Shield
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/75.208.208.132|75.208.208.132]] to last version by TheGerm (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{otheruses1|the defensive device}}
{{citations missing|article|date=July 2007}}
A '''shield''' is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. The term often refers to a device that is held in the hand, as opposed to [[armour]] or a [[bullet proof vest]].
==Prehistoric and Antiquity==
[[Image:Gaul warrior Mondragon 1.jpg|right|thumb|Statue showing a [[Gaul|Gallic]] shield with a butterfly [[shield boss|boss]].]]
The oldest form of shield was a protection used to block attacks by [[hand weapons]], such as swords, axes and maces or [[Ranged weapon|missiles]] like spears and arrows. Shields have varied greatly in construction over time and place. Sometimes shields were made of metal, but [[wood]] or [[rawhide|animal hide]] construction was much more common; [[wicker]] and even turtle shells have been used. Many surviving examples of metal shields are generally felt to be ceremonial rather than practical, for example the [[Yetholm-type shields]] of the [[Bronze Age]] or the [[Iron Age]] [[Battersea Shield|Battersea shield]].
Size and weight varied greatly, [[Light infantry|lightly armored warriors]] relying on speed and surprise would generally carry light shields that were either small or thin. [[Heavy infantry|Heavy troops]] might be equipped with large heavy shields that could protect most of the body. Many had a strap called a [[guige]] that allowed it to be slung over the user's back when not in use or on horseback. During the 14th-13th century BCE, the Sards or Shardana, working as [[mercenaries]] for the Egyptian pharaoh [[Ramses II]], utilized either large or small round shields against the [[Hittites]]. The Ancient Greek [[hoplites]] used a round, bowl-shaped wooden shield called an [[aspis]]. Examples of German wooden shields c350 BC - 500 AD survive from [[Weapons sacrifice]]s in Danish bogs. Free standing shields called [[pavise]]s were used by medieval [[crossbow]]men who needed protection while reloading.
The heavily armored [[Roman legionaries]] carried large shields ([[scutum (shield)|''scuta'']]) that could provide far more protection, but made swift movement a little more difficult. The ''scutum'' originally had an oval shape, but gradually the curved tops and sides were cut to produce the familiar rectangular shape most commonly seen in the early Imperial legions. Famously, the Romans used their shields to create a tortoise-like formation called a [[testudo formation|''testudo'']] in which entire groups of soldiers would be enclosed in an armoured box to provide protection against missiles.
Many ancient shield designs featured incuts of one sort of another. This was done to accommodate the shaft of a spear, thus facilitating tactics requiring the soldiers to stand close together forming a [[Shield wall|wall of shields]].
==Middle Ages==
[[Image:Nias shield.jpg|right|110px|thumb|Nias Ceremonial Shield]]
In the early [[Europe]]an [[Middle Ages]] [[kite shield]]s were commonly used; these were rounded at the top and tapered at the bottom. They were easily used on horseback and allowed easier leg movement when dismounted. As personal body armour improved, [[knight]]'s shields became smaller, leading to the familiar [[heater shield]] style. Both kite and heater style shields were made of several layers of laminated wood, with a gentle curve in cross section. The heater style inspired the shape of the symbolic [[heraldic shield]] that is still used today. Eventually, specialised shapes were developed such as the ''bouche'' — which had a [[lance]] rest cut into the upper corner of the lance side, to help guide it in combat or tournament.
In time, some armoured foot knights gave up shields entirely in favour of mobility and two-handed weapons. Other knights and common soldiers adopted the [[buckler]] (origin of the term "[[swashbuckler]]"[http://www.hadesign.co.uk/SRS/html/buckler.htm]). The buckler is a small round shield, typically between 8 and 16 inches in diameter. The buckler was one of very few types of shield that were usually made of metal. Small and light, the buckler was easily carried by being hung from a belt; it gave little protection from missiles and was reserved for hand-to-hand combat. The buckler continued in use well into the 16th century.
In Italy, the [[targe|targa]], [[parma (shield)|parma]] and [[rotella (shield)|rotella]] were utilized by common people, fencers and even knights.
The development of plate armour made shields less and less common as plate armour eliminated the need for a shield. Lightly armoured troops continued to use shields after [[men-at-arms]] and knights ceased to use them. Shields continued in use even after [[gunpowder]] powered weapons made them essentially obsolete on the battlefield. In the 18th century, the [[Scottish clans]] used a small, round shield called a [[targe]] that was partially effective against the firearms of the time although it was arguably more often used against British infantry bayonets and cavalry swords in close-in fighting.
In the 19th century, non-industrial cultures with little access to guns were still using shields. [[Zulu]] warriors carried large lightweight shields made from a single ox hide supported by a wooden spine, these were called [[Ishlangu]]. [http://www.rrtraders.com/Shields/zuluw.htm] This was used in combination with a short spear ([[assegai]]) and/or [[club (weapon)|club]].
==Modern Shields==
Shields for protection from armed attack are still used by many [[police]] forces around the world. These modern shields are usually intended for two broadly distinct purposes.
The first type are used for [[riot control]] and can be made from [[metal]] or [[synthetics]], such as [[Lexan]] or [[Mylar]]. These typically offer protection from relatively large and low velocity projectiles, such as rocks and bottles as well as blows from fists or clubs. Synthetic [[riot shield]]s are normally transparent, allowing full use of the shield without obstructing vision. Similarly, metal riot shields often have a small window at eye level for this purpose. These riot shields are most commonly used to block and push back crowds when the users stand in a wall, and to protect against [[shrapnel]], [[projectiles]], [[molotov cocktails]] and during [[hand-to-hand combat]].
The second type of modern police shield is typically manufactured from advanced synthetics such as [[kevlar]] and are designed to be [[bulletproof]], or at least [[bullet resistant]]. These are typically employed by specialist police, such as [[SWAT]] teams, in high risk entry and siege scenarios, but are also used on a daily basis in many areas of the US.
Many non-martial devices also employ shielding of a kind--not usually a single device worn on an arm but various protective plates or other insulation positioned where needed. Space craft have heat shields to ensure a safe [[Atmospheric reentry|re-entry]]. [[Electronics]] uses shielding to reduce electrical noise and [[crosstalk]] between signals. People and systems that must work in the presence of [[ionizing radiation]] are protected with shielding.
[[Science fiction]] writers have imagined many futuristic protections they often call "shields," usually using [[force field (science fiction)|force fields]]. These include personal shields, as in the [[Dune (novel)|Dune]] series, or larger ones for spacecraft as in [[Star Trek]]. See [[Energy shield]] for more.
==References==
*[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/cfm/archway/toc.cfm?rcn=2917&vol=5 Notes on Ancient Shields and Highland Targets, JAMES DRUMMOND, Archaeologica Scotica Vol 5 (1890)].
==Literature==
* Schulze, André(Hrsg.): ''Mittelalterliche Kampfesweisen. Band 2: Kriegshammer, Schild und Kolben''. - Mainz am Rhein. : Zabern, 2007. - ISBN 3-8053-3736-1
==External links==
*[http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html The Shield: An Abridged History of its Use and Development], myArmoury.com article.
*[http://www.baronage.co.uk/1999/herart01.html The Shape of the Shield], Baronage article on shield shapes in heraldry.
*[http://www.era.anthropology.ac.uk/Era_Resources/Era/Pitt_Rivers/shieweap/shgenex3.html Shields: History and Terminology] Anthropological Analysis
*http://www.hadesign.co.uk/SRS/html/buckler.htm, The Buckler, The Sussex Rapier School
*[http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/se/~luv20009/Greek_shield_patterns_1.html Classical Greek Shield Patterns]
{{Commonscat|Shields}}
[[Category:Shields|*]]
[[Category:Medieval defenses]]
[[Category:Police weapons]]
[[Category:Riot control weapons]]
[[bg:Щит]]
[[ca:Escut (arma)]]
[[cs:Štít]]
[[da:Skjold]]
[[de:Schild (Waffe)]]
[[et:Kilp]]
[[el:Ασπίδα]]
[[es:Escudo]]
[[fa:سپر]]
[[fr:Bouclier (arme)]]
[[ko:방패]]
[[io:Shildo]]
[[id:Perisai]]
[[it:Scudo (difesa)]]
[[he:מגן]]
[[lt:Skydas]]
[[ln:Nguba]]
[[hu:Pajzs]]
[[nl:Schild (bescherming)]]
[[ja:盾]]
[[no:Skjold (beskyttelse)]]
[[pl:Tarcza (uzbrojenie)]]
[[pt:Escudo]]
[[ro:Scut]]
[[qu:Wallqanqa]]
[[ru:Щит]]
[[simple:Shield]]
[[sk:Štít (vojenstvo)]]
[[sl:Ščit]]
[[sr:Штит]]
[[fi:Kilpi]]
[[sv:Sköld]]
[[tg:Сипар]]
[[tr:Kalkan (silah)]]
[[uk:Щит]]
[[zh:盾]]