For the majority of the history of warfare, the shield has featured prominently. It was mostly used by infantry and then by archers and cavalry. It had great utility in deflecting blows and protecting the user from missiles. With such great utility, how did it decline in usage? Some might say that gunpowder small arms had something to do with it. The fact is that shields were increasingly discarded by close combat troops prior to the widespread adoption of firearms. A shield was typically made from wooden slats (or wicker in some Middle Eastern constructions) and covered with rawhide for extra reinforcement and protection. Some early depictions of the shield in massed combat were Assyrian reliefs showing spearmen with large tower shields protecting archers and slingers. Assyrian soldiers The Persian Sparabara functioned in the same way. The use of the shield was never ...