Paper Armor, the Forgotten Defense

Abstract

This paper investigates the history and construction of paper armor, tracing its roots from Tang dynasty China, across Asia and India and into Western Europe. Source material is examined in detail to provide clues as to paper's first use in armor, how its construction style evolved, its migration, and effectiveness against period weapons from its point of origin through nineteenth century. While paper armor was by no means invulnerable, provided an inexpensive defense against swords, arrows, spears and even muskets for over a thousand years.