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the moment the medieval era began, really.

shields have existed for milennia before the medieval age, from ancient Egypt, to Bronze age Celts, to Roman regions, to Dark Age Saxons, Vikings, through the medieval era, the renaissance buckler and jacobite targe, and on to a modern police officer's riot shield.

It could be argued, however, that the medieval European shield is a product of the Normans, who invaded and took England in 1066AD. Their use of horses in battle prompted the development of the "kite" shield, where the bottom part of the shield was extended into a teardrop shape to help protect the rider's legs.

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12y ago
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11y ago

There were many different types of shields during the Middle Ages, and the way they were used differed from region to region, time to time, and perhaps even from person to person.

During the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe, most peoples like the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons adopted the 'Shield Wall' formation for battle. Each Warrior would carry a wide round shield into battle. The Warriors would then form a line and hold each others shields next to each other so that they touched, in the process they'd form a 'wall' of shields which gave them better protection, because each Warrior was protected by the shields of the men on each side of him.

Cavalry during this early period carried 'Kite shields'. These had a wide brim at the top, which tapered down the end to give protection to the cavalryman's leg.

Later on shields used by Knights were usually smaller in length and size in comparison to the Kite shield, as the greaves worn by Knights gave their lower legs better protection.

As armour advanced during the Middle Ages, Knights came to use shields less and less, as by the 15th Century plate armor gave a Knight excellent protection, while his sword could be used to deflect blows. That said, shields continued to be used on the battlefield way into the 17th century, as soldiers such as the Austrian 'Roundschiers' carried circular metal shields into combat.

During Medieval sieges and Castle assaults, soldiers would used a large heavy shield called a Pavise for protection. Usually one man held the Pavise (which was rested on the ground), while another would use it for protection while loosing arrows or reloading their crossbows.

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12y ago

Shields were made of planks of wood butted together and glued; strong but supple woods such as ash, poplar or linden were preferred. The outer surface, the edge and sometimes the inner face of the shield were covered in tough cowhide or parchment.

Early medieval shields (used for example by Vikings and Saxons) were usually round with a central hole about 4.5 inches (110 mm) across cut out of the centre. On the inside was fixed a metal bar across this hole for the left hand to grasp and on the outside of the shield a domed iron boss was fitted to protect the hand.

By the 12th century this style of shield had become obsolete. It was replaced by a round-topped kite shield with a system of leather straps attached to the inner face for the hand and arm. Small metal bosses were retained, but they were simply leftovers from the earlier style and served no purpose.

By the later 12th century these kite shield began to be flattened at the top, the shield was now curved to the body and bosses disappeared.

In the early 13th century long kite shields gave way to shorter versions, still curved to the body and flat at the top; these shrank in size until the familiar "heater" shields of the 14th century appeared.

Shields continued to evolve, just like every other aspect of medieval life. With the arrival of full plate armour and the introduction of the first black powder weapons shields became obsolete and ceased to be made.

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11y ago

They were made from smart people being kewl.

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13y ago

Mostly wood, animal hides and metal.

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14y ago

Very slowly, with medieval (hand) tools.

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12y ago

Every type of wood.

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Q: What were medieval shields made from?
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Related questions

How were shields made?

Very slowly, with medieval (hand) tools.


What was medieval knight armor made of?

most medieval armor was made from iron, wood, copper, steel, and leather. the main metal armor was made from steel and iron. sometimes the shields were made of wood and coated with metal.


What kind of medieval weapons did they have in the middle ages?

Swords, shields and spears were common weapons of Medieval Warfare.


What years were roman shields used?

There is no given year that marks the beginning of the use of a shield, Roman or otherwise. The shield is as old as warfare itself. The Roman used their shields all during their prominence and when the empire fell, the medieval knights used shields until gunpowder made them obsolete.


What was medieval knight fighting style?

Medieval knights were trained in various fighting styles, including mounted combat with weapons such as swords, lances, and maces, as well as hand-to-hand combat with shields and armor. They typically used techniques like thrusting, slashing, and grappling to defeat their opponents in battle. Knights were skilled in the art of swordsmanship and practiced diligently to improve their combat abilities.


What purpose did shields provide for medieval warriors?

Shields provided medieval warriors with protection against attacks on ones body from weapons such as blades and swords. Often they were painted with designs and used for identity purposes during battle.


How much does a medieval shield weight?

Viking shield are one of a kind & they could be much lighter than medieval shields .... from 4 pounds to 7 pounds. Typical Medieval shields were kind of heavier ... ranging from 6 to 11 pounds. Here we are talking of shields used in combat on foot. [Heater - Shields around 30'x18' and Round-Shields around 26' ] ----------------- ....Because shields used by knights to break through were much bigger but useless in a Face-to-Face fight... they ranged from 10 to 15 pounds They were meant to protect from arrows and to cover the whole body while approaching the enemy-lines. [ Big Kite-shields]


What shields did the Saxons have?

Simple shields made of wood.


How are roman shields made?

Roman shields are made from lava rock and stone.


Why are medieval heater shields called 'heater' shields?

Because victorians thought they looked like "heaters" (clothes irons). Sorry, I don't know what they were actually called. Maybe just Kite shields, since that's what they evolved from (er, that is to say that heater shields evolved from kite shields, not that heater shields evolved from kites).


Did the Medieval armorers guild make shields too or just armor?

yes because it is defensive


What are the symbols for medieval time shields?

Look to the related link below for information regarding Heraldry .