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. Generally, during the Bronze Age they were generally large and designed for
bashing and
shield walls tactics (such as Spartan bronze shields), while since the late post-classical they were mostly designed for
parrying and
riposte (such as either the small
Buckler, or supplanted by the
heater shield).