PRIMATIVE AMERICAN ARMOR

[VANDOO]

I MANAGED TO GET HOLD OF A COPY OF A PAPER PUT OUT BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION IN 1895. THE CURATOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ETHINOLOGY WALTER HOUGH.
THE PAPER DEALS WITH NATIVE AMERICAN ARMOR AND I DID NOT REALIZE TO WHAT EXTENT ARMOR WAS USED IN THE AMERICAS BUT IT WAS NOT AS UNCOMMON AS I THOUGHT. THE FIRST SECTION WAS ON SHIELDS WHICH FALLS INTO THE CATAGORY OF ARMOR THE SECOND SECTION DEALS WITH BODY ARMOR. AND I WILL QUOTE

"THE ABORIGINAL ARMOR OF NORTH AMERICA WAS INTENDED TO PROTECT THE VITAL ORGANS AND TO ALLOW FREE MOVEMENT OF THE LIMBS. THE FORM ASSUMES THAT OF A SLEVELESS JACKET ,COAT OR WIDE BAND GOING AROUND THE TRUNK, SUSPENDED FROM THE SHOULDERS. THE SELECTION OF DEFENSIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS TO DEFENSIVE COVERING FOR THE BODY FORM AN INTERESTING STUDY IN NATIVE INVENTION,WHILE THE EVIDENCE IN NORTH AMERICA OF THE MIGRATION OF INVENTIONS AWAKENS NO LESS INTEREST. THUS WE FIND THAT AT THE PERIOD OF DISUSE OF ARMOR BY THE ABORIGINES THERE WERE SIX TYPES OF BODY ARMOR FOUND IN THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT AND CONTIGUOUS REGIONS.
1. PLATE ARMOR -ROWS OF OVERLAPPING PLATES PERFORATED AND LASHED. ESKIMO AND CHUKCHIS

2. SLAT ARMOR- WOODEN SLATS TWINED TOGETHER, SITKANS, SHASTAS,IROQUOIS, VIRGINIA INDIANS

3. ROD ARMOR- WOODEN RODS TWINED TOGETHER, ALEUTS, SITKANS, COLOMBIA RIVER TRIBES, KLAMATHUS, HUPAS, IROQUOIS, VIRGINIA INDIANS, ECT.

4. BAND ARMOR- BANDS OF SKIN ARRANGED IN TELESCOPING FASHON. CHUKEHIS

5. SKIN ARMOR- COATS OF HARDENED HIDE, TLINGITS, HAIDAS, HUPAS, CHINOOKS, NAVAJOES, MOWHAWKS, SHOSHONES, PAWNEES, COMANCHES, ECT.

6. COTTON PADDED ARMOR- MEXICANS, ISTMIAUS, AND PERUVIANS

THREE WELL DEFINED AREAS, INCLUDING THE ABOVE MENTIONED TYPES OF NORTH AMERICAN BODY ARMOR WILL NOW BE CONSIDERED, VIZ:

1. BERING STRAIGHT AREA, THE AMERICAN SHORE OF BERING SEA AND THE ISLANDS AS FAR NORTH AS CAPE PRINCE OF WALES, INHABITED BY ESKIMOS. AND THE ASIATIC SIDE INHABITED BY THE COAST CHUKCHIS (PLATE ARMOR)

2. WESTERN AREA EXTENDING FROM SITKA THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE CENTRAL BASIN TO MEXICO, (SLAT, ROD AND SKIN ARMOR)

3. EASTERN AREA, EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN CANADA TO VIRGINIA, INHAVITED BY ALGONKIAN AND IROQUOIAN TRIBES. (SLAT,OR ROD, AND SKIN ARMOR)

THE FIRST TWO AREAS ARE KNOWN BY ACTUAL SPECIMINS, WHILE THE THIRD AREA IS HISTORICAL. IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTINENT, ACCORDING TO HISTORICAL NOTICES, SEVERAL STOCKS USED ARMOR. THERE IS, THEREFORE, SUFFICIENT TESTIMONY TO SHOW THAT IF NOT UNIVERSAL THE USE OF ARMOR WAS AT LEAST GENERAL AMONG THE NORTH AMERICAN TRIBES." END QUOTE.

IT WAS NOTED SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF NORTH AMERICAN ARMOR WERE MADE THE SAME AS JAPANESE ARMOR AND INCLUDED PROTECTIVE PICES FOR LEGS AND ARMS AND SOME EVEN HAD HELMETS. THERE WERE OTHERS THAT RESEMBLES THE SORT USED IN THE MARSHALL AND KINGSMILL ISLANDS AND EVEN HAD THE LARGE SHIELD BUILT IN TO PROTECT THE BACK OF THE HEAD. SOME WERE DESIGNED TO FOLD UP LIKE A FAN AND TO BE EASILY CARRIED WHEN NOT IN USE. MATERIALS USED INCLUDED, BONE, IVORY, BALEEN, WOOD SLATS, SHELL, RODS AND HARDENED SKIN OR LAYERS OF COTTON AND PLANT FIBERS. SOMETIMES THEY WERE WOVEN AND SOME FORMS HELD TOGETHER WITH CORDS AS IN JAPANESE ARMOR.

UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A SCANNER SO CAN'T INCLUDE ANY OF THE MANY EXAMPLES PICTURED IN THE ARTICLE.

THERE IS A BOOK OUT CURRENTLY (NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ARMOR, SHIELDS AND FORTIFICATIONS) BY DAVID E. JONES

I HAVE NOT READ IT YET SO I CAN'T SAY IF ITS GOOD OR NOT.BUT SUSPECT IT USED THIS ARTICLE AS ONE OF ITS REFRENCES.
THE SMITHSONIAN ARTICLE WAS NEW INFORMATION TO ME AS I IMAGINED NAKED WARRIORS IN BREECH CLOTHS NOT SAMAURAI ARMOR ON AMERICAN INDIANS.