 Early Mycenaean armies used " tower shields " , large shields that covered almost the entire body . However , with the introduction of bronze armor , this type was less utilized , even if it didn 't completely go into disuse , as attested in iconography . " Figure @-@ of @-@ eight " shields became the most common type of Mycenaean shields . These shields were made of several layers of bull @-@ hide and in some cases they were reinforced with bronze plates . During the later Mycenaean period , smaller types of shields were adopted . They were either of completely circular shape , or almost circular with a cut @-@ out part from their lower edge . These were made of several layers of leather with a bronze boss and reinforcements . They occasionally appear to have been made entirely of bronze . 
