious about making armour out of available materials! Its just that in others, people seem to have been satisfied with one or two designs which worked.
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Mon 20 Sep, 2010 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Sean Manning wrote: | | Some of the North American First Nations used wood slat armour too before muskets became common. And I think Herodotus mentions a wooden helmet. In some places and times (usually ones without lots of metal weapons or firearms) people have been quite ingenious about making armour out of available materials! Its just that in others, people seem to have been satisfied with one or two designs which worked. |
It's always been my theory that in Neolithic times and before recorded history forms of hide, wood, horn, textile or other natural materials may have been used as armour but since none of it has been documented it's not proven but we do have some armour like this known to be in use by historical primitive societies where metal was rare or not in use.
It just seems like a safe bet to at least speculate on the use of these even if we have no proof: It just makes sense since primitive humans where just as smart as we are but hadn't developed our technology or knowledge yet but they would know much better than us how to use whatever was available to them.
The examples of animal armour would at the very least given them the idea to make armour from what was available in imitation of the armour found on a tortoise, armadillo, crocodile etc .... at the very least the hides of these could be used as ready made armour.
The shield seems like almost universal to every culture and is the most elemental piece of armour. Then some sort of head protection becomes obviously the next most likely body part to receive armour: From there chest back followed by limbs being protected in some way.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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This is a standard topic