Digital replication and reconstruction of mail armour

Digital reconstruction of historical costumes is a broad research area, which brings together archaeology, dress history and digital technologies. Mail armour includes many damaged and sometimes now fragile artefacts which could be reconstructed in virtual reality. However, contemporary methods of digitization were developed for textile clothes and cannot accurately reproduce the draping behaviour and appearance of a mail fabric made from metal rings. This article reports a new method of digital reproduction that uses parameterization, computer-aided design and physically-based rigid body simulation. The object of the reconstruction was the Vimose coat of mail, dating to AD 150–220. Despite being damaged, this garment was preserved well enough to provide initial data for the exploration. Parameterization and parametric 3D modelling software were used to create exact copies of the rings, connect them into a pattern and determine the properties of the mail fabric. The rigid body simulation of 19,123 rings were applied to reproduce the draping behaviour of the mail fabric and put the coat on the mannequin. Digital replicas of the Vimose coat in its original pristine- and current condition were generated, and the similarity between the replicas and the coat was demonstrated. This method provides a new way to obtain important insights on archaeological armour and the preservation of cultural heritage in a digital manner

Virtual Reconstruction of Historical Men’s Suit

Nowadays, the virtual technology is being widely applied in the area of clothing design and try-on. However, the possibilities of these technologies cover only the contemporary marketable clothes, while the insight in the aspect of historical costume is very limited. In this research, we developed the method that allows to reconstruct and do the virtual try-on of historical men’s suit consisting from four different garments—trousers, shirts, vest, and coat. The method includes, on one hand, the analysis of pattern drafting systems, patterns construction, special means of bespoke tailoring that were popular in the history and, on the other hand, the way of its adapting and preparing to contemporary technologies of 2D and 3D design. The exploration was done with men’s suit and the patterns from the nineteenth century. We studied how the tailors took all measurements, the content of size charts including divisional, direct measurements, and its combination. To parameterize the historical patterns of men’s clothes, we created the schedule of special indexes. We developed the method how to identify the means of garment shaping by steam pressing, which are hiding in the patterns, and how to perform ones by darts. The preparation of historical patterns to virtual try-on was done by CAD. As example, the reconstruction of full-dress suite painted on the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha’ portrait (1840) was done, and high adequacy between the historical prototype and the virtual suit has been proved

The equipment of a Germanic warrior from the 2nd–4th century AD: Digital reconstructions as a research tool for the behaviour of archaeological costumes

Virtual reality opens new ways for reconstructing, preserving and exhibiting clothing and textiles. This applies particularly to those from an archaeological context, which can be incomplete, damaged or fragile. Despite the possibilities of computer technology, such as computer graphics (CG) and computer-aided design (CAD), its potential has only been superficially explored. This article showcases its possibilities by focussing upon the equipment of a Germanic warrior from the 2nd–4th century AD. His panoply consists of trousers, a tunic, shoes, a mail coat, an under-armour garment and a belt. CG and CAD tools, such as stress analysis and strain analysis, were applied to visualize and examine the behaviour of his equipment. The military clothing of the Germanic warrior proves very functional in terms of physics, materials science, anatomy and biomechanics. In other words, his clothing and armour result very suitable for warfare. This case study demonstrates that digital reconstructions can be more than scientific visualisation, but also a new and powerful research tool, generating new insights into archaeological artefacts

Testing archaeological mail armour in a virtual environment:3rd century BC to 10th century AD

This article presents a new method for examining mail through the use of digital reconstruction and computer simulation. The method allows the physical and mechanical properties of mail artefacts to be reconstructed, which otherwise remain hidden, by performing tests in a virtual environment. Ten archaeological finds, dating between 300 BC and 1000 AD, were parameterized and reconstructed. Testing procedures were developed to measure the properties of the mail fabrics. A physics engine was employed to simulate the behaviour of the specimens under the influence of external forces. Six important characteristics (i.e. stretch, stiffness, number of rings per unit area, mass per unit area, thickness, and covered area ratio) were calculated for each specimen and compared to each other to identify distinctive features. This was followed by a correlation analysis to understand how the rings’ geometrical parameters influence the properties of the mail fabric and how these properties are balanced. The method demonstrates that not all mail is alike and that certain characteristics were favoured during certain times. The first careful results point to Iron Age mail being heavy and stiff, while mail during the Principate became much lighter and more flexible. During Late Antiquity this was again reversed in favour of heavier mail. The subsequent medieval period up to the 10th century demonstrates a balance between these characteristics