Conflict is an unfortunate, but inevitable, aspect of our nature. Nearly every single animal, bird and fish on this planet engages in some form of war or conflict, and humans are certainly no exception. We fight about everything: religion, territory, mates, even food. (Jolique recalls as a child many heated arguments with her brothers and sisters about who ate the last piece of mom's apple pie!) And when going in to battle to defend our concerns, we have dressed accordingly. Battle Dress for the Battlefield Centuries ago in North America, some Navajo groups protected themselves with armor made from multi-layered buckskin. The buckskin armor fitted tightly around the neck and reached, in some cases, all the way to the knees. The thickest hides were sought for this armor, which according to some reports was either sewn together and/or rubbed with special cactus leaves to create a sticky surface upon which to adhere the multiple layers. Depending upon the warrior's wealth, the armor was made from as little as two layers of skin, and sometimes up to eight. Eight-layered buckskin was extremely heavy and was worn only while riding horseback. Despite its weight, however, it was very durable (often lasting a lifetime) and effective, being impenetrable to most spears, lances and arrows. Samurai warriors, the high-ranking members of the military caste of feudal Japan in the 12th century, also knew a few things about battle dress. Defending the interests of their lords, they often engaged in brutal combat. The highest-ranking samurai fought on horseback, and consequently their armor was the heaviest. It consisted of tiny, lacquered plates of iron or steel, interlaced in rows with colorful silk cords. The plates were sewn together to make larger pieces, which would cover the arms, breast, back and legs. A steel helmet with lacquered plate fringe protected the head and neck, and a black, glowering mask worn over the warrior's face completed the formidable armor. In comparison to the European chain mail worn by knights, samurai armor was relatively lightweight and compact, and when not in use was folded up into a small lacquered box. The Celts had their own distinctive warrior dress. Before the invention of chain mail, an invention credited to the Celts at around 300 B.C., Celtic warriors are believed to have fought naked, as did the Greeks in years before. Battling in the buff may have carried some status with Celts, who thought that armor was for sissies like the Romans! Armor was definitely preferable to some, however, and iron helmets with hinged "cheekpieces" to protect the jawbone were known to the Gauls (Celts living in what is now France) more than 2,000 years ago. Some also wore chain mail (which weighed up to 35 lbs.), and many were known to wash their hair with lime-water to give a spiky, white appearance à la rock-singer Billy Idol. This spiky hair, combined with blue, swirling tattoos which covered their bodies, gave them a fearsome countenance on the battlefield. Sometimes a good cause is the only armor you need. Armed with a spear and a fierce determination, Boudica, the Queen of the Iceni in East Anglia, led a revolt against the invading Romans around 60 A.D. Although the revolt was unsuccessful (80,000 Britons and 70,000 Romans and pre-Roman Britons were slaughtered in the bloody battle), Queen Boudica was force to be reckoned with, as the Greek senator and historian Cassius Dio wrote:
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