Back Side of Scutum

[Chris B]

In all the posts I have read, I do not ever remember anyone posting pics of the back side of a Scutum. I have always made Imperial examples and am starting an Augustan and Republican shield. Does anyone have a pic handy of how the bracing looks on the back sides of these two types of shield. Thanks in advance.

[Dain II.]

For republican scutum may this helps:

[url:3bi4m68z]http://www.legxiii.at/[/url]

click at "Fotos", than click at "Rekonstruktionen", than click at "Schild von Fayum"

The iron grip is not correct in material but in shape.

lg Stephan

[Matthew Amt]

My understanding is that the Republican shield does not have bracing, only the handle. For the Imperial style, this should help:

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/scutum.html

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/throw2.jpg

Vale,

Matthew

[Chris B]

Thanks for both replies.

I thought as much on the Republican shield but did not want to start it without knowing for sure. I am cooking with all burners on it now!

As for the Imperial, those are the ones I have now made 5. I used your site, Matt, for making a full size press for them. I have seen all those pics before, I am just uncertain as to the Augustan. It has the same bracing on the back as the Imperial, but do the outer strips bend with the same curve as the vertical edges or do they just sit a little further inside the edge and still maintain a squared boxed look like the Imperial?

Thanks again for the replies. It helps a lot.

[Matt Lukes]

Unfortunately, no one knows about the Augustan- the 'framework' of strips is only known from two examples from Dura Europos (dating to around 255 CE) so we're not even sure just when they came into use; it's debatable whether or not they're actually 'bracing' given that they're very thin- only 3mm- and narrow- between 15 and 20mm. That might seem to not really constitute much added support- my strip reconstruction scuta certainly seem robust enough without them. But then I've never tested one to destruction (take too much work to make LOL), so for all I know they do help restrict local delamination due to impact or some such thing.

As for the shape, since the framework on the straight-sided scuta is already on the order of 50mm in from the edges, I figured the slight curvature of the Augustan scutum's edges didn't add so much to make a different shape important; I'd figure that the sides being somewhat more flexible would be a desirable trait.