Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
AMERICAN ANCIENT ARMOR.
Aboriginal Body Coverings of Various
Kinds Worn Before Columbus Landed.

Kinds Worn Before Columbus Landed.
DIR. Walter Hough of the National Mu-
scum has devoted good deal of time to
the study of very interesting feature of
aboriginal warfare In America, namely, the
armor that was worn in battle by various
peoples of the new world before Columbus
landed.
The ancient Mexicans had shields of
flexible bamboo canes, bound firmly to-
gether and covered with hide. The face Of
the defensive instrument was ornamented
| according to the rank and taste of the
wearer-that of noble was usually COW
cred with thin plates of gold. Along the
coast the shells of tortoises. inlaid with
gold, silver or copper, were used as shields.
Reeds, grass hides, coated with india
| rubber, served to protect the Aztec COM
mon soldier. The body armor of the war
riors of rank consisted of a breastplate
made of quilted cotton, one or two fingers
in thickness. Over this was worn thick
cotton coat. The cotton armor was COM
pletely arrowproof Guards for the legs
and arms were made of wood, covered with
leather or gold plates and trimmed with
feathers. Among the Toltecs private SOL
diers painted the upper parts OF their
bodies to represent armor.
The ancient Peruvians protected their
heads with helmets made either OF wood
or the skins of wild animals, sometimes
richly decorated with metals or precious
stones, and sUrmountad by brilliant feath-
ers of tropical birds. They wore close
tunics of quilted cotton. like the Mexicans.
The Mosquito Indians of Honduras used
armor that was made of plated reeds
covered with tiger skins and ornamented
with feathers. To this day the Patagonians
are clad for war in coat of mail made of
several folds of hide, with a helmet and
| shield of like material. Helmets survive
among the Pueblo Indians, where they APP
lear in religious ceremonials in the form
of masks.
t. hot he hall mot
and the mask from the chronological point
of view Primarily, the helmet is designed
for protection, but it's secondary function
is to adorn the head. Commonly its gro
tesque design is meant to inspire fear. The
huge wooden masks worn by the natives of
the northwest coast. many of them made
out of drftwood. are among the most eX-
traordinary objects in museums. Their
designs usually represent characters in the
myths Of the people.
In the National Museum is very ex-
traordinary armor coat from Sitka, Alaska,
which has the form of a waistcoat fastened
with brass buttons of English make. 1t is
plated over the entire front and a part of
the back with Chinese coins-like the pen
ny armor' of Europe. The coins are like
these brought to America by the Chinese
for use in gambling. Among the Eskimo
in former days armor made of plates of
walrus ivory was used. Sometimes yoke
of skin fitting the neck and shoulders
formed a support for the rows of plates.
The shield is the first defensive weapon,
both in point of time and in usefulness. a
| Star writer was informed by DR.. Hough.
| who will publish an elaborate essay on this
| subject in the next annual report of the
National Museum. The circular shield is
| characteristic of the new world, being con-
| vex in shape and from twelve to twenty
six inches in diameter. The Nahua Indians
| had shields constructed that when not
| in use they could be folded up and carried
uIder the arm. Nearly all American shields
| were made of thick trawhide, that of the
| buffalo and elk being most available.
| Shields worked out from single piece of
| wood. like those of the Dyaks of Borneo,
are found on the Rio Maranon, in South
| America. Among certain Indians of New
| Mexico shields were made of small laths
| interviewer with cords in such a manner
| that they could be shut up like fan. The
| Pueblo tribes carried circular shields of
| basketry. The Sioux shield was made of
| the skin of the buffalo's neck. hardened
| with glue extracted from the hoofs of the
| same animal.
| Capt. Cook noticed that the Tlingits and
| Haidas of the northwest coast incased al
| most their entire bodies in armor of wood
| or leather They wore helmets with curl
| ously carved vsors. and made breast
| plates of wood and arrow-proof coats of
thin. flexible strips bound with strings, like
l ,H 81,