From the 10th to the 13th century mail was so prominent in Europe that this period is often called the "Age of Mail", not that other forms of armor were not used, for padded, scale and ring armor were far more common, but the higher classes wore mail almost exclusively. The helmets of this time were the only part of the equipment regularly made of plate. They were heavy pots worn only when fighting, being ordinarilly carried at the saddle bow. The head was covered by a padded hood, then by a hood of mail, and over these he helmet. The earliest helmets were pointed and either left the face entirely unprotected, or had a bar, the nasal, projecting downwards in front of the nose. This was the Norman helmet. During the 12th century the helmets were made larger with curved sides and flat tops. Because of their shape these were called barrel helms. A little later these were abandoned for the sugar-loaf helms with pointed tops which caused a blow to glance instead of being transmitted to the head. The entire weight of all of these helmets rested on the head. The higher classes wore a heavily padded garment, the gambeson, and over it the hauberk of mail. The hauberk had skirts reaching to the feet and was split up, back and front, for use on horseback. The sleeves were long enough to cover the hands. Mail gauntlets were sometimes worn. The common soldier wore the gambeson as the sole protection for his body.