10-18-2005, 09:11 AM
In the padded armor thread in the Roman section there are several ancient accounts of felted wool body armor. There is no reason why a linen undergarment wouldn't be worn under felt armor. Multiple layers of linen would be similarly "hot" in the mediterranean summer. I suspect felt armor was common in cultures that were primarily nomads/shepherds who could make their armor from their own animal resources, and linen armor in more agricultural based societies.