Antique Macedonian Shields from the period of king Demetrij’s rule were recently discovered in the vicinity of the village Bonce, Prilep - Pelagonia region, Republic of Macedonia. They represent one of the few most important discoveries in the field of archeology for promotion of the Macedonian cultural heritage.
It is believed that those shields belonged to a veteran of the personal guard of king Demetrij. In the middle of the shields with diameter of about 80 centimeters proudly stands the ancient Macedonian symbol - The Sun.
The Macedonian shields were unique in their design and they greatly differed from the shields of the Greeks, Romans and Persians. In the middle would be the Macedonian Sun with either 16 rays or 12 rays, or the bust of the Macedonian king or god/goddess. The ancient Macedonians made their shields of bronze, but sometimes plated them with silver and gold.
The famed Macedonian "Silver Shields" were the backbone of the army of Alexander the Great and after his death served superbly in the armies of later Macedonian kings. The Macedonian shields were used not only by the armies of ancient Macedonia, but also by the Ptolemaic and Seleucid armies who ruled Asia and Egypt after Alexander. Even the soldiers of the Cleopatra VII of Egypt carried these shields and were dressed in ancient Macedonian military outfits.
Parts of the shields old 22 centuries
“Antique Macedonian Shields from Pelagonija” is the title of the publication by archaeologist Dusko Temelkoski, which was promoted in Prilep library “Borka Taleski”. The publication presents parts of shields found recently at site Bonce, dating 22 centuries ago, from the period after Alexander The Great, in the time of the antique Macedonian king Demetrij. “The findings on the shields are presented not only in a professional, but also in a more popular way, so that the story about the antique shields is accessible to the wider readers’ public, including information on site Bonce and King Demetrij”, said Temelkoski.
French historian Pierre Giuel worked with Temelkoski on the book. They have already presented the findings in France, Croatia and Germany. Polish archaeologist and professor at the Gdansk University Nick Sekunda is the book reviewer, emphasizing the exceptional importance of the findings.
Parts of the shields date from the antique period, pointing to the famous Macedonian army called PHALANX. The shield parts are currently conserved in the Ohrid Bureau and Museum in Republic of Macedonia.
Bonce archeological site, Prilep - Pelagonia region, Republic of Macedonia
The Golden Ritual Mask, 6th-5th century BC.
