late roman round/oval scutums - they appear to have had more leeway to customizing the paint jobs than earlier eras.
a copy of a pre-constantinian one.
this is mithras, a god similar to christ in that he rose from the dead, he was a favoured military soldier's god.
the beliefs and rituals of mithras were never written down, so we have little info on the religion. it was replaced
of course by christianity which i suspect incorporated parts of it.
shield bosses also were objects of decoration, legionary veterans would either decorate or have decorated their sword scabbards, pugio dagger scabbards, belts, helmets,
and shield bosses. i imaging a centurion had this one:
others of lesser quality have been found. as wood shields would get damaged in battle, and replaced afterwards, i would hazard that these bosses would be treasured possessions transferred from scutum to scutum as the wood part deteriorated and was replaced.