Chapter 7 Section 5 Military Uniforms of the Zhou Dynasty

In order to protect themselves and destroy the enemy, people invented clothing specially for body protection based on the accumulation of years of experience in fighting and attacking. This is the military uniform.It is mainly composed of two parts: the helmet (zhouzhou, also known as the first armor, pocket 〔mou〕, helmet, head armor) used to protect the head, and the armor used to protect the body (including shoulder armor, breastplate, etc.) , leg armor, etc.). The military uniforms of the Zhou Dynasty also had their own characteristics.Before the Zhou Dynasty, soldiers' battle armor was mostly made of animal leather such as rhinoceros and sharks, with colorful patterns painted on it.In addition to the continued use of leather armor in the Zhou Dynasty, "practice armor" and "iron armor" appeared.Lianjia was produced earlier, and it was mostly made of thick cotton with silk and silk, which belongs to the cloth armor category; iron armor appeared in the middle of the Warring States period, because it was black in color, it was also called "xuanjia".Its predecessor was bronze armor (a simple breastplate. There are holes around the armor, which can be nailed to leather or cloth armor and used in conjunction with it).Judging from the objects unearthed from Tomb No. 44 in Yanxiadu, Yixian County, Hebei Province, people at that time knew that iron plates were used to make fish scales or willow leaf-shaped armor pieces, which were worn in groups to form armor clothes, so as to facilitate the movement of limbs and effectively resist the enemy. s attack.There are also those who wear a coat (named "Zhongjia") outside the armor.

There are several shapes of Douhou.Small pieces of iron were used to weave a round cap, and bronze was used to cast various shapes of animal faces, and so on.Some also erected a copper pipe on the top of the copper helmet, which was used to insert ornaments such as 鹖 (he 雷) tails and bird feathers.They have been polished on the surface and are relatively smooth, but the inside is rough and uneven.Therefore, if you wear a pocket on your head, you must first wrap your headscarf.According to ancient etiquette and customs, on the battlefield, soldiers should "free their helmets" when they meet their officers, otherwise, they will be regarded as disrespectful.