Deepeeka docorative shield boss

[imGladii]

Anybody have one of these and have pics?
http://www.deepeeka.in/index.php?route=S...ayout=grid

[Sextus Saturninus]

The Deepeeka shield bosses are very nice but are solely decorative - they are too weak for actual combat. Which one do you need a picture of, the round one for a Clippeus Auxiliary shield, or the Scutum one?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

It's based on an example from the River Tyne in England. It's pretty close to the original IIRC.

[imGladii]

The Deepeeka shield bosses are very nice but are solely decorative - they are too weak for actual combat. Which one do you need a picture of, the round one for a Clippeus Auxiliary shield, or the Scutum one?

The square scutum one.

[Crispvs]

I would be careful about using a reproduction of that particular boss unless you are actually trying to portray a soldier of Legio VIII Augusta specifically. The boss from the Tyne belonged to a soldier by the name of Junius Dubatius of Legio VIII Augusta and a fragment of an apparently identical boss has been found at Vindonissa, where Legio VIII Augusta were stationed at about the right period. Therefore the Tyne boss may well be a piece of kit specific to that unit.
There is far more evidence than most people realise for some units having items of equipment which were specific to them and which may have given them a distinctive visual character. The bosses in question are one, but there are also known distinctive pottery styles, a correlation between the two Adiutrix legions and Imperial Gallic type 'I' helmets (both in terms of inscriptions and findspots), and distinctive crest arrangements, to name but four things. There is also evidence of some particular units having their own building styles, meaning that it is possible to track the occupation and movements of certain units in a variety of ways.

To get back to the topic though, if you are not portraying a soldier of of the Legio VIII Augusta the boss is better avoided. Also, the Tyne boss is believed to date from the early second century AD so would be too late for most Roman re-enactors (who tend to portray the middle decades of the first century AD).

Crispvs

[Charlie]

The shield boss of Junius Dubitatus is quite beautiful. I saw it on display at Arbeia Roman fort last September....not sure if it is still there?
Here is photograph of it, with my good friend Brian Stobbs who made a copy of the boss for the Museum at Arbeia, which is on permanent display.

[attachment=11496]BrianatArbeiaRomanFort.jpg[/attachment]

[Charlie]

Here is my copy of the boss my friend and I made some time ago.


[attachment=11497]Wreath.jpg[/attachment]

[Sextus Saturninus]

Great work Marcellus! It looks beautiful! PhilusEstilus did great work too!

P.S. Mike, have you decided which legion you want to represent? If you want this shield boss, I recommend getting a craftsman to do it for you instead of buying the not-so-authentic Deepeeka boss.

[PhilusEstilius]

Phil.
Thank you for your posting that picture and I have to say that yours is now looking just great now it is fitted to the shield, as Crispvs has mentioned this particular boss is indeed one that would have belonged to a member of the VIII Aug.
However I have done several of these type of shield boss and when I did my first one it went into the Roman Army Museum, but then they wanted more as also other people so based off this one other features could be added and differing numbers could be used to create what legion you want.
Here is another clear picture that can also be got from a Google search at Arbeia.
[attachment=11502]6782367237_df807b0481_b1_2015-01-12.jpg[/attachment]

[Crispvs]

"other features could be added and differing numbers could be used to create what legion you want"

Well, you could do that, but the point I was trying to make is that it is a possibility that no unit other than Legio VIII Augusta ever used that style of decoration on their bosses. There are a number of other second century AD bosses which have survived and the sole one which also bears this style of decoration turned up in a place we know Legio VIII Augusta had been stationed. Therefore it may well have been peculiar to that unit, as we know other things were peculiar to particular units.

Crispvs

[PhilusEstilius]

I have to say that possibly only the VIII AUG ever used this particular type of design is maybe a poor answer to consider.

[Crispvs]

Not at all. As we know that some units liked to distinguish themselves visually from other units (think of Caesar's Legio V Alaudae) I think is is not a poor answer but a fascinating possibility that Legio VIII Augusta may have decided to distinguish themselves visually by decorating their shield bosses in a particular manner. Until another one turns up which is not named for VIII Augusta or found in a place they were stationed, I think that what I am suggesting is a legitimate position and speaks of an exciting possibility.

Crispvs

[PhilusEstilius]

Crispvs.
That is of course an interesting possibility however just because only the VIII AVG here is mentioned one should not just settle with an assumption, for indeed the centre feature of this shield is the three standards that are involved with all legions and have been from republican times right on through to about the 4th century also in the Roman coinage.
I agree the picture content of spring, summer, autumn, and winter are in fact the theme with the legion symbol of the bull for VIII AVG with Mars maybe as his god symbol but the bull is used by many other groups, therefore it could be that until another is found one could very well use the legionary symbols and other artwork with a legion number until as you say another boss may be found an interesting subject of course.