Developed in Heraklion (Crete), this shield was innovative in it's design in the 3rd Century B.C (carrying onward to the later 12th Century B.C). This shield featured a notch or open spacing in it's perimeter. The shield itself was not circular but elongated at 4 feet in length and roughly 3 feet in diameter. Made of reinforced weave pattern wood, they were often covered in layers of thin leather. This made the overall weight around 8 pounds. A Bar Arm was installed for carry, as was a backstrap for long marches. The key to The Heraklion was it's use in pairs and larger numbers. The shield was designed to be “interlocked” (via the spacing gap) – with another shield. By replicating this technique, a Shield Wall was created. Some Heraklion Shields were constructed to feature two open spaces (suggesting an “anchor shield”). Therefore a line of infantry could create a moving impenetrable wall when advancing on Archers or Spearmen. A similar design was also adopted by Sparta in their Late Period. The Heraklion was also seen during The Trojan Wars.