A knight in shining armor, wielding a sword or spear, is an iconic figure of the Middle Ages. But during this era, more advanced weaponry began to appear, including early guns that fired bullets.
This raises an intriguing question: could a warrior’s metal armor stop a bullet? American experts spoke to Live Science about it.
Armor vs. Bullets
The exact timeline of the Middle Ages is a subject of long-standing debate. Scholars typically place this period between 500 and 1500 AD. While this era is traditionally associated with Europe, some historians also link it to the Middle East and China.
Gunpowder was invented in China around 1,200 years ago. Gunpowder weapons gradually spread across Eurasia.
Meanwhile, craftsmen around the world were developing various types of armor. The most famous among them was plate armor, which consisted of interconnected metal plates covering the warrior’s body. Plate armor became widespread in Europe starting in the 13th century. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, by the 15th century, it had become the dominant form of protection. However, encounters between knights and firearms were relatively rare.
“During the late Middle Ages and early modern period, roughly from 1380 to 1600, there was a sort of technological arms race between weapon makers and armorers,” noted Roger Poli, an associate professor of history at the University of Central Arkansas.
As firearms evolved, armor makers began building stronger and more complex plate and field armor. In turn, weapon makers developed more sophisticated firearms. But was medieval armor effective against bullets?
According to Roger Poli, the specific era of both the armor and the firearms mattered. “I suspect that most pistols of that period would not have been able to penetrate a top-quality suit of armor,” he said. Firearms of the Middle Ages could not fire as quickly or as frequently as modern guns.
Modern bulletproof vests worn by soldiers are designed to protect against firearms. They slow a bullet and absorb its energy. “When a bullet hits a bulletproof vest, the strong layered fibers that make up the armor slow the bullet down and distribute its force,” the National Institute of Standards and Technology said.
Experts say most armor capable of stopping bullets was developed after the medieval period.
“There are many examples of field armor from the 16th and 17th centuries for both infantry and cavalry that could successfully stop lead bullets from black powder weapons,” noted Jonathan Tavares, an art historian at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers of protective gear did not attempt to keep pace with rapidly advancing firearms. Peter Lorge, a historian at Vanderbilt University, remarked, “Medieval Chinese armor did not change in response to firearms.” Armor that could protect against bullets was extremely expensive and available only to the wealthy. Commoners, who made up the vast majority of Chinese armies, could not afford such costly protection.
