Lamellar armour
As slatted armor is called a suit of armor, consisting of numerous interconnected metal plates or metal strips.
Description
In contrast to the scale armor, the metal plates are not attached to a solid support. The individual plates were usually of approximately rectangular shape and were tied with threads. In this case, the plates were partially overlapping. The slat armor emerged from the scale armor and is, like this one of the oldest types of armor made of metal in the history of mankind. First, people probably used the Chinese slatted armor. The oldest extant Chinese blades armor dating from the 14th century BC and protected the entire hull. In the early Middle Ages, the Japanese took the mostly held together with leather straps slatted armor of the Chinese and it developed its own forms. The Assyrians made use of this type of armor. The metal plates used for the short-sleeved tank of the Assyrians were initially made of bronze, but v. since the 10th century BC were iron plates are used. Since the 8th century BC the Assyrians wore lamellar armor, which rose up to the ankles. Next, people made the northern Iranian Scythians in Ukraine of the lamellar armor extensive use. It is thought that the Scythians have adopted this technology in their early campaigns to Asia Minor and Mesopotamia by the Assyrians.
Even with the Etruscans and Romans such armaments were used, but these were superseded by v. the 2nd century BC emerging chain armor. The biggest advantage of the slatted armor was its flexibility, but he was surpassed in the chain armor. In addition, a stabbing weapon could not easily penetrate the dense network of iron rings like a shock, which fell directly between two plates of a slatted armor. From late antiquity, sheds and chain mail were the main metal armor in Europe until they were displaced by the full plate armor in the late Middle Ages. However, the slatted armor 950-1350 came in Eastern Europe and Byzantium frequently again, in the Byzantine military, the special form of Klibanion prevailed. Then the slatted armor found only in Asia and the Orient in any numbers use because it represented a suitable armor with its relatively low weight and low heat development at the local climatic conditions. In the Orient can use this armor type to pursue in the 16th century.
In the Eurasian horsemen peoples ( Huns, Avars, Pechenegs, Polovtsian ) and the Mongols the blades armor was very popular throughout the Middle Ages. With them also helmets were made from slats ( slats helmet ), which also made their way into Alamannic princely tombs found on the Avars ( grave of Niederstotzingen ).