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Robinson's helmet typology |
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Page 6 of 9 IMPERIAL ITALIC
Imperial Italic 'A'
- The skulls no longer have the crest-like medial ridge.
- The deep guard for the occiput does not fit the head closely but follows almost a straight line from the back of the skull to the small right angle flange on a level with the base of the wearer's ears.
- The brow area is embossed with a shallow inverted 'V' with scroll terminals, below which is a horizontal embossed rib that runs parallel to the straight lower brim across the brow.
Imperial Italic 'B'
- The deep iron skull is plain at the front and now lacks its reinforce.
- The ear guards are turned out flanges of the ear recesses.
- The narrow neck guard with rounded angular corners at each side has half of its width taken up by a single embossed step. This has no central recess for the suspension ring rivet.
- Bronze edge bindings and enamelled bosses were applied to the cheek pieces and neck guard.
Imperial Italic 'C'
- Of bronze.
- The skulls were made without the embossed eyebrows of the Imperial Gallic types. There are three embossed ridges on the occiput and a single indented one on the neck guard. The latter are broad and flat, with rounded outer corners.
- The reinforcing peaks are of right angled section instead of the heavy strip applied to the Gallic types - more similar to the Montefortino and Coolus helmets.
Imperial Italic 'D'
- An iron helmet, similar to Type-C above. The reinforcing peak is flattened and tapers to a thin forward edge. This is of bronze and shorter than normal. It is riveted in line with the cheek guards instead of over the ears.
- The helmet is embellished with a characteristic applied ornamentation of bronze sheet strips and brass eagles/temples/altars. Brass ear guards are applied and retained with three rivets apiece.
- The neck guard has a broad edge binding and is fitted with a carrying handle.
Imperial Italic 'E'
- Like Type-D, it is of iron. It differs in that the flange of the neck guard slopes instead of being flat.
Imperial Italic 'F'
- The brow reinforce consists of a strip of iron raised into a demi-oval section and tapering towards its ends.
- It has a shallow skull, to which a narrow iron brow band was added to give a little more depth at the front.
Imperial Italic 'G'
- Of iron, with a well-formed hemispherical bowl with recess for the ears.
- There are three transverse embossed ridges at the occiput and three semi-circular steps on the broad, slightly sloping, neck guard.
- The brow band (of bronze) is reeded and stamped with a pattern of laurel leaves and berries in pairs and this is soldered to an applied strip of iron.
- The reinforcing peak is of iron and of right angled section, with an applied bronze strip on the down turned flange.
- The skull is crossed with two iron bars of semi-circular section.
Imperial Italic 'H'
- Made of bronze and has a well-formed hemispherical skull with bronze ornamentation soldered in place.
- There is a deep extension for the occiput and the back of the neck that terminates in a broad sloping neck guard of slightly convex section.
- At the apex of the skull is a domed button surmounting a double-stepped base from which depend four broad strips with a moulded central rib at the back, front and sides. These join the brow band, ears guards and extension for the occiput. This latter has five prominent transverse ridges instead of three.
- The peak is of a right-angled section and curved in the normal manner.
- The ear guards are of the widest possible form and rounded on the upper surface.
- The neck guard has reached its widest and largest form here and is decorated with various ornaments, e.g. a tabula ansata beneath the carrying handle.
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