| Witcham Gravel helmet | |
|---|---|
 Witcham Gravel helmet | |
| Material | Iron, tin, copper alloy |
| Created | c. 50–75 AD |
| Discovered | c. 1870s Witcham Gravel, Cambridgeshire |
| Present location | British Museum |
| Registration | 1891,1117.1 |
The Witcham Gravel helmet is a Roman auxiliary cavalry helmet from the first century AD.[1] Only the decorative copper alloy casing remains; an iron core originally fit under the casing, but has now corroded away.[2] The cap, neck guard, and cheek guards were originally tinned, giving the appearance of a silver helmet encircled by a gold band.[3] The helmet's distinctive feature is the presence of three hollow bosses, out of an original six, that decorate the exterior.[4] No other Roman helmet is known to have such a feature.[5] They may be a decorative embellishment influenced by Etruscan helmets from the sixth century BC,[6] which had similar, lead-filled bosses, that would have deflected blades.[7][8]
The helmet was discovered during peat digging in the parish of Witcham Gravel, Cambridgeshire, perhaps during the 1870s.[9][1] It was said to have been found "at a depth of about four feet",[10] although the exact findspot within Witcham Gravel is unknown; at the time, the parish comprised about 389 acres.[11] The helmet was first published in 1877, when, owned by Thomas Maylin Vipan, it was exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries of London.[9] When Vipan died in 1891, the British Museum purchased it from his estate.[12] It remains in the museum's collection, and as of 2021 is on view in Room 49.[13]
- ^ a b Kaminski & Sim 2014, p. 79.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, p. 69.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, p. 75.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, pp. 69, 71, 75.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, pp. 69, 75.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, pp. 75, 81.
- ^ Penn Museum helmet.
- ^ Metropolitan Museum helmet.
- ^ a b Society of Antiquaries 1877, pp. 230–231.
- ^ Society of Antiquaries 1877, p. 231.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, pp. 75–76.
- ^ Kaminski & Sim 2014, p. 76.
- ^ British Museum helmet.