At the regional level, the shield can be shown to have been, to a certain degree, interchangeable with the sword in the burial rite, and the extent of this interchangeability is correlated with regional wealth. The local patterns of shield deposition in the graves are varied, and differ from cemetery to cemetery. But the typology and technology of the shield do not only show changes over time, they also demonstrate geographical differentiation and hierarchies. The adoption of larger and more unwieldy boards, coupled with the change-over to taller bosses from the late sixth century, but particularly in the seventh century, may reflect the emergence of group combat because it coincides with an increasing popularity of the seax, the ideal weapon for the mêlée. Changes also affected the wooden board: it became larger, thicker and, therefore, heavier. By contrast, it is not clear what the grip typology reflects, but it is noteworthy that long iron grips, and flanged grips (short or long) in general, were just an episode which was limited mainly to the sixth century. The changes in boss types may reflect changes in fighting practices, but they certainly reflect an advance in iron-working skills which is particularly obvious in the sixth-century transition from heavy to light bosses. In the typological series of Early Saxon bosses, stylistic change, functional requirements and technical improvements are interlinked. The types of Early Saxon iron bosses and grips were also rooted in Roman Iron Age types, and the main constructions of wooden handles (particularly ones using a lap-joint) were already used on third/fourth-century shields in Jutland. The Early Saxon shield has the same basic form as the shields in Danish and North German bog deposits: a flat circular board of small to medium size, made up of several planks set side by side, and fitted with an iron boss and grip. The origins of the Anglo-Saxon shield are to be found in the Roman Iron Age on the Continent.
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