Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Matthew Amt]

Just something interesting I found pouring over a list of forts that were used at this time. Apparently Burgh Castle was ocuppied right through the period of British resurgance and it is this locale which is famous for the Burgh Castle style helms, ie. Ridge Helms. Is it possible that the roman helm factories were running through the era of British resurgance instead of the fort just being occupied?

As I understand it, there has been ONE helmet found at Burgh Castle, and not a complete one at that. All it shows is that someone left a helmet there. IF there is any excavated evidence of smithing or armor-making at the site, cool, but I don't know the circumstances of the find.

I agree that some derivative of the Late Roman Ridge helmet is what was used, something between that and the Coppergate or Pioneer helmets. I also tend to think that helmets would have been more common than body armor, even if they don't get much mention. Obviously some were fabulous and gilded and bejeweled, but plain versions would have been relatively cheap and easy to make. Frankly, any basic blacksmith shop could have cranked out spearheads, shield bosses, and helmets, but we still have to be careful about concluding that (for example!) some traces of a hearth or fragments of a helmet means an armor factory.

Vale,

Matthew