Two iron plates discovered within the huge Iron Age weapons sacrifice discovered close to Hedensted, Denmark, have been revealed to be components of a Roman helmet from the 4th century. It’s the oldest iron helmet ever present in Denmark, and the one Roman helmet ever discovered throughout the nation’s borders.
When the invention of the weapons sacrifice was introduced in November 2024, the tally of weapons and fittings within the sacrifice recorded 119 spears and lances, eight swords, 5 knives, three arrowheads, one axe, a horse bridle, a chainmail shirt, fragments of two oath rings and an enormous pile of iron and bronze objects that awaited examination and classification.
Two of the iron objects, every concerning the dimension of a palm, have been so thickly encrusted with rust it wasn’t clear what they have been. X-ray imaging revealed them to be a neck guard and a cheek guard from a Roman crest helmet. The cheek guard is embellished across the exterior perimeter with reverse s-shaped squiggles. The crown of the helmet has not been discovered.
Archaeologists consider the unique piece was damaged down into items for distribution among the many warriors after a profitable battle. The way in which the spear heads have been indifferent from their poles and sword blades faraway from their hilts on this deposit signifies they have been battle spoils divided among the many fighters on the profitable facet. Due to this fact, someone else could have obtained the opposite cheek guard and the crown of the helmet.
Roman helmets are extraordinarily uncommon in Scandinavia as a complete. There are not any direct parallels to this helmet on the Scandinavian archaeological document, and the one that ones that even get shut are from northern Germany and Sweden. The helmet plates and a collection of different objects from the weapons sacrifice will go on show on the Cultural Museum in Vejle beginning Saturday, February eighth.
