04-18-2011, 12:32 AM
The book covers the development of body armour through the Republican & Imperial periods to late Empire, to show changes in cuirass body shape, to reflect changing weaponry & changing combat styles. I provided the chapter by chapter synopsis to assist, as it does at least provide more detail than the usual synopsis found on on-line bookshops and book sleeves. I’ll try to answer some of the above points, although to expand greatly on the synopsis would end up rewriting the book on a forum thread which would not be appropriate.
Wrist bracers: These do appear on some of the illustrated figures, but not all. For obvious reasons they are seen on the archers - usually on the left wrist for right handed archers, sometimes on both wrists (as sometimes depicted in sculptures of Syrian archers). Others: some sculptures of officers (centurians) and cavalry are shown with smaller bracers, possibly indicative of rank. Again, obviously they would not be used in conjunction with manicae.
Mail: Most examples of Roman mail have been found as amorphous lumps of solid rust. It is not always possible to say with certainty if these are butted, riveted or containing solid, punched or welded rings. Some have proved to contain riveted links on x-ray examination & some examples have been found where rivets are clearly visible without x-ray. Use of riveted mail during the Roman period is not disputed, It is also clearly stated that riveted mail is stronger and superior to butted examples. However, it is also possible that butted, solid & welded rings were also used. There are known examples of these from medieval contexts & in the modern-day butcher’s protective gloves, so continuity of tradition may support the earlier use. It would therefore be remiss to not consider the possibility of its existence.
The reproduction was done in both riveted and butted forms. The small sample piece in the close up illustration was butted, but this was used to illustrate the degree of stretch. The section on reconstruction describes the production of rivetted mail (p 81,82,85). The diagrams showing how the links are formed uses schematic ring shapes, without rivet holes and rivets which would make the diagram less clear.
Both riveted & butted mail sections were used for the archery “test” and it is stated that the riveted mail was stronger. However, modern butchers will attest that butted joints are not totally without merit. The success of the mail lies in its use with padded undergarments, not entirely in its construction – on its own without padding, even the riveted links fail.
For those who have already bought the book, I hope you liked it. At least if nothing else, it will have sparked some points for discussion.
Wrist bracers: These do appear on some of the illustrated figures, but not all. For obvious reasons they are seen on the archers - usually on the left wrist for right handed archers, sometimes on both wrists (as sometimes depicted in sculptures of Syrian archers). Others: some sculptures of officers (centurians) and cavalry are shown with smaller bracers, possibly indicative of rank. Again, obviously they would not be used in conjunction with manicae.
Mail: Most examples of Roman mail have been found as amorphous lumps of solid rust. It is not always possible to say with certainty if these are butted, riveted or containing solid, punched or welded rings. Some have proved to contain riveted links on x-ray examination & some examples have been found where rivets are clearly visible without x-ray. Use of riveted mail during the Roman period is not disputed, It is also clearly stated that riveted mail is stronger and superior to butted examples. However, it is also possible that butted, solid & welded rings were also used. There are known examples of these from medieval contexts & in the modern-day butcher’s protective gloves, so continuity of tradition may support the earlier use. It would therefore be remiss to not consider the possibility of its existence.
The reproduction was done in both riveted and butted forms. The small sample piece in the close up illustration was butted, but this was used to illustrate the degree of stretch. The section on reconstruction describes the production of rivetted mail (p 81,82,85). The diagrams showing how the links are formed uses schematic ring shapes, without rivet holes and rivets which would make the diagram less clear.
Both riveted & butted mail sections were used for the archery “test” and it is stated that the riveted mail was stronger. However, modern butchers will attest that butted joints are not totally without merit. The success of the mail lies in its use with padded undergarments, not entirely in its construction – on its own without padding, even the riveted links fail.
For those who have already bought the book, I hope you liked it. At least if nothing else, it will have sparked some points for discussion.
