Cat came armed with lots of shields this month. Fresh from the armourer, and ready for a coat of paint!
There were two styles to choose from, a rectangular Roman legionary’s shield and a circular Celtic one.
The shape of the shield says a lot about the different ways in which Celtic people and Romans fought. The small round Celtic shield was ideal for a warrior fighting on his own, moving quickly on the battlefield. Roman soldiers fought as a unit and their bigger shields protected them from knees to nose while they moved forward in formation.
We spent a happy session working on our shields. First we had to transfer the patterns with tracing paper and then we painted them – red and yellow for the Roman ones and blue and gold for the Celtic.
These shields are not just for decoration! They will be used in a mock battle at Danebury Hill, when we meet other YAC ‘tribes’ there next month.