I saw somewhere that it was for the defense 
they held their shields to protect their bodies and used the cutouts to strike with their spears without exposing the striking arm. 
Here a picture from 1895
		 
		
		
		
			
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
			
				  
				
					
						Last edited by Kubur; 23rd February 2021 at 12:41 PM.
					
					
				
			
		
		
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