Roman Shield from Didymoi fort ( Egypt) - III AD

[lucius Gellius cuniculus]

The small Roman fort Didymoi (praesidia) in Upper Egypt, guarding the trade route to the Red Sea, has delivered many remains in a state of exceptional conservation shoes, fragment of cloth, a very beautiful piece of painted leather shield was discovered, representing two gazelle. This piece of leather is dated III century.





For more information on the excavation of praesidia Eastern Desert (2002 to 2012): see the web site of french IFAO :
http://www.ifao.egnet.net/archeologie/praesidia/

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I wonder if it corresponds with any of the patterns in the ND, cause I think there were 1 or 2 patterns that depicted deer/gazelle/things.

[M. Val. Naso]

MMFA: there is at least a hundred, possibly 150 years gap between this shield, and the NotDig. Tha document also almost exclusively features geometric patterns. Non-geometric shield decoratings (ie. pictures) play a way lesser role in the times directly preceding the creation of the NotDig.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Was this from a curved oblong or oval scutum?
Thanks for this link, it certainly shows that perhaps the soldiers on the frontiers had more to do than harassing the natives!

[M. Val. Naso]

I would say it was a curved oblong, based on the squares as decoration.

[Robert]

The picture is painted on parchment (not leather) and supposedly a piece of a shield, but there is no indication in the text on what basis this rests. Could it be something entirely different, like a decorative pannel? As far as I can make out, it was not found in a context with other clearly militairy articles such as swords, arrow- and/or spearheads, etc.

[lucius Gellius cuniculus]

Thanks for your interest. The archeologist H. Cuvignuy dont know what kind of shield it was.

In in new book "Didymoi : A Roman garrison in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, Volume 1: Excavations and equipment - 09/2012 (see : http://astore.amazon.fr/civilisantiqu-21...2724705823), she explains the reasons why, after careful consideration, the lead suggests, according to
the most probable hypothesis that it is a fragment of painted leather covering a shield. Among the reasons, the inner face has indeed traces of flax fibers and wood.

In the third century, the fort was still occupied Didymoy mostly by military detachment, as evidenced in particular, in addition to military objects, thousands of ostracae discovered correspondence and military archives.

The south borders of the empire , a few civilians could still be in the forts, according to these same ostracae: merchants, prostitutes ...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I would say it was a curved oblong, based on the squares as decoration.

Thanks, yes that is what I was thinking!