The Hallaton helmet

[mcbishop]

I would like to know if after ten years of what might be considered a good piece of restoration, has any archaeologist or conservator come up yet with a complete write up or paper on this helmet and so many cheek plates for we appear to be getting this story just a little bit at a time.

There was a conference held on the find some time ago and I gather a report is being published in the next month or so. David Keys at The Independent wrote:

Leicester University, which helped carry out the original excavation, will next month publish a book about the site - Hoards, Hounds and Helmets: A Conquest Period Ritual Site at Hallaton, Leicestershire by the excavation’s director Vicki Score.

Where would archaeologists be without 'ritual'? ;-)

Mike Bishop

[D B Campbell]

"Hoards, Hounds and Helmets: A Conquest Period Ritual Site at Hallaton, Leicestershire".
Where would archaeologists be without 'ritual'? ;-)

... or hounds?

[Vindex]

Belvoir, Quorn or Cottesmore...or the Oakley Beagles? :wink:

[M. Demetrius]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scienc...87730.html

Another link. Nothing new, though.

[Cunicula]

Having seen many of the photos, the silver which is mentioned in the articles constantly eludes me.. I see rust, and a lot of it...

I had the same thoughts!

I'm sad that you seem to have little faith in conservators, (makes note to communicate better) and in modern analytical techniques. This was done in the BM metals department; they have access to the finest of these.

On an x-ray, it is usually very clear where there are different metals, since these corrode at different rates in the ground when they are in contact - the less noble corrodes before the more noble metal. Even very thin tinning is evident on a good x-ray, even if you can't see it at the time and one of the first things they would have done would have been to x-ray all the fragments. I imagine that you can't see the silver on the conserved helmet because it is corroded and no longer shiny - conservators don't clean metals down to the metallic surface, but to the original surface, if it is still discernable, which is often on longer metallic, but often preserves a great deal of detail. With silver, the silver of the original surface may well have been replaced by silver sulphide, which is black, or near-black, and quite rightly, the conservators have left that in place (if you strip corroded artefacts with battery acid/ brown sauce/ 'my secret mixture in a little bottle' beloved of some metal detectorists, you end up with a nice twinkly sponge which tells you nothing!)

To confirm which metal has been used for the coating, they will either have used a Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy in conjunction with a scanning electron microscope or x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, or both, to identify the silver and any other metals involved.

I would like to know if after ten years of what might be considered a good piece of restoration, has any archaeologist or conservator come up yet with a complete write up or paper on this helmet and so many cheek plates for we appear to be getting this story just a little bit at a time.

They've only just finished it! They couldn't really write it up until the process was complete - I expect their report on the conservation will be published as part of the overall publication of the find, which is usually how these things work. Market Harborough museum has an exhibition on this very subject, if you're able to get there

Revealing the Hallaton Helmet
Saturday 28th January - Saturday 7th July Usual opening times

An exhibition celebrating the discovery and conservation of this internationally significant Roman cavalry helmet featuring items from the British Museum's conservation lab where it was painstakingly pieced back together

PS it was conservation, not restoration. There's an important difference

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks for the update, I wish i could be there for the revealing.
I understand it will be a pretty entertaining affair!

[PhilusEstilius]

Louise.

Thank you vrey much indeed I find your explanation very interesting, as you can see from my first post I did jump in with both feet in my consideration of what type of helmet it was.
However that was from the point of view of the first picture that was shown of only the left half of the helmet, the angle of the picture and forward edge of the helmet did not compute with the drwing shown beneath it.
It was only when Mike Bishop put forward the shot of the right side (with what he showed as a hinge and better angle shot) that I found it to be similar in style to the Xanten cavalry piece.

[Vindex]

Thanks Louise.

Very interesting and HUGELY useful information.

Byron - I'm not sure I like the sound of that...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well go along to it, then tell me all about it, Moi! :mrgreen:

[mcbishop]

Well go along to it, then tell me all about it, Moi! :mrgreen:

Here are the BBC telling us about it. Basically a re-hash of what they have said before.

Mike Bishop

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Anyone want a good laugh ?

Read what a Dutch archaeologist, claiming to be an expert on Roman military equipment had to say about this helmet and its so called "Dutch" origin....

http://blog.united-academics.org/4888/ad...an-helmet/

M.VIB.M.

[mcbishop]

Read what a Dutch archaeologist, claiming to be an EXPERT on Roman military equipment

My advice is always claim to be a specialist. As a wise man once said, an ex- is a has-been and a spurt is a drip under pressure... Sadly, newspapers and other media can't resist using 'expert' and at least it isn't the British tabloids' favourite: BOFFIN!

Mike Bishop

[D B Campbell]

... a Dutch archaeologist, claiming to be an expert on Roman military equipment ...

Jona is right (see here): there is indeed Een klad in de klassieken!

[scotti73]

With regard to the laser/x ray scans, i spoke to my contact on monday, he'll ask the project if they are happy to share the images, fingers crossed i'll get an answer this week.