Newstead Helmet
The Newstead Helmet
|
|
| Material | Iron |
|---|---|
| Created | Roman, 80–100 AD |
| Place | Newstead, Roxburghshire |
| Present location | National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh |
| Registration | X.FRA 121 |
Coordinates: 55°36′07″N 2°41′06″W / 55.602°N 2.685°W The Newstead Helmet is an iron Roman cavalry helmet dating to 80–100 AD that was discovered at the site of a Roman fort in Newstead, near Melrose in Roxburghshire, Scotland in 1905. It is now part of the Newstead Collection at the National Museum in Edinburgh. The helmet would have been worn by auxiliary cavalrymen in cavalry displays known as hippika gymnasia. Its discoverer, Sir James Curle (1862–1944), described the helmet as "one of the most beautiful things that the receding tide of Roman conquest has left behind".
The helmet was discovered during excavations by James Curle during 1905 at the Roman fort of Trimontium, which is located near the triple peak of Eildon Hill at Newstead, after which the fort is named (Trimontium meaning "three hills"). During excavations between February 1905 and September 1910, Curle discovered a large number of Roman military artefacts at the fort, including items of Roman armour, horse harnesses, saddle plates, and several ornate bronze and iron cavalry helmets for parade use. Only one helmet found in 1905 is largely complete and preserves the face mask, and this is known as "the Newstead Helmet". This helmet was discovered in a pit dating to the Flavian period (69–96) in the south annexe of the fort.
...
Wikipedia