Roman shields: scutum, materials and use

What was a scutum?

Scutum is a Latin word for shield. The curved rectangular shield familiar from reconstructions is associated with imperial legionaries, but Roman armies used different shapes across time and place. Oval shields also appear in the evidence. Start by asking which century, unit and object a reconstruction represents.

Wood beneath the paint

A rare surviving rectangular shield from Dura-Europos in Syria, dated to the third century AD, preserves wood, a covering and painted decoration. It is exceptional because these materials usually decay. The shield protected a soldier through its layered construction and shape; it was not a solid sheet of iron. A central boss covered the hand holding the grip.

Reading the evidence

Decoration could carry military and religious imagery. A surviving shield from Syria is valuable comparative evidence for the Roman world, but it is not an excavated shield from Hadrian’s Wall. Metal fittings, sculpture and other finds help build the wider picture. When comparing examples, record the findspot and date before copying the pattern.

Make and investigate

Try the linked cardboard shield activity, then compare the model with an actual museum object. Label its boss, grip, wooden body and covering. Explain which features your flat cardboard can represent and which, such as ancient layered construction, it simplifies.