Chain mail

Timeline

1. c. -400–500Celtic and Roman worlds · Western EuropeArchaeology and texts show Celtic warriors already used ring-and-plate or ring-mesh protection, and the Roman legions were also equipped with mail lorica hamata, laying the technical foundation for ring-armor weaving in the Mediterranean–European world.
2. c. 700–1000Middle East and Central Asia · MesopotamiaArab and Persian craftsmen improved riveting and weaving techniques; fine chain mail flowed into Central Asia, India, and even the Far East via the Silk Road and war plunder, forming a cross-civilizational network of technological exchange.
3. c. 1011–1020Western Europe · Western EuropeBy the early 11th century, Western European feudal knights commonly wore knee- or ankle-length chain mail, which together with helmet and shield formed the heavy-cavalry protection system; Byzantine and Norse warriors also widely used similar armor.
4. c. 1300–1500Western Europe · Western EuropeIn the 14th–15th centuries plate armor and plate elements rose in Western Europe, and chain mail largely retreated to a lining or joint-reinforcement role, though its weaving techniques continued in use for a long time in Ottoman, Persian, and other lands.