Armour and chain-mail hoods

The armaments in the mass graves are normally referred to as Wisby armor, or coat of plates. This type of protection for the upper body first came into use in the 1200s. It consists of cloth of leather with metal plates riveted on the inside. Several of them are typical for the first half of the 1300s. But there are also older varieties, known as lamellar armour, with many small metal plates. Each piece of armour is individually designed. No one is identical to another.

Around 185 chain-mail hoods were found in the graves. The rusting of the material over the centuries means it is difficult to determine exactly how many there are. The decomposition also makes it difficult to see how the hoods are constructed.

The best preserved examples have two square sections that hang down; one over the chest and one on the back. But the hoods do not protect the shoulders. Recent research shows that they had a lining on the inside to protect the wearer. Se the reconstruction later in the exhibition.

In the art of the period, this type of chain-mail hood is found in Scandinavia but also in areas of Germany.