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[dirty foot]

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Yes, those were incredibly proliferate. Quilted cloth, gambeson, and in most cases where even metal armor is available, just layers of cloth would be used underneath it was commonly used whenever people could get their hands on it. But while it can offer resistance to a person with a pointy stick, sword, or axe, it is highly unlikely that it would offer very much protection against pointed projectiles without any other sort of stiff protection. A person would have to wear a lot of it for it to offer the protection a piece of treated plate the medievals used, to the point where it inhibits the person's movements.

There were some tests result made available on the Linothorax Project page. This link: http://www.uwgb.edu/aldreteg/AIA.Poster.LowRes2.jpg

That is very interesting, and I thank you for sharing it. I wished they would test bows above the hunting level range of draw weights though. 60lbs simply isn't even on the low end of bows meant for war. It may have been a contender during the ancient days when the Greek linothorax was around, though arguably they probably should have tested slings and lead balls rather than arrows seeing as they were far more common.
Further, someone should tell them to really stop using stationary braced targets when testing armor, it's not a good for any sort of armor that a human will be wearing, particularly if one of its main features is its ability flex with the human body when struck. For an incredibly high speed projectile, it may not be very significant as it will punch through before the armor or flesh can reach, but for arrows shot from a bow below 50lbs draw weight, this is going to make a difference.

Against Balkan, Turkish, Mongol, or generally any bow that goes above a 100lb draw force, cloth armor isn't going to do very much good. Take for example the emergence of the bodkin and similar arrow heads meant to deal with lightly armored or maille wearing targets. This is not to mention the much larger draw weights of crossbows in comparison to bows either. Quilted cloths, gambesons and the higher end linothorax style armors will, no doubt, provide a measure of protection, but I don't think it's enough to protect the wearer from the higher end projectiles like slings, war bows, and military crossbows.

I too noticed that the draw power was definitely on the low range, but I assumed this might be due to the equipment available at the time.

[Dwarfoloid]

I too noticed that the draw power was definitely on the low range, but I assumed this might be due to the equipment available at the time.

Yeah, that's why I was referring to light bows back there. 100 feet is pretty short range for battlefield archery and 50 feet is getting point blank. The specimens tested would have without doubt failed against stronger bows usually used during middle ages at those ranges, but might still have been adequate at medium-long range (200-300 feet or so).

What is also lacking from the test is rawhide, which might have also been used as material for linothorax (dispite the name) and was certainly used at other periods of time. Mongols seem to have used rawhide a lot, for one.

[LoSboccacc]

and chinese of the time paper, I've read somewhere.

[dirty foot]

I too noticed that the draw power was definitely on the low range, but I assumed this might be due to the equipment available at the time.

Yeah, that's why I was referring to light bows back there. 100 feet is pretty short range for battlefield archery and 50 feet is getting point blank. The specimens tested would have without doubt failed against stronger bows usually used during middle ages at those ranges, but might still have been adequate at medium-long range (200-300 feet or so).

What is also lacking from the test is rawhide, which might have also been used as material for linothorax (dispite the name) and was certainly used at other periods of time. Mongols seem to have used rawhide a lot, for one.

I was thinking about this some more, and I think the limitations in the testing may have been due to over-compensating for their lack of aim. Perhaps they were having a hard time with the practice shot range, and decided to lower the range and distance--probably thinking that it would simulate greater distance and draw power, at least proportionally. Though I'm willing to bet most of us here know that would not be a true representation, we are talking about a test run by anthropologist, after all, not physicists.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Smith bolts. Then have your marksdwarves practice with the bolts to seperate the bolts into stacks of one. Then melt the bolts at a smelter. Smith bolts. Rinse and repeat.

Don't bolts break when you fire 'em?

[Razonatair]

Have them drop a level and they can make it. It's the principle used in recycling ballista bolts.