The mingling of the helms

[jho]

It is impossible to determine an exact date when the change may have taken place. Most Niederbieber finds we have from the German Limes come from destruction layers of the 260s AD. There are two possible Niederbieber fragments (ear protectors) from slightly later contexts (Gelduba 276, Regensburg 282). The earliest dating context for an Intercisa is possibly the helmet found in the excavation of Augusta Raurica in 1967. It was found in a level with samian ware dated to between 200 AD and the first half of the 3rd century. It was only assigned a later date by the excavator on stylistic grounds.

There are at least two helmets which may represent Niederbieber helmets re-worked into Intercisa helmets (the one from Firenze had the neck area cut away and holes for a leather lining added at some point; the sloped brow area of the Richborough helmet may indicate that it was once a Niederbieber helmet) which indicates that they may have co-existed for some time.

There is also a Niederbieber allegedly from Ratiaria allegedly found with an Intercisa style nose guard. But neither the provenance nor the original association with the nose guard are secure. Finally, the Poitiers helmets from a 270s context, once believed to represent the "missing link" between both types have now convincingly been identified as gladiator helmets.