Hoplite Shield Designs

[hoplite14gr]

Any idea on when the theories will be published in English, Stefanos... ?

Hopefully this summer and I hope that I will find the opportunity to write something in the ancient warfare magazine. Fingers crossed

By the way, I was wondering about the Chigi vase, now the common belief is that it shows Spartans and Messenians because of the apparently "Spartan" boy musician, but he's with the phalanx with their aspides facing the other way, so we can't see their designs. Is there a reason why we seem to identify some of the designs of the other army (the Skiritis bird, Gorgonian and Steniklaros boar) as being Spartan? Is it the assumption that the Spartans would have adopted these native designs into their army?

The musician is among the Messenians.
The hoplites with visible devices are Spartans and allied clans from other city states are represented too.
The Steyclaros boar was the last mora to be established and the boar was adopted based upon a legendary Treaty of Herakles with the Neilidae clan of Pylos.

The goose of Limnatis appears on the Mac Millan aryvallos with head forward for the Messenians and in the lead tablets with heat looking at each tail for Spartans so the symbol was modified before adoption.
The Spartan army was really acombination of the Laconian Doreans with the Acheans of Geronthrea the Aigidae clan and the Pylian Acheans that crashed in between them the Kesfondidae Doreans of Messenia.
The worst that happen to the coast line Messenians was to take Perioikoi status (Sources Pausanias Plutarch and not only them,)

Kind regards