A knight in “shining armor” wielding a sword or lance is a renowned middle ages image, however advanced weapons likewise appeared in the Middle Ages– consisting of weapons that fired bullets.

This results in a fascinating concern: Could the metal matches used by knights and other warriors obstruct a bullet? Live Science called professionals to discover.

Related: How quick is a bullet?

Armor vs. bullets

Precisely when the middle ages duration or “Middle Ages” begun and ended refers dispute, with dates falling approximately in between A.D. 500 and 1500. The duration is generally associated with Europe, some historians likewise use it to the Middle East and China.

Gunpowder was very first created in China, perhaps around 1,200 years back. Defense that utilized gunpowder slowly spread out throughout Eurasia and began being utilized in Europe before the 14th century.

Various types of armor were being established around the globePossibly the very best understood is plate armor, which included adjoining metal plates that covered a warrior’s whole body. Plate armor was initially utilized in Europe throughout the 13th century and ended up being the dominant type of security throughout the 15th century, according to The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Knights’ encounters with guns throughout the Middle Ages were most likely irregular. “Firearms were indeed present in the Medieval period from the 13th to 15th century, but much less used [than in later centuries],” Jonathan Tavaresthe Amy and Paul Carbone manager of the Applied Arts of Europe at the Art Institute of Chicago, informed Live Science in an e-mail.

Even if knights’ encounters with guns were unusual, middle ages armor might have provided some security versus a bullet.

“The Late Medieval-Early Modern Era, from around 1380 to about 1600, saw something of a technology race between gunsmiths and armourers,” Roger Paulyan associate teacher of history at the University of Central Arkansas, informed Live Science in an e-mail. “As guns entered the scene, armor-makers began making stronger and more sophisticated armor. Gunsmiths, in turn, developed techniques to increase muzzle velocity, range, power etc.”

Was middle ages armor reliable versus bullets fired from weapons? “A lot depended on if the armor was relatively new or if the firearm was a bit older or smaller in design,” Pauly stated. “My suspicion is that most pistols [from the time period] would be challenged to bust through a first rate set of armor.”

Guns throughout the Middle Ages might not move bullets as quick or as regularly as contemporary weapons can.

There have actually been a couple of tests done on armor that dates to a bit after the Middle Ages. In 2017 a group working with the Television program Nova developed a reproduction of a late-16th-century breastplate and a gun from that time. Because episode, called “Secrets of the Shining Knight,” they identified that the plate had the ability to stop a bullet.

Nowadays, body armor used by soldiers is frequently developed to secure versus bullets. Modern-day pieces of armor, such as bullet-proof vests, work due to the fact that they slow the effect of projectiles and assist soak up the effect: “When a bullet hits body armor, the tough layered fibers that make up the armor decelerate the bullet and spread out its force,” according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Armor was not as advanced in middle ages times, and it appears that the majority of the armor that might have stopped a bullet was established after the middle ages duration, stated Tavares. “There are many 16th- and 17th-century field armors both for infantry and cavalry that may have been successful in stopping lead ball from black powder arms,” Tavares stated.

Whereas armorers in Europe attempted to stay up to date with gunsmiths, armorers in China did not. “Medieval Chinese armor does not appear to have changed in response to firearms,” Peter Lorgean associate teacher of history at Vanderbilt University, informed Live Science in an e-mail. Armor efficient in securing versus bullets was pricey, and armies in middle ages China tended to integrate huge varieties of soldiers from typical backgrounds, Lorge kept in mind.

Armor that might secure versus bullets “was only available to very wealthy men, so perhaps the very different composition of Chinese armies [with] mass armies of commoners, did not allow for such expensive defensive measures,” Lorge stated. Middle ages Chinese armies both utilized and come across guns such as the “firelance,” a tube filled with gunpowder that fired off particles.

Owen Jarus is a routine factor to Live Science who blogs about archaeology and people’ past. He has actually likewise composed for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), to name a few. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.