The Viking round shield was built from planks butted edge to edge, faced with hide or linen, and finished with an iron boss over a hole cut in the centre.Meant to be replacedThe Gokstad ship finds show shields around 90 centimetres across and only 6 to 10 millimetres thick, light enough to move fast, and thin enough that they were expected to break. A Viking shield was consumable. It also worked offensively: the boss let it be punched forward.Hand-made to order with a forged iron boss.