The Roman shield, or scutum, was a central part of the soldier’s defense. By locking their shields together like […] They could be in rectangular, circular or oval. It was typically made from two sheets of wood that were glued together, then covered with canvas and leather. Roman soldier shields were used as part of the Roman army tactics to create an impenetrable barrier which lead to much of their success. When laying siege to a fort, they used a formation … Roman Army Reenactment with photographs of battle formations, weaponry, shields, swords, standards, sandals, helmets, fighting. They served completely different purposes. The back rows of the soldiers would hold their shields above their heads. The wedge formation is a very old and very effective formation when employed correctly. Facts about Roman Shields 4: the shape of Roman shields. They fought with short swords, daggers for stabbing … The combat formation used by the Greeks and Romans was called the phalanx. During the viking age, most north Europeans used a type of shield wall. Clypeus was carried by the Roman soldiers in the early days of ancient Rome. The testsudo formation, AKA, the tortoise, is probably one of the most famous military manoeuvres in history right behind flying directly into the enemies death cannons to clog them with wreckage. The scutum (English: / ˈ s k uː t əm / SKOO-təm, Classical Latin: [ˈskuːtũː]; plural scuta) was a type of shield used among Italic peoples in antiquity, and then by the army of ancient Rome starting about the fourth century BC. Just before contact with the enemy, the soldiers moved in very close together so that each man's shield helped to protect the man on his left. The scutum of the first century was rectangular in shape and rounded on the ends. This involved the soldiers standing side by side in ranks. Posed by English guardsmen acting the part of Roman soldiers. When surrounded, the Romans formed a square formation with interlocking shields. Also known as the tortoise formation, it is still the most famous formation known about the Roman army. In the past, this formation has been considered to be a variation on the Germanic shield-wall and thus a symptom of the "barbarisation" of the Roman army. In the Roman history, the soldiers had carried a number of shields. Here, the front row of soldiers would hold their shields in front of them to protect soldiers from projectiles. The infantry was placed into a wedge-shaped formation and would push into the enemy with a wall of shields. And quite unsurprisingly, the Roman military system of this time was inspired by its more-advanced neighbor (and enemy) – the Etruscans. Along with looking ridiculously cool, the formation was also so strong that it could double as a bridge. Another formation was known as the pig's head. 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