New Late Roman Helmet from the Fernpass, Austria

[Conal]

So we dont have a "contact" who can get us pitcures , in profile of those cheek guards ?????????????

[Doug Strong]

Any new info on this helm?

[jho]

I am not telling that you aren't right about this one, Stuart, but base rings or brow bands are usually attached to the bowl halves by the inside :?

aren't late roman ridge helms usually constructed in two halves?

This one isn't, so it doesn't appear to be an average helm where average rule of thumbs apply.

You just have to look at the nasal, there is a huge gap between the eye pieces, and what exists of the helm, this had to be riveted on to something solid, it wasn't just hanging there, so whatever the case, the brow band was atleast that deep, to cover the gap from the bottom of the bowl, to the bottom of the eye guard. This appears to be the exact same depth of remaining material at the back, so it couldn't serve as a neck guard, because it wouldn't protrude from the brow band, because the brow band had to be atleast that depth.

I am afraid that I do not have any new information on this helmet, just more speculation:

I am not sure what gap is referred to above. The Nasal appears to fit neatly below the end of the central ridge. You can see a tiny bit of what appears to be an outer rim similar to the Worm Intercisa helmet. The ridge leaves enough room for the nasal to be attached directly to the helmet bowl.

The upper extension of the nasal would have extended upwards and, if I observe correctly, a symmetrical extension appears to have borken of on the other side. This may well be archaeological proof of the strange helmet decoration believed to represent the CORNUTI as shown on Constantine's arch ?!?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

The upper extension of the nasal would have extended upwards and, if I observe correctly, a symmetrical extension appears to have borken of on the other side. This may well be archaeological proof of the strange helmet decoration believed to represent the CORNUTI as shown on Constantine's arch ?!?

That is what I was thinking when I saw the picture just now!

This is quite an interesting helmet find! 8) 8)

[Aedinius]

Any more pics, info on this new helm? I would so love to duplicate or even theorize what it would of looked like when it was being used. Sadly my drawing stinks. Anyone here talented enough to take a educated guess and draw it out? I would be really interested in the possible interpretation of the look based on helms that were present and the vague pictures that were displayed.

[Sextus Aurelius Propertiu]

By the way, some more pics of the Christies helmet, as suggested by some of us , some more pics could allow a complete reconstruction, i am ready to try with the help of a very talentuous polish craftman ..

regards

Sextus aurelius Propertius

Eric-Alexandre POHER

[jho]

The Fernpass helmet is currently exhibited in Mainz:

Mainz

[Caballo]

Laudes from me for the pics! This helmet is one that is crying out for a reproduction....
http://picasaweb.google.com/jho655/Main ... 0028136242

[Robert Vermaat]

Great stuff! Can I get bigger pictures?

[jho]

The original photos are a little bigger but not much. If you PM me your email address and identify the photos you are interested in, I can send them to you but each has just under 1 MB.

[Robert Vermaat]

This helmet is one that is crying out for a reproduction....

Yes, but is it even Roman? That band is superwide and strangely decorated, the mail aventail is not like anything Roman that I've seen before, and that nasal is HUGE!
As far as I know there were no accompanying finds, so apart from the basic shape it may be from another time, or 'inspired by' a Late Roman helmet?

[markusaurelius]

Perhaps a post Roman adaptation or an original helmet?

[jho]

Re. the mail aventail, there is a fragment of a ridge helmet from Trier (it was in the Constantine exhibition and is also depicted in the catalogue of the Mainz exhibition) which has mail rusted into it. It is believed, but not certain, that this was a mail aventail.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

It certainly look Roman.
There is a unique look to the helmet, but that just makes me feel it is Roman.
This helmet has me very interested in a Trip to Mainz!!

[Medicus matt]

It certainly look Roman.
There is a unique look to the helmet, but that just makes me feel it is Roman.
This helmet has me very interested in a Trip to Mainz!!

Likewise. If nothing else, it's those ball headed rivets on the crest. As others have said, perhaps it's a roman crested bowl that's had different cheek pieces, ventail and nasal added to it at a later date?

Is there no report detailing any contextual evidence?

I was planning on taking a trip to Bonn until I discovered that they don't allow photography, even if you ask nicely (the first time I've encountered that problem..not impressed). Perhaps I should go to Mainz instead. Flight on KLM is pretty cheap.....hmmmmmm.