Historic plywood shield?

[rogue_artist]

Hello,

I used to work at a Barnes & Noble and was notorious for disappearing in the History Section when no one was looking Unfortunately, I only got bits and pieces of books and rarely could recall exactly where I read what....soooooo....

I read somewhere about shields and the POSSIBILITY of MAYBE them being made from strips of thin, light wood, criss-crossed and glued into the shield shape. Kind of like old-world "plywood".

Was this actually done? Would it be useful for recreating Roman shields and Grecian Aspis? (Im actually more interested in the Aspis, but while I make my Hoplite Impression I will also be making a Roman one as well)

thanks very kindly,

[jvrjenivs]

I don't know in what way the greek aspis were made originally, but we've found Roman shields made that way.

[Hibernicus]

Here're some pics of a blank

http://rlqm.com/LegioIXHispana.scutumbl ... dy.001.jpg
http://rlqm.com/LegioIXHispana.scutumbl ... ge.002.jpg
http://rlqm.com/LegioIXHispana.scutumbl ... ge.003.jpg

3 layers, two horizontal, one vertical (in the center)

Very very few historic Roman examples, best are from the "Middle East".
Flat and semicylindrical forms.

[Matt Lukes]

I've wondered just how the aspis' wooden core was made too but haven't found any good information- and I've tried some of the more major references there are (Snodgrass, etc.). The best picture seems to be Connolly's painting in Greece and Rome at War that shows a piece in the Vatican Museum that has some of its wood core intact. His cross-section shows all but a reinforcement of the edge to be solid, carved it seems from a block of wood- which must have been quite a task given the tools available. So no, no plywood it seems for the aspis. Roman scuta, being far simpler in design were made of plywood- even Polybios describes Republican scuta as such.

[jvrjenivs]

Okay, I forgot to post these 2 links on Aspis making
link from old RAT
link from old RAT

[rogue_artist]

Thanks so very kindly!