Newstead Helmet
Encyclopedia
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".
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.
or tin
plating on the outer surface, and remnants of a woollen lining on the inner surface. The mask shows the face of a youth with curly hair held in a laurel wreath
, which suggests a Celtic
influence. On the left side of the head-piece is attached a tube that would have held ornamental plumes
, as described by Arrian of Nicomedia
:
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
cavalry helmet dating to 80–100 AD that was discovered at the site of a Roman fort in Newstead
Newstead, Scottish Borders
Newstead is a village in the Scottish Borders, just east of Melrose, coordinates 55.599704, -2.691987. It has a population of approximately 260, according to the 2001 census.It is reputedly the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Scotland...
, near Melrose
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1905. It is now part of the Newstead Collection at the National Museum in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The helmet would have been worn by auxiliary cavalrymen in cavalry displays known as hippika gymnasia
Hippika gymnasia
The hippika gymnasia were ritual displays or tournaments performed by the cavalry of the Roman Empire to display their skill and expertise. They took place on a parade ground situated outside a fort and involved the cavalry practicing manoeuvring and the handling of weapons such as javelins and...
. 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".
Discovery
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 HillEildon Hill
Not to be confused with Eldon Hill, EnglandEildon Hill lies just south of Melrose, Scotland in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the town. The name is usually pluralised into "the Eildons" or "Eildon Hills", because of its triple peak....
at Newstead
Newstead, Scottish Borders
Newstead is a village in the Scottish Borders, just east of Melrose, coordinates 55.599704, -2.691987. It has a population of approximately 260, according to the 2001 census.It is reputedly the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Scotland...
, 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
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
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
Flavian dynasty
The Flavian dynasty was a Roman Imperial Dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 and 96 AD, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian , and his two sons Titus and Domitian . The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known as the Year of the Four Emperors...
(69–96) in the south annexe of the fort.
Description
The helmet is in two pieces, comprising a head-piece and a face mask, both of which are made of beaten iron. Prior to its discovery the helmet had been squashed by heavy stones, resulting in serious damage to parts of the helmet, including the destruction of most of the upper portion above the forehead, and the breaking in two of the mask. There is a rim at the back of the headpiece by the neck, to which is attached a thin bronze plate with an embossed chevron pattern, but this decoration is not as fine as elsewhere on the helmet. There are traces of silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
or tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
plating on the outer surface, and remnants of a woollen lining on the inner surface. The mask shows the face of a youth with curly hair held in a laurel wreath
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
, which suggests a Celtic
Celtic art
Celtic art is the art associated with the peoples known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre-history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient peoples whose language is uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic similarities with speakers of Celtic...
influence. On the left side of the head-piece is attached a tube that would have held ornamental plumes
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
, as described by Arrian of Nicomedia
Arrian
Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon , known in English as Arrian , and Arrian of Nicomedia, was a Roman historian, public servant, a military commander and a philosopher of the 2nd-century Roman period...
:
The horsemen enter fully armed and those of distinguished station or superior in horsemanship wear gilded helmets of iron or bronze, to draw to themselves the gaze of the spectators. Unlike the helmets made for active service, these do not cover the heads and cheeks only but are made to fit round the faces of the riders with apertures for the eyes, so as to give protection to the eyes without interfering with vision. From the helmets hang yellow plumes — a matter of decor as much as of utility. As the horses move forward, the slightest breeze adds to the beauty of these plumes.
Other helmets
Two other helmets were discovered in the same pit (Pit XXII) as the iron helmet with a face mask described above, and a bronze visor-mask was found in a pit in the bath buildings:- An ornately decorated bronze helmet, with a design embossed in relief on one side showing a naked winged figure of CupidCupidIn Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
driving a chariot pulled by a pair of leopards, while on the other side another winged figure, probably personifying VictoryVictoryVictory is successful conclusion of a fight or competition..Victory may refer to:**strategic victory**tactical victory** Pyrrhic victory, a victory at heavy cost to the victorious party**Victory columns**Victory Monuments**Victory personified...
, holds what may be a palm branchPalm branch (symbol)A palm branch , usually refers to the leaves of the Arecaceae ....
in one hand and the leopards' harness in the other hand. It is probable that it would have originally been fitted with a face visor, but this is missing. On the rim at the back of the helmet is a punctured inscription of eight letters punched into the metal. The first four letters of the inscription are uncertain, but the last four letters read "TGES", which may stand for T[urmae] ("of the troop") followed by the name the commander of the troop, which is a formula found elsewhere.
- A plain iron legionary helmet with two hinged cheek pieces.
- A bronze visor-mask showing a youthful, beardless face with curly locks of hair. There is a hole beneath each ear, which may have been used to attach the mask to a helmet.