Evolution of shields?

[NeeSayer]

Out of curiousity, how did the evolution of shields go?

When did rounds turn in the kites, kites become flat topped, when did those morph into heaters? When did bucklers come into use? Was a erranche (sp?) a jousting version of a heater?

Im just curious, and have some research myself but am interested to see what you guys have on it.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

There are very few hard and fast rules in regard to this, however the artistic record suggests the basic evolution you mention:

Sharp-corner scutums
Celtic ovoids/Pictish squares
Rounds- strapped and center-gripped
Kites
Long, narrow heaters
Fatter heaters
Smaller heaters
Even smaller heaters
Center-grip shields of various shapes both with and without central ridges
Concave "ecranche" shields
Strapped round targets

Italy, Spain and Eastern Europe are very interesting in regards to variety- particularly Italy. In Italy you see the Teardrop (a short, fat kite like I use) and ovoid arm-strapped shields, along with rounds and peaked heaters during the 1100's.

[chef de chambre]

THe thing to keep in mind is, that there was no 'evolution'. This is important to recognize and understand, because what you have are families of shields with different purposes - not some evolutionary ladder, with a type dying out to be replaced by another. MOst were used side-by-side with other forms, as long as shields were actively used in warfare in Europe. The shapes may change with fashion, slightly, and the sizes may shrink in some cases, but the *types* or families remain consistant.

I'd refine Vitus's list, to the following

Center-grip shields with Umbo's (shape isn't important). This is the shieled of antiquity in Northern Europe, and is represented by the large round shiled as a survival into the early Medieval era. The survival is the Viking Shield, the Saxon round shield, and the old ROund shield of the Franks - all related, in active use until the end of the 11th century (1099/1100)

Then, you have specific horsemans shields develop, as the armoured cavalryman takes prominence, this is represented by the 'kite shield', which seems to appear sometime late in the 10th century. This varies in shape, and it only gets cut down, and shrinks in size, as the mounted mans armour improves, and is represented by heater shields, and ecranches, right to the end of shield use.


The next family of importance that is specialized, is the Pavise, which is a large infantrymans shield, intended to provide cover to more than one man, usually a team, when they first evolve, of a spearman carrying the pavise, who is covering the crossbowman. As the name indicates, traditionally, the shiled is thought toi have an origin in Pavia, but it certainly has an origin in Italian communal militia warfare, evolving by the 11th century, and seeing use right through the 16th cenbtury in various forms. Many, but not all pavises have umbos - the ones that don't, usually haver a central grip that also serves as the place to stick a prop to use the pavise as a small, impromptu piece of cover, hands free. In Central and Eastern Europe, the shield form is adopted in the 15th century, for the mounted man - a cut down varient - because of the importance of horse archery, and due to poisoned arrows being used by certain groups of horse archers, so you actually have,. in some cases, knighrts in full white milanese harness, sallets, and bevors, lugging a cut-down varient of pavise on horseback, because of the danger posed. This phenomenon does not happen in Western Europe, althoughy you see small pavise varients used in siege warfare, in escalades, by fully armoured men at arms in certain circumstances.

THe next family to consider is the target, which is in a sense, the survival of the ancient round shield, although, not normally with an umbo. You find these soldiering on through the era, in the hinterlands of Europe - Ireland, and Scotland, to name two well known areas with the example. It is a shield of infantry warfare, usually made of leather covered wood, and using a system of a guige strap (important in the warfare pursued by the Scots of the schiltron), and a couple of arm straps, in place of the umbo handguard. These survive in active use in Scotland, until the mid 18th century (the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion).

The last major shield family is the buckler, which could be contructed of metal and leather, or metal, wood, and leather, or just metal, but which has the survival of the umbo and central grip. They are smaller than the old round shields, and not as heavy, as they are partnered with single-handed weapons for lightly armoured (usually), or unarmoured infantrymen and civilians. These see use from the 12th century, all the way until the end of the 16th century.

So, think of them as different families of shields, with different uses - you get screwed up when you think of some sort of patently false, victorian, evolutionary 'tree'.

[Sigifrith Hauknefr]

Just in case the chef confused anyone, I just learned that an Umbo is what we would call a "shield boss", although in the context I heard it was one with a little protrusion or nipple on it.

Also to add to Vitas list -

I thought that the large Roman oval preceeded the rectangular scuta. You also forgot Hoplons, a large side strapped round greek shield, and a couple other ancient ones Boeotians ( large oval with little crescents cut out from the side) which might have developed from a Mycenaen figure-8 sheild.

Maybe a cretian shield is a round with crescents cut out?

[chef de chambre]

Sorry, didn'tmean to confound anyone with terminology.

The key to an unbo being an umbo, is the grip directly behind the boss, with the boss allowing for the fingerts to grip. Some shields apparently had decorative bosses, from time to time, they were not umbo's, because the hand was not contained by them.

[Matthew Amt]

I thought that the large Roman oval preceeded the rectangular scuta. You also forgot Hoplons, a large side strapped round greek shield, and a couple other ancient ones Boeotians ( large oval with little crescents cut out from the side) which might have developed from a Mycenaen figure-8 sheild.

Yes, the classic rectangular Roman scutum was preceded by the Republican style oval or oblong shape,

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/repscuta.jpg

And it was used right alongside one with straight ends and curved sides. But there was no great functional difference, since all 3 shapes were held with a single horizontal grip and used in pretty much the same way. Same with large Celtic shields of the time (which probably evolved in parallel with the Republican scutum). But remember that while Republican heavy infantry are using the tall oval scutum, their velites or light infantry are carrying large round shields. Imperial auxiliaries mostly used oval shields of roughly the same dimensions as the rectangular scutum. By the third century AD legionaries are mostly using large round or slightly oval shields, though still with a single horizontal grip.

The Greek "hoplon" is properly called an aspis, but you're right that it needs a class for itself. People are still arguing if the Boeotian shield actually existed or not, but its shape seems to derive from the Geometric-era Dipylon shield, which probably came from a Hittite shield with convex ends and concave sides (*not* from the Mycenaean figure-8 shield).

Just to amplify Chef's point about typologies rather than evolution, bucklers were in use in the Bronze Age, c. 1400 BC. They were just the small end of a range of round shields that ran from 1 foot diameter to 3 feet, all apparently with a single grip. The finds are scattered across time and space, but there really doesn't seem to be any overall "evolution" from smaller to larger or vice versa.

I hope that clouds the issue some, ha!

Matthew