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.
Simple shields made of wood.
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).
Look to the related link below for information regarding Heraldry .
yes because it is defensive
The Aztecs shields were made out of feathers and other fine materials. These shields also included precious metals like gold.
Very slowly, with medieval (hand) tools.
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.
Swords, shields and spears were common weapons of Medieval Warfare.
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.
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.
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]
Simple shields made of wood.
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).
yes because it is defensive
Look to the related link below for information regarding Heraldry .
The Aztecs shields were made out of feathers and other fine materials. These shields also included precious metals like gold.
The first evidence of medieval Coat of Arms was in the 11th century. The ancient Romans also used insignia on their shields, but these were used to identify the military units, not individuals.