▁on . ▁ ▁In ▁pre history ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁civil is ations , ▁shield s ▁were ▁made ▁of ▁wood , ▁animal ▁hide , ▁w oven ▁re eds ▁or ▁w icker . ▁In ▁classical ▁anti qu ity , ▁the ▁Bar bar ian ▁In vas ions ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁they ▁were ▁normally ▁constructed ▁of ▁pop lar ▁tree , ▁l ime ▁or ▁another ▁split - res istant ▁tim ber , ▁covered ▁in ▁some ▁instances ▁with ▁a ▁material ▁such ▁as ▁le ather ▁or ▁ra wh ide ▁and ▁often ▁rein for ced ▁with ▁a ▁metal ▁b oss , ▁rim ▁or ▁band ing . ▁They ▁were ▁carried ▁by ▁foot ▁soldiers , ▁kn ights ▁and ▁caval ry . ▁ ▁Depending ▁on ▁time ▁and ▁place , ▁shield s ▁could ▁be ▁round , ▁o val , ▁square , ▁rect angular , ▁tri angular , ▁bil ab ial ▁or ▁scal loped . ▁Sometimes ▁they ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁k ites ▁or ▁flat ir ons , ▁or ▁had ▁rounded ▁to ps ▁on ▁a ▁rect angular ▁base ▁with ▁perhaps ▁an ▁eye - hole , ▁to ▁look ▁through ▁when ▁used ▁with ▁combat . ▁The ▁shield ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁central ▁g rip ▁or ▁by ▁stra ps ▁with ▁some ▁going ▁over ▁or ▁around ▁the ▁user ' s ▁arm ▁and ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁being ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁hand . ▁ ▁O ften ▁shield s ▁were ▁decor ated ▁with ▁a ▁painted ▁pattern ▁or ▁an ▁animal ▁representation ▁to ▁show ▁their ▁army ▁or ▁cl an . ▁These ▁designs ▁developed ▁into ▁system at ized