[TT3351]

Isn't concrete an engineered composite material to begin with? It's ancient. AFAIK plywood is an 19th century invention.

[engineer_22]

In engineering parlance composites are materials with high tensile strength bonded to materials with high compressive strength.

Concrete is compressive strength materials (rock, sand) bonded with cement. OTOH - We could say reinforced concrete, (steel, fiberglass, etc reinforcement) is a composite.

[BariumBlue]

Plywood was used for shields by the Romans, I'm fairly certain the Vikings, and wikipedia mentions the Greeks and Egyptians used it as well. From what I can tell from a quick google, it does seem to be a casualty of the Dark ages though.

[PoachedSausage]

Maybe not. The Dutch police appear to be using wicker riot shields in 2021. Good for the environment.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/25/nation/weekend-riotin...

[alexpotato]

I remember reading in Gates of Fire [0] that the Spartans used heavy, round oak shields which suited there phalanx style of warfare.

The Persians (and their allies) used wicker shields that chose light weight over protection [1].

More recently, there was also a video floating around recently of how protesters were building Viking shield walls to protect themselves [2]

0 - https://amzn.to/39n23Jx 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparabara 2 - https://twitter.com/joshuapotash/status/1291962889323020288?...

[TT3351]

I believe the implication was it was lost in the Dark Ages and re-discovered in 19thc. No reason to suggest plywood is not in use today