Centre boss

A centre-boss shield was a type of round or oblong shield common in period. It has called a centre-boss because of the single central grip, protected by a metal boss. Most centre-boss shields actually had a hole in the centre with the grip flush to the shield, with the protective boss projecting outward from the shield face itself.

Centre-boss shields are handled very differently from other shield types (such as the kite shield or the heater shield) which are strapped to the arm. Tending to be smaller and more light-weight, a centre-boss shield is "punched" towards an incoming blow.

Centre-boss shields were commonly used by the Anglo-Saxons and and Norse, but were known across the medieval world.