Testing archaeological mail armour in a virtual environment: 3rd century BC to 10th century AD

This article presents a new method for examining mail through the use of digital reconstruction and computer simulation. The method allows the physical and mechanical properties of mail artefacts to be reconstructed, which otherwise remain hidden, by performing tests in a virtual environment. Ten archaeological finds, dating between 300 BC and 1000 AD, were parameterized and reconstructed. Testing procedures were developed to measure the properties of the mail fabrics. A physics engine was employed to simulate the behaviour of the specimens under the influence of external forces. Six important characteristics (i.e. stretch, stiffness, number of rings per unit area, mass per unit area, thickness, and covered area ratio) were calculated for each specimen and compared to each other to identify distinctive features. This was followed by a correlation analysis to understand how the rings’ geometrical parameters influence the properties of the mail fabric and how these properties are balanced. The method demonstrates that not all mail is alike and that certain characteristics were favoured during certain times. The first careful results point to Iron Age mail being heavy and stiff, while mail during the Principate became much lighter and more flexible. During Late Antiquity this was again reversed in favour of heavier mail. The subsequent medieval period up to the 10th century demonstrates a balance between these characteristics.