- Museum number
- ML.1734
- Description
-
Copper alloy helmet with a slight neck guard. Just above the rim there is a line of punched dots in a groove, with a second line of dots nearer the rim and a third, 6 mm or 7 mm above the groove. The groove stops short of the neck guard but its line of dots continues; the upper line drops to merge with it and marks the division between neck guard and cap. The lower line diverges to follow the border of the neck guard. Further lines of dots criss-cross to form a lattice pattern on the neck guard. There is a single perforation about 4 mm diameter at each side, centred about 12 mm above the rim, and a third, large and oval (5 by 6 mm) off-centre at the junction of neck guard and cap. The metal is up to 4 mm thick at the rim and less than 0.5 mm thick at the crown. Badly dented and slightly torn.
- Production date
- 120 BC - 50 BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Thickness: 0.50 - 4 millimetres
-
Height: 137 millimetres
-
Length: 247 millimetres (inc. neck guard)
-
Length: 213 millimetres (internal)
-
Weight: 598 grammes
-
Width: 172 millimetres (internal)
-
Width: 180 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Stead and Rigby 1999
The only helmet in the Morel Collection is made of bronze and was dredged from the River Marne at Coolus. It was used by Robinson (1975, 26-41) as the type example of the helmet that developed into the standard form used by the Roman imperial army. The helmet from Coolus itself is the simplest variety (type A, named the Mannheim type by Schaaff) with a slight neck guard, a perforation at each side to secure a chin-strap, and another perforation at the back for suspension when the helmet was not being worn (later variants have a metal handle at this point). There is another simple example from Vadenay, Marne (ibid. pl. 38, in the MAN) and the distribution of the type is plotted by Bonnamour, L., 1990, ‘Du silex à la poudre: 4,000 ans d’armement en Val de Saône’ Montagnac, fig. 94.
Metal in very good condition, but the helmet is badly dented and slightly torn, doubtless when it was recovered from the river.
Bibliography: Morel, L., 1898, ‘La Champagne souterraine’ Reims, pl. 39, fig. 2; Smith, R.A., 1925, ‘A guide to the antiquities of the Early Iron Age’ (second edition), London, 72, fig. 65, left; Robinson, H. Russell, 1975, ‘The Armour of Imperial Rome’, London , 29, fig. 35 and pl. 37.
See also the 'helmet hooks' ML.1514.
- Location
- On display (G50/dc13)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1980, London, BM, Celtic Antiquities from Gaul
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- ML.1734
