Supplier for Scutum Carry Sling and Hardware

[agrimensor]

Is there any evidence on a carrying rig (except Junkelmann):???:

[Magnus]

Well, if you think it's physically possible to carry a scutum in your hand like that without a strap, for a 20+ mile march, then aside from common sense not too much lol.

[jvrjenivs]

Well, if you think it's physically possible to carry a scutum in your hand like that without a strap, for a 20+ mile march, then aside from common sense not too much lol.

And of course we've sources to support the view the shield was carried on the back on the march. Which is also non-logical when you use one of your hands to carry it.

[Crispvs]

As Jurjen said, we do have evidence that shields were carried over the left shoulder on a strap. No remains of any such straps have so far been identified, so any reconstruction is speculative, including Junkelmann's.

Anyway, you asked for the evidence and so here it is (as far as I recall this is all of it):

Praetorian(?) soldier shown on the Arch of Trajan at Puteoli


Stele of P. Flavoleius Cordus


Column base from Mainz



When I designed my harness, I gave myself a design brief stating that it had to be stable, be capable of being easily detached to allow the shield to be deployed at short notice (such as when ambushed on the march) and to use only technology known to have been used by the Romans. I decided on a strap and buckle at each end of the main strap, with the buckles placed a few inches from the end of the strap to allow the ends to be looped around the shield handle and buckled/unbuckled quickly. I attached a second strap to pass around the body which succeeded in stopping the main strap (passing over the left shoulder) from moving about much.






Crispvs

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

I have to ask, what do you think is used for cavalry scuta?

[Crispvs]

When we marched Hadian's Wall each of us (well, fourteen of the seventeen who did it anyway) designed our own carrying straps and it was fascinating to see how well each worked. I did ask everybody to send me diagrams of their harnesses and their thoughts on how well they had performed, so I could write it up and turn it into an article, but only a few people did so unfortunately.

However, it was interesting to note that both of the men who carried clipeus type shields used a single strap which they fixed vertically to the insides of their shields and wore them passing across the body from the left shoulder. On one, each end of the strap was fixed about halfway between the handle and the end of the shield, whilst on the other (Peronis' one) the ends were attached quite close to the ends of the shield. The first shield moved about a lot on the march and gave its owner a lot of trouble. Peronis' shield hardly moved at all and he said the arrangement was very comfortable.

I would imagine that the method Peronis used would work fairly well for a cavalryman as it would probably be easy to hook the strap over the saddle horn opposite the side the shield was carried on. I must say here of course, that I have not seen this done but I would be keen to see it tried out to see if it works and can be maintained for an extended period of time.

Crispvs

[agrimensor]

Thanks Crispvs,
So I can start making one. I am going to use al suggestions and make a easy way to fabricate one, like Magnus and a hook and ring for easy detaching. This may work for the cavalery too.
Vale

[M. Demetrius]

Looking at the two top pictures, the strap doesn't seem to descend past the hand. I wonder if that's an artistic thing, or if the strap is really more like a loop of some kind.

When I make one, it will be a strap that frees the hand altogether.

[Crispvs]

I think that it is possible that the strap might be intended to be understood to be hidden by the soldiers' forearms. With the strap under tension it might lie along the soldier's forearm, especially if, as seems to be the case with Flavoleius Cordus the elbow is pointing to roughly where the shield handle would be.

Regarding hands free harnesses, mine is certainly hands free but I have often found myself holding onto the strap, as much for somewhere to put my hand as for any other reason.

Crispvs

[agrimensor]

finnally got my rig ready, it took me about an hour to complete, 2 betls and 4 riveted buttons. totally ajustable and easy to relaese probably with armour too have to try that soonb
see pic

[Magnus]

Very nice!