Integral ears seem to be a later development and an extremely popular one in the Nijmegen region! IIRC there are about ten masks from Nijmegen and all have the integral ears.
Earlier masks which are attributed to regular gallic type helmets and cavalry types with ears moulded into the cheek guards don't have ears.
Examples are Vechten, Levy/White, the Axel Guttmann Collection and these odd ones..
![[Image: IMAG0062.jpg]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/peronis/more/IMAG0062.jpg)
![[Image: aq13960a.jpg]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/peronis/more/aq13960a.jpg)
I think if you put a leather thong or a cord around your head the subjection of the mask is better than if you only subject it with the cheekpieces. If the mask moves a little up or down, you even can get out of vision, because you can loose the eye alineation with the eye holes in the mask.
So, i think the lateral holes are made to put a "auxiliar" leather or cord to tie back in the neck and help to a tight position of the mask.
In our group we have the deepeka helmet with mask, and frequently the wearer looses the alineation with the eye holes, and get blind.
I do see the point Cesar Pocinya is making, however as metioned earlier the mask was covered in silver sheet and the smaller holes could not be used. There is though three holes in the centre forhead that I mention in the article, where there may have been a hook that could fit the browband of a helmet, this way we only need the cheekplates to hold it against the face secure.
Cesar, with the right lining, the deepeeka mask helm will stay in place quite well, considering its disadvantages. It is a fiddly process getting it right tho'. Hopefully the new one will make it even easier!
Nieczar indeed does a very nice job. He's also on RAT himself.