Forbidden vinyl lp
this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2026
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HistoryArtifacts
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Not intended for field use, surely?
You might be surprised! While many of these surviving pieces are more for 'dress' than 'combat', silk was commonly used by wealthier soldiers in a variety of applications. Silk has very good strength and elasticity, so it's quite durable. Famously, I know Mongol soldiers would sometimes use undershirts of silk to 'catch' arrows that penetrated their armor, as the elasticity of the silk would 'allow' the arrow to continue onward, but the strength would prevent it from penetrating the silk (and thus the skin beneath) directly - turning what could be a very nasty arrow lodged into your pierced flesh, into a simple laceration instead.
Wow, interesting, and makes sense given what silk is. I wonder then if extra underlayers of silk could be added to become even more arrow-proof? One certainly wouldn't want any penetration at all if it was one of those arrows dipped in excrement. (god, humans suck)
Interesting also in that the middle piece looks like it's designed to deflect, whereas the concentric circles look like they're specifically designed to catch the blow.
Wow, interesting, and makes sense given what silk is. I wonder then if extra underlayers of silk could be added to become even more arrow-proof? One certainly wouldn’t want any penetration at all if it was one of those arrows dipped in excrement. (god, humans suck)
Well, that's the thing - in this context, a laceration is basically a cut cause by blunt force. The arrow itself doesn't penetrate the silk (usually - and this is after penetrating the main armor, so its force is already somewhat reduced), which is why it's so handy to have. The silk-caught arrow effectively ends up doing damage to the body through its force rather than cutting power - as though the arrowhead had been replaced with a dull metal knob of the same density.
Interestingly, multilayered silk was used for prototype bulletproof vests in the 19th and early 20th century!
Interesting also in that the middle piece looks like it’s designed to deflect, whereas the concentric circles look like they’re specifically designed to catch the blow.
I don't know much about non-Roman shield construction to comment on the circular pattern (lmao, my obsession works against me for once), but I can comment on the middle piece, at least!
The center part, the shield boss, on many shields is metal, both to give extra structural integrity to the rest of the shield, and to assist its usage as an 'offensive' weapon, with the shield boss being hard and durable enough to reliably and repeatedly 'strike' an enemy (or their shield) with without worrying too much about wear-and-tear. The shield boss is also sometimes used to 'catch' a strike on - since using smaller shields tends to be more 'mobile' in terms of arm movement, attempting to center the shield against the oncoming blow is both intuitive, and can use the greater durability of the shield boss.
The silk-caught arrow effectively ends up doing damage to the body through its force rather than cutting power
Oh, okay. Just as many modern, bullet-proof armors do.
Thanks for the nice explanations about the shield boss. Smaller shields more suited to individual combat, with larger ones more suited to formational clashes, I surmise.
I still have more pages from The Eagles of Rome saved to share in future. I'll have to take a closer look at their shields when I get to that content.
Thanks for the nice explanations about the shield boss. Smaller shields more suited to individual combat, with larger ones more suited to formational clashes, I surmise.
Usage varies - basically, smaller shields (like this round shield) are usually more mobile, in that you move it around with your hand, attempting to block the enemy's strike directly.
Larger shields (like the knightly kite shield, though not really made for use on foot), you maneuver yourself around. It's more footwork - the shield, being heavy, remains in place; you force the enemy to attack your 'cover' by shifting your stance.