Early Middle Ages (475-1000 CE)

With the end of Roman Imperial Rule in the West, the state-controlled fabricae stopped production, and Europe returned to the sole use of maille armour (chainmail armour). From the sleeveless byrnie grew the haubergeon and eventually the hauberk that became the mainstay of the professional soldier at the end of the period. Also at the end of this period we see the integral maille hood becoming a separate coif that would become the accepted style for the coming centuries. Helmets seem to have developed from Roman cavalry helmet designs such as the ridge helmet, eventually evolving through a variety of styles such as the spangenhelm, spectacle helm and ubiquitous conical nasal helm. The Early Middle ages are sometimes also referred to as the „Dark Ages“ due to a relatively low level of economic activity and successful incursions by pagan tribes. Contemporary to the period of the Early Middle Ages is also “The Viking Age” which is commonly seen in the period between AD 793 and 1066 in Northern Germany, Danmark, Scandinavia and Britain, following the Germanic Iron Age and the Vendel Age in Sweden. During this period, the Vikings, northern warriors and traders, raided and explored most parts of Europe, south-western Asia, northern Africa and north-eastern North America.