Cavalry helmet question

[Caratacus]

I've got a minor problem here, which someone might just possibly have the answer to!

This concerns the helmet in the database under the code CSI 02 - it's a cavalry 'parade' helmet (let's not get into that arguement now!) of the 'Guiseborough' type. I have two sets of information. I'd like to know if anyone can resolve it, because it's unlikely that they are both correct.

(a) d'Amato says (p.185) that the helmet is from Lunca Muresului. There is a reproduction of it in the Museum Unirii at Alba Iulia (Fig.268).
(b) Robinson says (p.132) that the helmet was found in the River Soane at Chalon and it is now in the Museé des Antiquitiés at St.Germain-en-Laye. The illustration here (Nos.394-6) are clearly of the same helmet at the one d'Amato is talking about.

BTW, I've added some data in the 'J' type cavalry helmet that was being discussed hereabouts last week. I'll get some photos up there as soon as I can. As it's now appeared on the Internet, it's in the public domaine and I can use what I have.

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[Decebalus]

Sadly all the photos I have of the French one show only the helmet's left side and the D'Amato photo the right side.
But given that the decoration of the helmet is the same on both sides, there are some minor differences.
- the snake's heads on top seems to be positioned nearer to the front of the helmet on the Romanian example.
- the confronting snakes' heads on top of the "browguard" seem to be in good condition on the Romanian helmet and are hardly still visible on the French example.
- the small boss, imitating the fixture of the browguard to the helmet, is totally encircled by one of three borders/snake's bodies at the French helmet. At the Romanian helmet I can see only two borders and the boss is not encircled in front direction.
- the rings (for crest fixture) on top and back of the French helmet aren't visible on the Romanian helmet.

So in my opinion these are two different helmets, perhaps made in the same workshop(?).

Greets,

Andreas

[jho]

These are two different helmets in garbsch they have catalogue numbers o60 and o60a (there is only à drawing of this helmet at the very end of the Book as it was a last Minute Addition). The Romanian helmet has later been more fully publshed by PEtculcescu. Send me a PM with your Email and I can send you a copy of the Publications and pics on Monday.

[jho]

email sent. For everybody else, here is the info I have on the Romanian helmet:

Found: Lunca Muresului, Cetate-Razboieni, Alba, Romania

Now kept: Aiud (Alba julia), Muzeul de historie, Inv. 51

Context: The helmet was found without stratigraphic contect. The find spot also yielded some bricks of Leg. V Macedonica and numerous of Ala mil. Batavorum. It is believed to have been garrisoned by Ala mil. Batavorum. The helmet bears the inscription XVIIII on the inside. Petculescu speculates that this could be a reference to the Turma of the owner and that mere numerals instead of the usual T(urma) NN indicate that the owner was the decurion of the respective Turma. He cites the Worthing and Ovilava helmets as further examples. If this is correct, the number 19 would indicate an ala miliaria.

Petculescu believed this to be a combat helmet based both on the strength of the material and the fact that similar helmets were found in pairs with masked helmets in Tell Oum Hauran and Ostrov. He also points out the lack of helmets with cheek pieces in hoards of parade helmets such as Straubing or Eining.

Comments: An attic form of helmet with a ridge/crest formed from the body of a snake. The top of the frontal brow panel of the helmet is edged around with a pair of snakes, whose heads meet in the middle of the panel. The panel itself is edged around with a border that is engraved/punched with lines. In front of the cut-out for the ears, there is a single rivet for the attachment of the (missing) cheek guards. At the back there are two protusions of unknown function. They are similar to those on the Butzbach, Guisborough, Carnuntum and Vechten helmets and may have served to secure a crest or streamers although no holes are visible. the neck guard shows three holes or unknown function.

References:

PETCULESCU, L.: 'Contributions to Roman decorated helmets and breastplates from Dacia, in H. Vetters & M. Kandier (eds.) Akten des 14. Internationalen Limeskongresses 1986 in Carnuntum
Teglas, Archäologisch-epigraphische Mitteilungen aus Österreich 9, 1885, 242, No. 21
Teglas, Erdely Muzeum (1888) 255
CIL III 8079, 4
Die Römer in Rumänien, Exhibition Catalogue Cologne (1969) 121, C 50
Garbsch, Römische Paraderüstungen 1978, O 60a
Feugere, Casques Antiques, 1994, p.
D'Amato, Raffaele: Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier: From Marius to Commodus 2009

[Caratacus]

Many thanks to Jens and Andreas. I will ammend the records in the helmets d/b asap. This is just the sort of thing that this site is extremely valuable for. I would quite happily have scrubbed the Romanian entry, believing it to be the same as the one from France. Shows how dangerous it is to make decicisions from relatively small photographs that are not taken from the same angle!

The curious thing is that I didn't doubt that there were two helmets, just that I thought there might be a possibility that d'Amato may have mixed up the photographic illustration! Jens is quite right, there is a line drawing in Garbsch which shows the Romanian helmet but it isn't very detailed and (again) it's drawn from a different angle. Luc de Vos also sent me some photos of the French helmet, from several different angles and these are up in the d/b now.

Thanks again, Guys!

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)