We often think of the rectangular Scutum shield used by Imperial Legions in the first and second century as 'the Roman Shield'. But this the oval Clipeus was older, used by more troop types and used long after Scutum. We know from stone carvings left by the Romans which troops had carried oval shields and some of their designs. Soldiers stationed on Hadrian's Wall used thisshield, as did Roman cavalry; the cavalry shield was a slightly thinner oval than the infantry's. Nearly all the late Roman-British infantry and cavalry used oval shields. If Authur of the Britons (King Arthur) lived, and he probably did, went to battle as a Roman-British cavalry officer. His shield would have been much like this, probably with a Christian device such as the Holy Grail depicted on its front.