Round shield

A round shield can refer to any type of hand-held shield that has a round shape. They come in highly varying sizes, and have, in different forms, been very popular in Europe, the Middle East and South Asia throughout the Bronze Age, the Classical period, the Post-classical period, and the Early Modern period. During the Bronze Age they were generally large and designed for bashing and shield wall tactics (such as Spartan bronze shields), while since the late post-classical they were mostly designed for parrying and riposte (such as the small Buckler, supplanted by the heater shield).