▁Imperial ▁leg ions . ▁Fam ously , ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁used ▁their ▁shield s ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁tort o ise - like ▁formation ▁called ▁a ▁test udo ▁in ▁which ▁entire ▁groups ▁of ▁soldiers ▁would ▁be ▁en closed ▁in ▁an ▁arm oured ▁box ▁to ▁provide ▁protection ▁against ▁miss iles . ▁Many ▁ancient ▁shield ▁designs ▁featured ▁inc uts ▁of ▁one ▁sort ▁or ▁another . ▁This ▁was ▁done ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁the ▁sh aft ▁of ▁a ▁spe ar , ▁thus ▁facil it ating ▁tact ics ▁requiring ▁the ▁soldiers ▁to ▁stand ▁close ▁together ▁forming ▁a ▁wall ▁of ▁shield s . ▁ ▁Post - class ical ▁history ▁ ▁Typ ical ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁European ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁were ▁round ▁shield s ▁with ▁light , ▁non - spl itting ▁wood ▁like ▁l inden , ▁fir , ▁al der ▁or ▁pop lar , ▁usually ▁rein for ced ▁with ▁le ather ▁cover ▁on ▁one ▁or ▁both ▁sides ▁and ▁occasionally ▁metal ▁r ims , ▁enc ir cling ▁a ▁metal ▁shield ▁b oss . ▁These ▁light ▁shield s ▁su ited ▁a ▁fighting ▁style ▁where ▁each ▁incoming ▁blow ▁is ▁intercept ed ▁with ▁the ▁b oss ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁def lect ▁it . ▁The ▁Norm ans ▁introduced ▁the ▁k ite ▁shield ▁around ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁which ▁was ▁rounded ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁and ▁t aper ed ▁at ▁the ▁bottom . ▁This ▁gave ▁some ▁protection ▁to ▁the ▁user ' s ▁legs , ▁without ▁adding ▁too ▁much ▁to ▁the ▁total ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁shield . ▁The ▁k ite ▁shield ▁pre domin antly ▁features ▁en