The Newstead Helmet is an iron

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

cavalry helmet dating to 80–100 AD that was discovered at the site of a Roman fort in Newstead, near

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in 1905. It is now part of the Newstead Collection at the

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. The helmet would have been worn by auxiliary cavalrymen in cavalry displays known as ''

hippika gymnasia The ''hippika gymnasia'' (, "horse exercises") were ritual tournaments performed by the cavalry of the Roman Empire to both practice their skills and display their expertise. They took place on a parade ground situated outside a fort and involved ...

''. Its discoverer, Sir James Curle (1862–1944), described the helmet as "one of the most beautiful things that the receding tide of Roman conquest has left behind".

Discovery

The helmet was discovered during excavations by James Curle during 1905 at the Roman fort of Trimontium, which is located near the triple peak of Eildon Hill at Newstead, after which the fort is named (Trimontium meaning "three hills"). During excavations between February 1905 and September 1910, Curle discovered a large number of Roman military artefacts at the fort, including items of Roman armour, horse harnesses, saddle plates, and several ornate

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

and iron cavalry helmets for parade use. Only one helmet, found in 1905, is largely complete and preserves the face mask, and is known as the "Newstead Helmet". This helmet was discovered in a pit dating to the

Flavian period Flavian may refer to: * A member of the Flavian dynasty of Roman emperors, during the late 1st century AD, or their works * Flavian Zeija, a Ugandan lawyer, academic and judge. Principal Judge of Uganda, since December 2019. * A person named Flavian ...

(69–96) in the south annexe of the fort.

Description

The helmet is in two pieces, comprising a head-piece and a face mask, both of which are made of beaten iron. Prior to its discovery the helmet had been squashed by heavy stones, resulting in serious damage to parts of the helmet, including the destruction of most of the upper portion above the forehead, and the breaking in two of the mask. There is a rim at the back of the headpiece by the neck, to which is attached a thin bronze plate with an embossed chevron pattern, but this decoration is not as fine as elsewhere on the helmet. There are traces of

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

plating on the outer surface, and remnants of a

woollen Woolen (American English) or woollen (Commonwealth English) is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn. Woolen yarn is in contrast t ...

lining on the inner surface. The mask shows the face of a youth with curly hair held in a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

, which suggests a

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influence. On the left side of the head-piece is attached a tube that would have held ornamental plumes, as described by

Arrian of Nicomedia Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; ; ) was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander, and philosopher of the Roman period. ''The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best source on the campaigns of ...

The horsemen enter fully armed and those of distinguished station or superior in horsemanship wear gilded helmets of iron or bronze, to draw to themselves the gaze of the spectators. Unlike the helmets made for active service, these do not cover the heads and cheeks only but are made to fit round the faces of the riders with apertures for the eyes, so as to give protection to the eyes without interfering with vision. From the helmets hang yellow plumes — a matter of decor as much as of utility. As the horses move forward, the slightest breeze adds to the beauty of these plumes.

Other helmets

Two other helmets were discovered in the same pit (Pit XXII) as the iron helmet with a face mask described above, and a bronze visor-mask was found in a pit in the bath buildings: NewsteadDSCF6328

* An ornately decorated bronze helmet, with a design embossed in relief on one side showing a naked winged figure of

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

driving a chariot pulled by a pair of leopards, while on the other side another winged figure, probably personifying

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

, holds what may be a

palm branch The palm branch, or palm frond, is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm ''(Phoenix (plant), Phoenix)'' was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient E ...

in one hand and the leopards' harness in the other hand. It is probable that it would have originally been fitted with a face visor, but this is missing. On the rim at the back of the helmet is a punctured inscription of eight letters punched into the metal. The first four letters of the inscription are uncertain, but the last four letters read "TGES", which may stand for ''T rmae' ("of the troop") followed by the name the commander of the troop, which is a formula found elsewhere. * A plain iron legionary helmet with two hinged cheek pieces. * A bronze visor-mask showing a youthful, beardless face with curly locks of hair. There is a hole beneath each ear, which may have been used to attach the mask to a helmet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newstead Helmet Ancient Roman helmets Collection of National Museums Scotland Scotland in the Roman era Individual helmets