Posted on 09/01/2004 12:02:19 PM PDT by ckilmer
A lot of the armor that is displayed in museums were never meant to be worn in battle, but were specially made for display. They were made in 3/4 size to show off the armorer's skill, since many of the breastplates and helmets contained very elaborate designs.
Actual battle armor was less elaborate and was usually limited to breastplate, helmet, gloves and knee shields to allow greater flexibility and freedom of movement.
Of course that's true, and the scientists know it, but still all LIBERALLY educated people know it is the fault of the U.S. that there is a hole in the ozone in Antarctica. The next time I am down there(HA HA) I will take some High-SPF suntan oil when I am setting on the beach watching the penguins playing on the ice.
I heard several years ago that a single volcanic eruption like Mt. Saint Helens releases more CO2 into the atmosphere than all human activities since the beginning of civilization. -- rdl6989In the case of a very long, larger eruption, it could happen, probably has happened. The largest single eruption inferred from the record, during generally accepted human times, took place about 70,000 years ago off SE Asia.
However, when you add in the constant emissions from all volcanoes, geothermal vents, decomposing vegetation, etc...human output becomes a smaller and smaller percentage. -- beezdotcomI'd also agree with this -- and there are hundreds of eruptions of various sizes each year.
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I also have read that ancient Greeks of Doric (Spartans for example) ancestry were about the same size as people today.
Calcium (most likely from dairy) is even more important for bone growth, the single most important requirement for height.
bump for later reading
No way were the peole of centuries ago as tall as this generation. If they were the NBA would have been invented 100's of years earlier.
William Wallace was about 11" taller than Mel Gibson.
Every knight's armor that is displayed in museums is for show, made at 60-75% scale. Battle armor is much larger and not as pretty.
Two things: the typical "knight's armor" of the period in discussion was a chain mail hauberk (thigh length shirt) and chausses (maille leggings). It would have been as unfitted as a sweatshirt, with a 3-4 inch height difference not readily noticeable. I am unsure if there are even any surviving intact Norman/Viking/Saxon hauberks.
Second, armor is often displayed on a rack that does not take into account the extra material and play at the joints. When you add up these, armor has a surprising amount of expandability.
There are other explanations. Small doors are easier to defend and weatherproof. Space on ships is always at a premium. Check out bunks in a modern sub. You see similar arguments because the beds are small, but period illuminations show people sleeping in a reclined position, like a chaise lounge.
Well, not that new. When one looks at the feast days in a typical calendar and other feudal commitments from lord to serf, they actually had a better deal than early 20th c. sharecroppers. IIRC, something like one quarter of the year actually was taken up by assorted feast days where the villagers could expect to be fed at the expense of the lord. They also got to keep quite a bit of their own produce. All told, they may have had a lesser tax burden than us.
Oops. Didn't realize this was a two year old thread.
I belong to the Society for Creative Anachronism, and last summer attended a short class where a guy was demonstrating the process. The ideal temperature is actually 180 degrees F. The leather goes from soft and flexible to a state resembling tough plastic. It retains enough "give" that a blow with a sword blade will bounce off.
The Japanese encountered this type of armor when they were fighting the Mongols, who used it extensively. The most effective way to defeat this type of armor is to have a sword with a very sharp edge, and using a slicing blow, which is why edge-sharpness is so treasured in samurai swords
Well another thing that has kinda made it down through the years....
Apparently being 200 lbs is a BIG thing as most men who eclipse 200 lbs are considered *BIG* men or bigger men.
I was 210 lbs at 13 (of course I was 5'10" as well) but I don't quite understand.
Humans today are just bigger.
Look at the NFL.
Look at college and high school football.
You can find guys who arer 6'7" and weight 350 lbs who can run a sub 5 second 40 yard dash.....
I agree with ..ckilmer..
Middle ages people were small.
In 1671 the average door height was 5'6" or maybe smaller.
In the 1000s it was 5'0".
Why, because the people did not need a bigger door to enter.
Think of today. The doors were 6'6" until everyone started getting bigger. Now doors are 7'0". Why? Because people fit in the bigger doors.
That says it all! IMO!
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