Editing Armour (section)

=== History ===
[[File:Πανοπλία των Δέντρων 8005.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Dendra panoply]], [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean Greek]] armour, {{circa|1400 BC}} |alt=Bronze armour and a helmet with pieces of boar's tusk]]
Significant factors in the development of armour include the economic and technological necessities of its production. For instance, [[plate armour]] first appeared in [[Middle Ages|Medieval Europe]] when [[Trip hammer | water-powered trip hammers]] made the formation of plates faster and cheaper. At times the development of armour has paralleled the development of increasingly effective weaponry on the battlefield, with armourers seeking to create better protection without sacrificing mobility.

Well-known armour types in [[European history]] include the [[lorica hamata]], [[lorica squamata]], and the [[lorica segmentata]] of the [[Roman legion]]s, the [[mail (armour)|mail]] [[hauberk]] of the early medieval age, and the full steel plate harness worn by later [[medieval]] and [[renaissance]] [[knight]]s, and breast and back plates worn by heavy cavalry in several European countries until the first year of World War I (1914–1915). The [[samurai]] warriors of [[Feudal Japan]] utilised [[Japanese armour|many types of armour]] for hundreds of years up to the 19th century.

==== Early ====
[[File:China Shanxi Ming dynasty - Buddhist deity GuanGong or Guan Yu - wood IMG 9575 Museum of Asian Civilisation.jpg|thumb|upright|Wooden statue of [[Guan Yu]] in mountain pattern armour, 16th c. [[Ming dynasty]]|alt=Statue depicting a man in colorful armour]]
The first record of body armor in history was found on the [[Stele of the Vultures|Stele of Vultures]] in [[Sumer|ancient Sumer]] in today's south [[Iraq]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gabriel |first1=Richard A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6sAftYT6dsIC&q=oldest+%22armor%22+stele+vultures&pg=PA51 |title=From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies |last2=Metz |first2=Karen S. |date=1991 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-27645-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gabriel |first=Richard A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HscIwvtkq2UC&q=oldest+%22armor%22+stele+vultures&pg=PA78 |title=The Ancient World |date=2007 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-33348-4 |language=en}}</ref> and various forms of scale mail can be seen in surviving records from [[Military of ancient Egypt#New Kingdom armies|the New Kingdom of Egypt]], [[Military of the Zhou dynasty|Zhou dynasty China]], and [[Military history of India#The Indian dynasties|dynastic India]]. [[Cuirass]]es and [[combat helmet|helmet]]s were manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century.<ref>Farris 1998, [https://books.google.com/books?id=dCNioYQ1HfsC&pg=PA75 p. 75]</ref> ''Tankō'', worn by foot soldiers and ''keikō'', worn by horsemen were both pre-samurai types of early [[Japanese armour]] constructed from iron plates connected together by leather thongs. Japanese lamellar armour (''keiko'') passed through Korea and reached Japan around the 5th century.<ref>Robinson 2002, p. 10</ref> These early Japanese lamellar armours took the form of a sleeveless jacket, leggings and a helmet.<ref>Robinson 2002, pp. 169–170</ref>

Armour did not always cover all of the body; sometimes no more than a helmet and leg plates were worn. The rest of the body was generally protected by means of a large [[shield]]. An example of armies equipping their troops in this fashion were the Aztecs (13th to 15th century CE).<ref>Fagan 2004, {{Page needed|date=June 2011}}</ref>

In East Asia, many types of armour were commonly used at different times by various cultures, including [[scale armour]], [[lamellar armour]], [[laminar armour]], [[plated mail]], [[Chainmail|mail]], [[plate armour]], and [[brigandine]]. Around the dynastic Tang, Song, and early Ming Period, cuirasses and plates (mingguangjia) were also used, with more elaborate versions for officers in war. The Chinese, during that time used partial plates for "important" body parts instead of covering their whole body since too much plate armour hinders their martial arts movement. The other body parts were covered in cloth, leather, lamellar, or [[Chinese armor#mountain pattern armour|mountain pattern armor]]. In pre-Qin dynasty times, leather armour was made out of various animals, with more exotic ones such as the rhinoceros.

[[Mail (armour)|Mail]], sometimes called "chainmail", made of interlocking iron rings is believed to have first appeared some time after 300 BC. Its invention is credited to the [[Celts]]; the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] are thought to have adopted their design.<ref>Gabriel 2007, [https://books.google.com/books?id=HscIwvtkq2UC&pg=PA79 p. 79]</ref>

Gradually, small additional plates or discs of iron were added to the mail to protect vulnerable areas. Hardened leather and [[splint armour|splinted]] construction were used for arm and leg pieces. The [[coat of plates]] was developed, an armour made of large plates sewn inside a textile or leather coat.

==== 13th to 18th century Europe ====
{{see|Components of medieval armour|Armour in the 18th century}}
[[File:Child armour of Žygimantas Augustas, exhibited in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius.jpg|thumb|upright|Child armour of [[Sigismund II Augustus]], which was commissioned by [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Ferdinand I]] for his daughter [[Elizabeth of Austria (1526–1545)|Elizabeth of Austria]]'s marriage to Sigismund II Augustus<ref>{{cite web |title=Intriguojanti vieno šedevro istorija – Žygimanto Augusto vaikiškų šarvų paroda |url=https://www.valdovurumai.lt/lt/naujienos/i/2635/intriguojanti-vieno-sedevro-istorija-zygimanto-augusto-vaikisku-sarvu-paroda/ |website=Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania |access-date=23 April 2023 |language=lt}}</ref>]]
Early plate in Italy, and elsewhere in the 13th–15th century, were made of iron. Iron armour could be [[Carburising|carburised]] or [[Case hardening|case hardened]] to give a surface of harder steel.<ref>Williams 2003, pp. 740–41.</ref> Plate armour became cheaper than mail by the 15th century as it required much less labour and labour had become much more expensive after the [[Black Death]], though it did require larger furnaces to produce larger [[Bloomery|blooms]]. Mail continued to be used to protect those joints which could not be adequately protected by plate, such as the armpit, crook of the elbow and groin. Another advantage of plate was that a lance rest could be fitted to the breast plate.<ref>Williams 2003, p. 55</ref>

The small skull cap evolved into a bigger true helmet, the [[bascinet]], as it was lengthened downward to protect the back of the neck and the sides of the head. Additionally, several new forms of fully enclosed helmets were introduced in the late 14th century.

[[File:MET Armures.jpg|thumb|left|Heavily armoured riders and their [[barding|barded]] [[war horse]]s, 16th century|alt=Three statues of riders and horses in armour]]
Probably the most recognised style of armour in the world became the [[plate armour]] associated with the [[knight]]s of the European [[Late Middle Ages]], but continuing to the early 17th century [[Baroque]] period in all European countries.

By 1400, the full harness of plate armour had been developed in armouries of Lombardy.<ref>Williams 2003, p. 53.</ref> Heavy cavalry dominated the battlefield for centuries in part because of their armour.

In the early 15th century, advances in weaponry allowed infantry to defeat armoured knights on the battlefield. The quality of the metal used in armour deteriorated as armies became bigger and armour was made thicker, necessitating breeding of larger cavalry horses. If during the 14–15th centuries armour seldom weighed more than 15&nbsp;kg, then by the late 16th century it weighed 25&nbsp;kg.<ref>Williams 2003, p. 916</ref> The increasing weight and thickness of late 16th century armour therefore gave substantial resistance.

In the early years of low velocity firearms, full suits of armour, or breast plates actually stopped bullets fired from a modest distance. Crossbow bolts, if still in use, would seldom penetrate good plate, nor would any bullet unless fired from close range. In effect, rather than making plate armour obsolete, the use of firearms stimulated the development of plate armour into its later stages. For most of that period, it allowed horsemen to fight while being the targets of defending [[Arquebus|arquebusiers]] without being easily killed. Full suits of armour were actually worn by generals and princely commanders right up to the second decade of the 18th century. It was the only way they could be mounted and survey the overall battlefield with safety from distant [[musket]] fire.

The horse was afforded protection from lances and infantry weapons by steel plate [[barding]]. This gave the horse protection and enhanced the visual impression of a mounted knight. Late in the era, elaborate barding was used in parade armour.

==== Later ====
[[File:Elements of a Light-Cavalry Armor MET DT780.jpg|thumb|''Elements of a Light-Cavalry Armor'', {{circa|1510}}|alt=Metal armour for torso and arms]]
Gradually, starting in the mid-16th century, one plate element after another was discarded to save weight for foot soldiers.

Back and breast plates continued to be used throughout the entire period of the 18th century and through Napoleonic times, in many European [[heavy cavalry]] units, until the early 20th century. From their introduction, [[musket]]s could pierce plate armour, so cavalry had to be far more mindful of the fire. In Japan, armour continued to be used until the late 19th century, with the last major fighting in which armour was used, this occurred in 1868.<ref>Robinson 1951, {{Page needed|date=June 2011}}</ref> [[Japanese armour|Samurai armour]] had one last short lived use in 1877 during the [[Satsuma Rebellion]].<ref>Robinson 2002, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Kh-to448NTEC&pg=PA208 p. 208]</ref>

Though the age of the knight was over, armour continued to be used in many capacities. Soldiers in the [[American Civil War]] bought iron and steel vests from peddlers (both sides had considered but rejected body armour for standard issue). The effectiveness of the vests varied widely, some successfully deflected bullets and saved lives, but others were poorly made and resulted in tragedy for the soldiers. In any case the vests were abandoned by many soldiers due to their increased weight on long marches, as well as the stigma they got for being cowards from their fellow troops.<ref>Stewart, pp. 74–75</ref>

At the start of World War I, thousands of the French [[Cuirassier]]s rode out to engage the German Cavalry. By that period, the shiny metallic [[cuirass]] was covered in a dark paint and a canvas wrap covered their elaborate Napoleonic style helmets, to help mitigate the sunlight being reflected off the surfaces, thereby alerting the enemy of their location. Their armour was only meant for protection against edged weapons such as [[bayonet]]s, [[sabre]]s, and [[lance]]s. Cavalry had to be wary of [[repeating rifle]]s, machine guns, and [[artillery]], unlike the foot soldiers, who at least had a [[Trench warfare|trench]] to give them some protection.