What is it?
This mid 3rd century AD semi-cylindrical shield is known as
a scutum and was used by legionary soldiers of the Roman Empire.
Constructed of thin strips of wood glued together in layers to create a plywood
board, the surface is covered with red-dyed hide or parchment. The round
opening in the centre would originally have been covered by a protective boss,
probably iron, now lost.
The painted decoration on the surface reflects typical Roman
iconography of military victory, including an eagle on a globe, two winged Victories
carrying laurel wreaths, and a lion. The red background and vivid colours
recall Roman wall paintings from places like Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Measuring more than a metre in height, the shield is one of
the most famous discoveries from Dura-Europos, an archaeological site in modern-day
Syria.
Where was it found, and when?
The shield was excavated at ancient Dura-Europos, on the
west bank of the Euphrates River in modern-day Syria. It was discovered during
the sixth season (1932- 1933) of a ten-year excavation campaign on the site, a collaboration
between Yale University and the French Académie des Inscriptions et
Belles-Lettres.
Discovered flattened, in 13 pieces and missing its umbo (central
boss), the shield was reconstructed by the excavation team and is now on
display in the Mary and James Ottaway Gallery in the Yale University Art Gallery.
The extraordinary preservation of the wood and painted decoration makes this
unique surviving example of a Roman legionary shield particularly important for
scholars of ancient Roman and military history.
Why does it matter?
The shield from Dura-Europos is the first and, thus far,
only known surviving archaeological example of the classic semi-cylindrical scutum.
Before its discovery, this type of Roman legionary shield was only represented
by ancient literary sources (including works by Polybius, Varro, and Ammianus)
and Roman relief sculpture such as Trajan’s Column, where legionaries are shown
using this style of shield in battle.
Dura-Europos was founded by Macedonian Greek soldiers around
300 BC, and underwent several military conquests and resultant shifts in
political oversight during its history. Around 133 BC, the city came under the
control of the Parthian Empire, who used it as a trade emporium and as
protection for its western border for nearly three centuries. The Romans
captured and occupied the city in AD 165, turning it into an important military
garrison on their empire’s eastern frontier. This shield, like many of the
surviving artefacts, dates to this final phase and probably belonged to one of
the Roman soldiers stationed in the garrison.
In recent years, an immense amount of illegal digging and looting
has occurred at Dura-Europos, with bulldozers and backhoes being used to
unearth and remove artefacts, presumably for sale on the black market. As a
result, this shield and other objects from the early excavations in the Yale
University Art Gallery’s collection have become even more significant.
See for yourself
The scutum is on display in the recently reinstalled Mary and James Ottaway Gallery in the Yale University Art Gallery; artgallery.yale.edu
Text: Lisa Brody
Image: Yale University Art Gallery
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