The "bucklers" of the Etruscans

The buckler, that is, a very small round shield with a central handle, was a very well known and used mean of defence during the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. However, we know that small, round shields, similar to later bucklers,…

How we made a shield of the Villanovan culture

One of our most recent projects concerned the reproduction of a shield of the Villanovan / Orientalizing culture, that is the most ancient phase of the Etruscan civilization. This reproduction is inspired by the shield from the male tomb…

Three (bronze) weapons of the Iron Age warrior (10th-8th century BC)

Even though its name of "Iron Age", which merely indicates a more spread adoption of iron for weapons and tools, during the Iron Age it was bronze which still dominated battlefields. In Italy, this period usually coincides with the rise of…

La Tène B: a Roman legionary's sword

Which is the most representative sword or Roman Republican legionaries? "Gladius hispaniensis!" will be the answers of many. But, even though it wouldn't be totally wrong, this is not maybe the most correct answer. In fact gladius hispaniensis…

Did Roman legionaries use the sling?

Among the weapons of the ancient world, one of the oldest, most efficient and most lethal was the sling. The sling is an extremely simple weapon, both in its making and usage: made out of strips of leather or vegetable fibres (es. canvas…