Witcham Gravel Helmet, Roman Auxiliary Helmet, 1.2mm Steel

Get Witcham Gravel Helmet, Roman Auxiliary Helmet, 1.2mm Steel

Gravel witcham helmet, cavalry helmet of the Roman auxiliary troops, steel, with helmet shield



This beautiful Roman helmet is a replica of a 1st century find (ca. 50-75 AD), which was excavated by peat cutters near Witcham Gravel, Cambridgeshire, England, in 1870 and can now be admired in the British Museum in London.

The largely preserved original, which was classified as a Roman auxiliary cavalry helmet of type B, consisted of an iron core (now almost completely corroded) with a partial outer layer of bronze (tin-plated copper alloy). Traces in the crown area indicate that the helmet originally had a crest. Although this artifact has some identifying features typical of the so-called Gallic Imperial or Imperial Gallic helmet (sloped neck protection, cheek flaps with circular decorative rosettes), it is the only surviving example of a Type B helmet. This uniqueness lies in the presence of large hollow bronze hemispheres or protuberances decorating the neck guard and the helmet bell. Due to the characteristic shape of these humps, reminiscent of bicycle bells, this rare piece was given the nickname of the bicycle bell helmet in England.



This replica of the Roman auxiliary cavalry Witcham Gravel helmet with movable cheek flaps is made of 1.2mm polished steel and richly decorated with brass applications. Since the helmet has no integrated liner, the use of an additional padded hood is recommended for comfortable wearing. Small rings on the inside of the cheek flaps offer the option of attaching a chin strap (not included). The yellow crista , which is based on a reference in Ars Tactica by the ancient Greek historian Arrian, has a red painted wooden frame and can be attached to the pre-drilled dome using the 3 screws supplied.



Details:

- Material: 1.2mm steel with brass fittings, horsehair helmet cap with wooden frame

- Suitable for a head circumference of up to approx. 63 cm.
- Long inner distance (back of head - forehead): approx. 23 cm

- Short inner distance (ear-to-ear): approx. 19 cm

- Weight (helmet only): approx. 3 kg

- Weight with helmet shell: approx. 3.4 kg



The above specifications may vary slightly from copy to copy.