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Plate armour
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== Early history == {{Further|Coat of plates}} [[File:Bronze cuirass BM GR1873.8-20.223.jpg|thumb|upright|Bronze [[muscle cuirass]], Italy, c. 350β300 BC]] Partial plate armour, made out of bronze, which protected the chest and the lower limbs, was used by the ancient [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]], as early as the late [[Bronze Age]]. The [[Dendra panoply]] protected the entire torso on both sides and included shoulder and neck protections. Less restrictive and heavy armour would become more widespread in the form of the [[muscle cuirass]] during [[classic antiquity]] before being superseded by other types of armour. [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] and [[Sassanian]] heavy cavalry known as [[Clibanarii]] used cuirasses made out of scales or mail and small, overlapping plates in the manner of the [[Manica (armguard)|manica]] for the protection of arms and legs. Plate armour in the form of the [[Lorica segmentata]] was used by the Roman empire between the 1st century BC and 4th century AD. Single plates of metal armour were again used from the late 13th century on, to protect joints and shins, and these were worn over a [[Mail (armour)|mail]] [[hauberk]]. Gradually the number of plate [[components of medieval armour]] increased, protecting further areas of the body, and in [[barding]] those of a cavalryman's horse. Armourers developed skills in articulating the [[Lame (armor)|lames]] or individual plates for parts of the body that needed to be flexible, and in fitting armour to the individual wearer like a tailor. The cost of a full suit of high quality fitted armour, as opposed to the cheaper [[munition armour]] (equivalent of [[ready-to-wear]]) was enormous, and inevitably restricted to the wealthy who were seriously committed to either soldiering or [[jousting]]. The rest of an army wore inconsistent mixtures of pieces, with mail still playing an important part.
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