Shield boss

Burial from Veien - cremation grave from the Roman Iron Age
c.0-400CE

A total of seven weapon burials have been unearthed at Veien, each typically including sets of weapons such as spears or lances and shields. However, not all graves contain a complete set; for instance, only remnants of shields, like this shield boss, were found in two of them.

The main part of the shield was made of wood, which has not been preserved. It may have been reinforced with leather. A handle would have been gripped from the center of the shield's back, with the iron shield boss positioned in the middle of the front to protect the grip behind it.. 

Iron fittings from the edges of shields have also been found at Veien, suggesting that the shields were rectangular. The shields indicates that the weapons found here were not intended for hunting but were instead part of a warrior's equipment.