My take on the Junkelmann Scutum harness

[Neuraleanus]

most of the sculptural evidence shows the scutum hanging from the left shoulder, though on Trajan's column, there is at least one guy with his scutum hanging about his back. The problem that I have with keeping the scutum on the left is that my left leg gets in the way. Today, with my scutum hung about my back, using the left shoulder strap and torso strap combination, I walked without any problems.

[Crispvs]

Try adjusting the length of the harness in order to raise the shield higher. Initially I found that my shield kept hitting the backs of my legs and I was getting quite cut and bruised. By raising the shield just clear of my lower legs I found that it suddenly floated from my shoulder and hardly touched my body at all. Take another look at the Mainz column base to see how high the shield is carried. Aside from Trajan's column, which was probably carved by people with no experience of what they were depicting, I know of no other sculptures depicting slung shields. This then makes the Mainz sculpure the principal piece of evidence for the appearance, including position, of the slung shield.

Crispvs

[Neuraleanus]

I'm not sure that I've seen a photo of the Mainz column base that you are referring to. Can you provide a link?

[Crispvs]

There is a good picture of it in the Romanarmy.com imagebase.

Crispvs

[Flavius Promotus]

I also carry my scutum on my left side. Maybe my Newstead is too large or the bend of the shield is too strong, but carrying it on my back is uncomfortable and I feel like being squeezed into the shield.
I have also experienced that carrying it on the left does not impede walking as long as you carry the shield as high as possible.
(a method which looks very much like the Mainz relief)

Some guys in my group use a rather sloppy method: they carry the shield quite LOW and rest their right arm on it - this pushes the lower edge outward. It looks very undisciplined but it works.

I carry my shield with just two straps linked together by a beatiful buckle made by Florentius (a 1000 thanks to him ). The strap ends are just tied to the grip and they don't come loose. The buckle sits directly on my breastplate, so a quick release would always be possible. However, I hardly have to open the buckle since I can pull the strap over my head easily.
Last year we had our shield straps on the left side, but the straps disappeared into the lorica and finally caused structural damages (similar to the problem Crispus experienced). I now have the strap on my RIGHT shoulder and this works much better.
(a guy from LEG VI [the German dentists] called this "not authentic" when he saw it at Xanten, but you can probably see a similar shield strap running over the right shoulder on Trajan's column).

I am (usually) able to take the shield off without help - something I could not do last year.

FLAVIUS PROMOTUS/AURELIUS FLORIANUS

[Caballo]

Another alternative, from a marble relief of Praetorian guardsmen from the Arch of Trajan at Puteoli (Pozzuoli). University Museum, Philadelphia (MS 4916). AD 102. If you look closely, he is holding a shield strap in his left hand.

[Dan Diffendale]

The man standing next to his left has a strap as well, you can just barely see it over his left shoulder:
http://www.freewebtown.com/italica/ital ... raet01.jpg

[Florentius]

This is veryinteresting, good eye Paulus. Though it appears different from the Junkelmann system, it certainly supports the concept of carrying the shield slung over the back on some sort of strap. And his shield is clearly primarily on the back, with a portion curving around the left arm.

I'll have to run an experiment
Florentius

[Crispvs]

Thanks from me too Paulus. I didn't know about that piece of sculpture. I think the shield's position is probably about the same as on the Mainz sculpture but we are seeing it from a different angle. It still looks to be in about the same position as mine, although not quite as high (I think the shield here might be slightly shorter than the Dura shield, which we take our dimentions from). I wonder if the oval shape also makes it appear different to the Mainz example, which is rectangular.


Crispvs

[Crispvs]

Here, at long last are some pictures of my shield harness, which has yet to be modified in the light of my findings on Hadrian's Wall.

Firstly: the view from the front with the shield slung. The pale strap is the torso strap. The main strap is slightly difficult to see as it has slipped under the shoulder plates. I have pushed the shield back a bit for clarity. Normally the front edge would rest slightly forward of where you can see it.



Secondly: the inside of the shield with the harness attached. All four straps are visible as are the buckles. As you see, the ends of the main straps pass around the handle and buckle back onto themselves.



Thirdly: a close-up of the main straps on the handle. This method of attachment proved remarkably stable and the straps stayed in this position throught, without moving.




When I modify it I will post up photos of the modified version as well.

Crispvs

[derek forrest]

This all looks very complicated. I have been using the Junkelman harness for years now. You preferably need some help to get the shield on and after all those years it is starting to stretch the hinge on the Lorica. Otherwise it works fine. Indeed Peter Johnson and I have mostly dropped the torso strap on displays. On a long march I would still wear it.

The strap is simply looped around the handle and has no permenant fittings on the Scutum.