Lamellar armor

Timeline

1. c. -500–-200Northern China · ChinaFrom the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods through the Qin and Han, armor laced from leather and iron lamellae was already common in the armies of the Chinese heartland and neighboring peoples; plates were mostly rectangular or square, laced horizontally and vertically with leather straps or silk cords to form a flexible protective layer.
2. c. 700–1000East and Central Asian frontier · Central AsiaTang texts such as the Tang Liudian and excavated artifacts show lamellar armor used alongside Mingguang armor and mountain-pattern armor, with plate forms becoming standardized; through the Silk Road and steppe routes, similar lacing techniques also appear in the equipment systems of Central and West Asian armies.
3. 1081–1090North China and northwestern frontier · North ChinaDuring the Yuanfeng and Yuanyou eras, Northern Song frontier forces and Liao and Western Xia armies still made extensive use of lamellar-type equipment in border conflicts; meanwhile Liao, Jin, and Western Xia armor also retained lacing traditions, reflecting the parallel evolution of military technology in eastern Eurasia in the 11th century.
4. c. 1200–1500Eurasia · EurasiaFrom the 13th to 15th centuries, the Mongol conquests further spread various armor technologies; lamellar armor continued in long use in East Asia, while West Asia and Europe shifted more toward combinations of ring mail and plate, with laced plates gradually giving way to new protective systems.