The Roman Sports Cavalry Helmet from Islaz (Teleorman County, Romania)

Cercetări Arheologice 30.2, 2023, 669-690
https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.30.2.15



The Roman Sports Cavalry Helmet from Islaz (Teleorman County, Romania)

Authors: Alexandru Rațiu Mihaela Simion Laurențiu-Marian Angheluță

Keywords:

Roman Army; Roman Cavalry `Sports` Helmet; Pseudo-Phrygian Helmet; Vechten type; limes Alutanus; Hippika Gymnasia

Abstract:

The topic of this paper is a Roman cavalry sports helmet, or more specifically two halves of the same item, made out of copper alloy. It is part of a category of highly decorated military equipment, designed for parade or, more precisely, used in equestrian games/processions by cavalrymen of the Roman army. It was discovered in the area of the Islaz Roman fortifications, on the Olt River Roman frontier, the so-called limes Alutanus. The discovery in itself is spectacular. Both parts of the helmet were discovered almost in the same place, in two separate occasions, both accidental, by private citizens, in a time span of four months. The two fragments that form a whole helmet are well preserved and they present a strong point for the Roman presence at Islaz. The item in itself is a rare and beautiful find, this helmet in particular being the second of its kind (type) known to be found in the world. The helmet is from the Vechten Type, or pseudo-Phrygian type, named after its only analogy, the helmet from Vechten (Netherlands).

Download: PDF

Material Suplimentar: Descarcă

How to cite: Alexandru Rațiu, Mihaela Simion, Laurențiu-Marian Angheluță, The Roman Sports Cavalry Helmet from Islaz (Teleorman County, Romania), Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 30.2, pag. 669-690, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.30.2.15

Bibliography

  1. Ammianus Marcellinus. History, Volume I: Books 14-19. Translated by J. C. Rolfe. Loeb Classical Library 300. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1950.
  2. Arrianus. Ars Tactica. Burnt, P., A. (trans.). Loeb Clasical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (1976-1983).
  3. Heliodorus of Emesa. An Aethiopian Romance. Translated by Thomas Underdowne (Anno 1587), revised and partly rewritten by F. A. Wright (1927). London: George Routledge & Sons Ltd. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co.
  4. Abdul-Hak, S. 1954/1955. Rapport préliminaire sur des objets provenant de la nécropole romaine située à proximité de Nawa (Hauran). Les Annales Archéologiques de Syrie 4/5: 163-188.
  5. Angheluță, L. M., Țentea, O., Ghervase, L., Cortea, I. M., Dinu, M., Ratoiu, L. C. and Pârău, A. C. 2022. Integrated multi-analytical study of the bronze vessel from Mălăiești Roman fort. Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology 9, 1: 185-197.
  6. Bogdan-Cătăniciu, I. 1997. Muntenia în sistemul defensive al Imperiului roman sec. I-III p. Chr. / Wallachia in the Defensive system of the Roman Empire 1st – 3rd centuries AD. Alexandria: Muzeul Județean Teleorman.
  7. Born, H. and Junkelmann, M. 1997. Römische Kampf- und Turnierrüstungen. Sammlung Axel Guttmann. Mainz am Rhein: Philipp von Zabern.
  8. Bishop, M.C., Breeze, D. 2011. The Crosby Garrett Cavalry Helmet. Pewsey (UK): Armatura Press.
  9. Bishop, M.C. and Coulston, J.C.N. 2006. The Roman Military Equipment: from the Punic Wars to the fall of Rome. (Second Edition). London: Oxbow Books.
  10. D’Amato, R. and Negin, A. E. 2017. Decorated Roman Armour. From the Age of the Kings to the Death of Justinian the Great. Barnsley (Yorkshire): Frontline Books.
  11. Dixon, K.R. and Southern, P. 1997. The Roman Cavalry. Oxford: Routledge Publishing House.
  12. Dragotă Gh. 1987, Masca romană de bronz de la Cincșor (jud. Brașov). Studii și Cercetări de Istorie Veche 38/3, 276–280.
  13. van Enckevort, H.L.H. and Willems, W.J.H. 1994. Roman cavalry helmets in ritual hoards from the Kops Plateau at Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 1: 125-140.
  14. Garbsch, J. 1978. Römische Paraderüstungen. München: C. H. Beck Verlag.
  15. Hanel, N., Wilber-Rost, S. and Willer, F. 2006. Die Helmmaske aus Kalkriese. Bonner Jahrbücher 204/2004: 71-91.
  16. Isac, D. 2009. The Cavalry Parade Mask from Gilău. Ephemeris Napocensis 19: 191-198.
  17. Junkelmann, M. 1996. Reiter wie Statuen aus Erz. Mainz am Rhein: Verlag Philipp von Zabern.
  18. Kalee, C.A. 1989. Roman helmets and other militaria from Vechten. In van Driel-Murray, C. Roman Military Equipment: The sources of Evidence. Proceedings of the Fifth Roman Military Equipment Conference. BAR International Series 476: 193-226.
  19. Nicolay J. 2007. Armed Batavians. Amsterdam Archaeological Studies II. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
  20. Oldenstein, J. 1990. Two Roman Helmets from Eich, Alzey-Worms district. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 1: 27-37.
  21. Petculescu, L. 1982. Obrăzare de coifuri romane din Dacia. Acta Musei Napocensis 19: 291-299.
  22. Petculescu, L. 1990. Contributions to Roman decorated Helmets and Breastplates from Dacia. Vetters, H. and Kandler, M. (eds.) Akten des 14. Internationalen Limeskongresses 1986 in Carnuntum, Teil 2: 843-854. Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften.
  23. Petolescu, C.C. 2021. Armata romană din Dacia. București: Editura Academiei Române.
  24. Rădulescu, A. 1963. Elmi bronzei di Ostrov. Dacia N.S 7: 535-551.
  25. Robinson, H. R. 1975. The Armour of Imperial Rome. London: Arms and Armour Press.
  26. Simileanu, M. 2016. LIBS quantitative analyses of bronze objects for Cultural Heritage applications. Romanian Reports in Physics 68 (1): 203-209.
  27. Simileanu, M. and Rădvan, R. 2012. Comparative study of mono and double pulse LIBS configurations analyses for on-site transportable set-up optimization. Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials 14 (11-12): 1066-1070.
  28. Simileanu, M., Mărăcineanu, W. and Striber J. 2008. Advanced research technology for art and archaeology – ART4ART mobile laboratory. Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials 10 (2): 470-473.
  29. Stephenson, I. P. and Dixon, K. 2003. Roman Cavalry Equipment. Stroud: Tempus.
  30. Țentea, O., Matei-Popescu, Fl. and Călina, Vl. 2021. Frontiera romană din Dacia Inferior. O trecere în revistă și o actualizare. 1. Cercetări Arheologice 28.1: 9-90.
  31. Vlădescu, Cr. M. 1981. Masca de paradă de la Romula si încercarea de reconstituire a coifului de cavalerie romană. Studii și Cercetări de Istorie Veche și Arheologie 32.2: 195–203.
  32. Waurick, G. 1986. Helm und Maske: Untersuchungen zu den römischen Gesichtshelmen. In Unz, C. (ed.), Studien zu den Militärgrenzen Roms III: 13. Internationaler Limeskongreß Aalen 1983: Forschungen und Berichte zur Vor-und Frühgeschichte in Baden-Württemberg Band 20/ 1986: 794-798. Stuttgart: Konrad Theiss Verlag.
  33. Willems W.J.H. 1992. Roman face masks from the Kops Plateau, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 3: 57-66.

Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License