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Sutton Hoo was my first idea. But why would a roman reenactor choose a saxon helmet?
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Are they roman re-enactors? Mail was used much later, and the people in the background aren't portraying Roman period for sure.
For the game, probably bad research by the artists, as it surely looks like the Sutton Hoo has been inspiration for the face-masks. (or am I missing some late roman spangenhelmets with this feature?)
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yeah, from the description of the flickr album they're supposed to be late roman cavalry.
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As with many of the Medieval, Roman and Barbarian TW units, this one was adopted from an Osprey title. In this case, Men-At-Arms 247: Romano-Byzantine Armies 4th-9th Centuries, by David Nicolle and Angus McBride. Nicolle and McBride were hindered by the lack of archeological evidence for this period, and some of the illustrations were more speculative than usual. The character in the book is a 5th century armored cavalryman, for which Nicolle notes there is little information. The helmet seems to be an interpretation of the face-mask helmets shown on the surviving crude illustration of the lost 5th century Column of Arcadius, using a composite of a couple of late Roman helmets, along with the iron face visor found at the Great Palace of Constantinople. The horse-hair crest is a free interpretation of the Column. I suppose it might just as easily have been interpreted as a metal comb, as on the Intercisa helmet, except a good number of surviving 5th-7th century works of art do indicate horse-hair crests.
Yes, highly speculative, but at least solidly based on what little evidence there is.
Gregg
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Hi there
( ).
Iain Victory is Mine..stewie griffin
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hello
in Osprey there's wrong interpretation of the age for this mask
the basic stuff are about 8 or 6 masks from Konsantynopol (Great Palace) ...but as I know this stuff is dated by the coin - was found near masks "in situ" ...it's probobly 12-13th cen. ....but there's teorie the masks are erlyer - 8-11th. cen.
below pictures of oryginal ...and my rekonstruction of the helmet with this mask (also here :http://photofile.name/users/nieczar/2547324/80949918/#mainImageLink)
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I've actually handled this strange face mask helmet. Several years ago Comitatus worked alongside the riders English Heritage hired from Alan Larson. Some of them were excellent riders, recruited via various horse magazines like "Horse and Hound". They would ride in whatever kit they were given.
Ermine Street Guard have their own excellent cavalry equipment they could lend the riders provided by English Heritage. Comitatus would likewise lend them armour and helmets. We actually made some shields and a tunic for them to help them out.
But the major issue was, as it always is with lent kit, trying to get the equipment to fit the individual. You would see riders without padding under armour, using their modern jean belts to hold armour down, while helmets slipped over faces because they were too large. In the same way in Comitatus pictures you can always see the new recruits because belts are too big/too small, and helmets don't fit. People need to be comfortable in their kit, it shouldn't just be fancy dress.
The helmet was designed as an "Arthurian" helm. It's visual impact was greater than any claim to authenticity. Various "Arthurian" wargames figures sport the same helmet.
Luckily real late Roman helmets have a great visual impact, as demonstrated by the new Miks book.
John Conyard
York
A member of
Comitatus Late Roman
Reconstruction Group
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comitatus.net">http://www.comitatus.net
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.historicalinterpretations.net">http://www.historicalinterpretations.net
<a class="postlink" href="http://lateantiquearchaeology.wordpress.com">http://lateantiquearchaeology.wordpress.com
![[Image: marcacontwn1mc.jpg]](http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7948/marcacontwn1mc.jpg)
![[Image: sh-helm.jpg]](http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2471/photos/sh-helm.jpg)
![[Image: maskedsagitariusbz9.jpg]](http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5342/maskedsagitariusbz9.jpg)
...but it'll be nice to see it 
