12-08-2009, 06:13 PM
Actually the cheek pieces were not found together with this helmet. I am not aware of a single Coolus helmet ever found with this type of cheek piece. All Coolus helmets, I am aware of, which were associated with cheek pieces, had the simple type without ear recess.
In the Articles Section there is a summary of Robinson's typology and for the Coolus 'E the criteria appear to be the following.
* Bowl height varies considerably in this group.
* Reinforcing peak is a flat, curved strip of bronze, riveted at each end to the skull and tongued at the centre where it is passed through a slot in the front of the skull and is then bent over.
* Lower rim, although 'knocked back', seldom shows more than a slight projecting lip, which may continue around the upper edge of the neck guard.
* Crest knobs are slotted from front to back.
I do not recollect that Robinson gives any reasons for associating this type of cheek piece with Coolus helmets but I presume that the reason was that they broadly fit into the same chronological bracket, the majority of Imperial Gallic helmets are iron whereas these cheek pieces are bronze, and that there were very few Coolus helmets known to be associated with any type of cheek piece at that time (the Xanten-Waardt helmets had not yet been discovered). From today' perspective it could be considered equally likely that all Coolus helmets had the simple cheek pieces and that these more elaborate bronze cheek pieces belong to Imperial Gallic types.
In the Articles Section there is a summary of Robinson's typology and for the Coolus 'E the criteria appear to be the following.
* Bowl height varies considerably in this group.
* Reinforcing peak is a flat, curved strip of bronze, riveted at each end to the skull and tongued at the centre where it is passed through a slot in the front of the skull and is then bent over.
* Lower rim, although 'knocked back', seldom shows more than a slight projecting lip, which may continue around the upper edge of the neck guard.
* Crest knobs are slotted from front to back.
I do not recollect that Robinson gives any reasons for associating this type of cheek piece with Coolus helmets but I presume that the reason was that they broadly fit into the same chronological bracket, the majority of Imperial Gallic helmets are iron whereas these cheek pieces are bronze, and that there were very few Coolus helmets known to be associated with any type of cheek piece at that time (the Xanten-Waardt helmets had not yet been discovered). From today' perspective it could be considered equally likely that all Coolus helmets had the simple cheek pieces and that these more elaborate bronze cheek pieces belong to Imperial Gallic types.
Regards,
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
