Padded Armour

[caiusbeerquitius]

The 'Stowasser' names 'coactum' as 'Filz', which is felt. However, as with many other terms, it might not actually describe the material we think of nowadays. Deriving from 'cogo', it might also refer to what we in Germany call 'Loden', a material first woven, and then felted (?) the areas of Noricum and Raetia the material is known and used since antiquity.
To generally assume that the Romans must have known and used felt is far to naive, I think. Taking into account, how long it took for certain working methods to travel, it is at least possible, that, while in the east it was used, in the west the technique was unknown. In the early middle ages, it took the technology of the plow which turns soil upward down several hundred years to travel through the whole of Europe. Felting seems to be a far easter invention.

I do not want to say, that it is impossible that the Romans used the technique, but it is at the moment impossible to say when and where.




@Florian:
They have colored felt made from wool-rests. It is about 8 per meter. I used it for my subarmalis. Will you come to our next meeting? Long time no see