Shields and hide. On the use of hide in Germanic shields of the Iron Age and Viking Age

Abstract

Hide has long been recognised as an essential component of shield constructions of the Iron Age and Viking Age in Northern Europe. Despite many well-preserved shields finds, however, several fundamental questions regarding the nature of such hide products have hitherto gone unanswered. How was the hide treated before having been applied to the shield and what animal species were chosen for the material? Both factors are essential to consider when interpreting prehistoric shields and their durability as well as combative techniques and tactics. The project presented in this paper has sought to illuminate these factors by conducting multiple microanalyses and ZooMS analyses of hide samples from four well-preserved Iron Age and Viking Age shield finds. The study has yielded novel information regarding shield constructions in Northern Europe and is the first to successfully determine the nature of hide products in such shields. When coupled with past research, the results thus provide an unparalleled and more-or-less complete understanding of the investigated shield constructions. All in all, the new methodologies and findings presented in this paper not only stimulate central discussions of weaponry technologies and warfare practices in Northern Europe; they also allow for a range of future investigations, particularly in the fields of archaeological science and experimental archaeology.