Monday, April 13, 2020

History and Evolution of Body Armor

 a photo of european knights in medieval armor

Naturally, many people would think of body armor as some new technology. Perhaps recently invented to protect modern-day men and women in both the armed services and law enforcement. The truth is, however, that the development of arms and armor began with the start of humanity. 

Throughout recorded history, and before that, the earliest warriors employed a variety of materials for personal protection. The idea was to protect against injury in combat, hunting, and other dangerous situations. Rudimentary body armor consisted mainly of protective clothing and shields made from animal skins. 

At some point, warriors fashioned shields from wood and much later, from metal. Much of the information on early armor is largely a matter of conjecture. It wasn’t until Homer wrote his epics, around 750 BCE, that there are detailed descriptions of shields, greaves, helmets, and breastplates that provide insight into the archaic body armor of ancient Greece.

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