10-25-2004, 03:21 PM
The relief on Trajan's column is not totally beyond doubt, but there is a crude relief in Mainz which shows a signifer and a legionary, the latter with his marching equipment.<br>
<br>
Just like the legionaries on the column, the Mainz legionary carries his helmet attached to his right shoulder plate and the shield is carried on the left side. This relief is from the 'Frontline area' (fortress of Mainz ?) and should be more or less reliable.<br>
<br>
I cannot say much about the Junkelmann method, since I never carried a scutum on my back while wearing chainmail.<br>
The method seems to work quite well with chainmail, but the Peterson group found it awkward to carry a shield on the back if they were equipped with loricae segmentatae.<br>
<br>
I tried the 'back method' a few times and I always gave up after a few hundred meters. The Dura-Europos scutum and my Newstead just could not get along with each other. The shoulder plates were shoved inwards by the curve of the scutum and I could not lift my arms freely. Marching was also difficult. (I did not have the opportunity to test it with a Corbridge.)<br>
<br>
The side method worked much better. We used shoulder straps attached to the scutum grip, and the straps were led over the left shoulder. We have found it possible to carry the shield for more than 30 km in this way but then the shoulder HURTS !<br>
And after a few weeks there are these chronic problems in the left shoulder...<br>
Maybe we should have put the strap over the right shoulder ?<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
Just like the legionaries on the column, the Mainz legionary carries his helmet attached to his right shoulder plate and the shield is carried on the left side. This relief is from the 'Frontline area' (fortress of Mainz ?) and should be more or less reliable.<br>
<br>
I cannot say much about the Junkelmann method, since I never carried a scutum on my back while wearing chainmail.<br>
The method seems to work quite well with chainmail, but the Peterson group found it awkward to carry a shield on the back if they were equipped with loricae segmentatae.<br>
<br>
I tried the 'back method' a few times and I always gave up after a few hundred meters. The Dura-Europos scutum and my Newstead just could not get along with each other. The shoulder plates were shoved inwards by the curve of the scutum and I could not lift my arms freely. Marching was also difficult. (I did not have the opportunity to test it with a Corbridge.)<br>
<br>
The side method worked much better. We used shoulder straps attached to the scutum grip, and the straps were led over the left shoulder. We have found it possible to carry the shield for more than 30 km in this way but then the shoulder HURTS !<br>
And after a few weeks there are these chronic problems in the left shoulder...<br>
Maybe we should have put the strap over the right shoulder ?<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Florian Himmler (not related!)
