Behind the silver mask. A Dutch-German research project on ancient manufacturing techniques of Roman cavalry helmets from the 1st century AD from Nijmegen/NL and Xanten/D

Abstract

Helmets with face masks as part of the Roman cavalry equipment are rarely found. Nine of these helmets dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. and belonging to the collections of the Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, the LVR – Römermuseum Xanten and the LVR – Landesmuseum Bonn, Germany, were investigated in a German-Dutch joint project in 2006/2007. Several replication experiments and reconstructions were carried out to gain insight into Roman manufacturing techniques. The helmets were forged from sheet iron, folded and wrought from several layers of iron, and covered with silver sheet for decoration purposes. Four helmets show remains of braided bands made of horsehair. An ancient glue mixed of different ingredients was used to fix the silver foil and the textile application.