The Hallaton helmet

[mcbishop]

Indeed if we look at the drawing that has been added to the link shown the upward angle has been changed to the horizontal with its neck guard to make cheek plates fit, which looks very much like an assumption that the cheek plates found with the helmet belong to it. I would suggest that as the helmet was in bits when found it may well have been already ear marked as a recycle job.

Certainly appears to have the remains of a hinge in this view. Anyway, we can all rush to Market Harborough when it goes on display and decide for ourselves ;-)

The Grauniad did produce my favourite quote of the day: '"The Crosby Garrett is just a pretty toy compared to this; this is the real treasure," J D Hill, an Iron Age expert at the British Museum, said.' No sour grapes there, then, from the BM's resident [strike]Roman helmet[/strike] Iron Age expert :roll:

Mike Bishop

[PhilusEstilius]

I must thank you Mike for that so much better than the BBC view of that helmet and say that I shall stand corrected, I would hope that when displayed they will decide on which cheek plates to show along with it.

[jvrjenivs]

Brian, you can always make me your interpretation of this helmet, if you like

[PhilusEstilius]

Jurjen.
If I could get All the detais about it I would maybe have a go at it or even the Crosby Garrett, but then it all depends just how things go after my next op.

[mcbishop]

I must thank you Mike for that so much better than the BBC view of that helmet and say that I shall stand corrected, I would hope that when displayed they will decide on which cheek plates to show along with it.

No problems. Even better is this view. Not a Farcebook fan myself, but there is more here and a bloggy thing here.

Mike Bishop

[jho]

Thanks for the great photos.

In fact, I do not believe that - except for extreme cases - the angle of the front rim is a secure indication of whether a mask or cheekpieces were fitted. Quite a few helmets of this type come to mind which combine an angled front rim with cheek pieces or at least rivets for cheek pieces:

unprovenanced, Axel Guttmann collection AG-461

unprovenanced, published in ANTIKE WELT- Zeitschrift für Archäologie und Kulturgeschichte. Band 5/2008 „Die Soldaten Roms“

unprovenanced shown on the website of the Museum at Mougis

(provided the foreoging are genuine)

Vechten, found during construction work on the Rijksweg

Xanten (Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn Inv. RLMB 86,0069,01 Mil-17)

[PhilusEstilius]

Thanks again Mike some interesting info there it should put Harborough Museum on the map now one would think, and as you mentioned the BM does have some expert conservators very good work indeed.
I know it must take years to reach such skills but I would love to take part in work such as that.

[ParthianBow]

Just read about this on the Guardian website.

A great find, and a great thread. Thanks, Mike!

Will go and have a look when I'm at Kelmarsh this year. :grin:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

The drawing makes me think of a certain ex-Guttmann cavalry helmet!
Fills in some gaps!

[Renatus]

This is the latest effusion in the press:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environ...-head.html

It seems that it is becoming received wisdom that this is evidence of British tribes fighting on the Roman side. There is, of course, no need to rewrite history. There would be nothing new in the Romans enlisting a native tribe to fight with them against the tribe's traditional enemies. Equally likely, if not more so, is that this was a battlefield trophy which, because of its splendour, a tribal leader was happy to adopt as his own.

[Vindex]

What a great coincidence! I've just been invited up to Melton Mowbray in the spring for some hunting so a trip to the museum is most certainly on the cards (as long as the helmet is there, of course!)

I just hope they allow photography!!

[Caballo]

I'll go to the BM on Friday, and see if I can take pics.

[Caballo]

Just spoken to the British Museum. The Hallaton helmet is not going to be displayed at the BM at all, and "is going back up north to where it was found". So, sorry, no pictures available. The Enquiries desk had clearly had a lot of calls from people wanting to see it.

[mcbishop]

[quote]An alternative theory that the helmet was seized as booty can be discounted because it was a symbolic item not designed to be worn in battle. Dr Hill said: “It would be the equivalent of taking something worn for the passing-out ceremony at Sandhurst and packing it in your bag when you go to Afghanistan.”[quote]
Well someone at the BM is talking utter tosh, it seems. Depressing, really, assuming the attribution is accurate.

Mike Bishop

[Nathan Ross]

it was a symbolic item not designed to be worn in battle.

Symbolic of... a helmet? :-D