From the Rhine at Weisenau, close to the Portland cement factory. (DEU)
Date:
First quarter, 1st century AD.
Now kept:
Mittelrheinisches Landesmuseum, Mainz.
Dimensions:
D (of bowl from brow to neck): 220mm; L (of neckguard): 75mm; W (of browguard): 16mm; Total L (from front of browguard to end of neckguard): 410mm; W (of bowl): 186mm; H (of bowl): 140mm; H (of cheekpieces): 156mm; W (of cheekpieces): 136mm
Much damaged during World War II, only one cheekpiece and a part of the bowl now exists, together with the browband and an embossed washer.
The iron helmet bowl was ovoid in shape and decorated with embossed eyebrows at the front (in the form of shallow S shapes) and with three steps in the occiputal region. The bowl was turned out at the back to form the neckguard, with two further steps down to the neckguard proper. There were cutouts for the ear on either side of the bowl and the neck was deeper than the rim at the brow.
An iron brow reinforce was attached to the bowl towards the front by means of a dome-headed copper alloy (brass?) rivet on either side and the front face of the reinforce was decorated with chevrons of copper alloy inlay, probably brass and copper. A browband of copper alloy (possibly brass) ran around the front rim of the bowl, embossed with five parallel bands, the central one of which was beaded. On top of the bowl was a socket for a slide-in crest support, consisting of a rectangular iron plate with two parallel raised slots.
Two rivets attached the hinge for each cheekpiece to the bowl, their heads decorated with red enamel, further enhanced by silver (or silvered) embossed rosette washers through which the rivet heads had been passed. Three similar rivets with red enamel decoration and silvered washers were located in the centre and to either side of the neckguard. The edge of the neckguard was trimmed with copper alloy piping (again possibly brass).
Both cheekpieces were still articulated to the bowl by means of their original hinges. Each had a prominent jaw flange and a raised central field, with cutouts in the front edge corresponding to the mouth and eye positions. The whole of the rim of the cheekpiece (except for the top, where the hinge was located) was trimmed with copper alloy piping similar to that used on the neckguard.
References:
Robinson, H.R. (1975), "The Armour of Imperial Rome", (Arms & Armour Press), p.52, Nos.111-12
