Hoplology

Hoplology is a science that studies human combative behavior and performance.

The word hoplology is derived from the Greek terms hoplos (a mythical plate-armored animal) and hoplon, a wooden shield carried by some warriors in ancient Greece. The word hoplite,derived from hoplon, is the term for the classical Greek warrior who carried such a shield. The field originates in the 19th century with Sir Richard Burton; although the origin of the word is often attributed to Burton, there are earlier references to it. Despite the work of Burton and a few others, it was not until the 1960s that hoplology took shape as an academic field of study under the leadership of Donn F. Draeger.