New Anglo-Saxon Helmet discovered in England
Ange...@hrofi.demon.co.uk
On Monday 21st April I saw a news report that said an Anglo-Saxon
helmet had been discovered in Northamptonshire. My immediate
reaction was shock (in a most pleasant way), followed by a great need
to find out more. I've since followed up by contacting both the
archaeologist who excavated it and the conservator who is working on
it. Here's what I was able to find out:
At the moment most of the information about the helmet's construction
comes from X-rays of it. There should be more information
forthcoming as the conservation work takes place. The helmet seems to
be constructed completely of iron (which is unusual as all three of
the other surviving, reconstructable helmets use non-ferrous metals as
well as iron). It is surmounted by an iron crest in the shape of a
boar - only the second example found on a helmet anywhere in the world
(although there are boar crests that have been found without helmets,
including a bronze Anglo-Saxon one). It is similar in construction
to the Anglian helmet from Coppergate, with a wide brow-band and a
nape to nose band ending in a round tipped nasal. There are bands
running from ear to ear, with metal infil panels. It has cheek-flaps
very similar in shape to the Coppergate helmet, with an edging strip.
There are holes around the back of the brow band which seem to have
supported some sort of neck-guard. This part of the helmet has been
damaged by a plough at some point so the exact nature of the neck
guard is not clear at present, although it seems to be constructed of
metal rods, perhaps some sort of 'link-mail' (not chain-mail as in the
Coppergate helmet or a solid guard as in the Sutton Hoo helmet). The
only other decorative feature apart from the boar seems to be narrow
bands making a cross pattern running along the nose to nape and ear
to ear bands.
The cost of excavation and conservation costs are being met by Pioneer
Aggregates who own the site (well done Pioneer Agregates, let's hope
more companies will follow your example in future). The helmet is
already being referred to as 'The Pioneer Helmet'.
Other Items in the burial are a decorative bronze bowl with enammelled
escutcheons, a pattern welded sword in its scabbard, a small iron
buckle which seems to be associated with the scabbard and a small iron
object which is probably a knife. There may have originally have
been other items which have been lost through plough action. The
grave also included long bone(s) from the leg, the top of the skull
and both sets of teeth. The position and nature of the skull suggest
that the head probablly rested on a pillow, and wear on the teath
shows that the body was probably not that young (perhaps 35-45).
Current thoughts are that the man buried was probably a prince or
important nobleman. The archaeologists are fairly certain that the
burial dates to between 600 and 650AD.
Other work on the site shows that there was a Roman Vinyard capable of
producing about 15,000 bottles of wine a year (!), an Iron Age
settlement and some neolithic remains.
I will be posting a sketch of the helmet on the Angelcynn website at
http://www.hrofi.demon.co.uk/angelcyn
over the weekend, so check that out if you want to see what it looks
like.
Ben Levick
Angelcynn - Anglo-Saxon Living History 400-900AD
------------------------------------------------
URL: http://www.hrofi.demon.co.uk/angelcyn
URL: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2471
E-mail: Ange...@hrofi.demon.co.uk
Nathan A. Breen
I had read, in the NY Times online (4-23-97) I believe, that it wasn't
just a helmet that was found, but an entire corpse and a few other
objects (one of them a bowl, I think). Is this true? The report also
stated that the primary belief is that the body, according to its
trappings, was that of a nobleman, possibly a prince from about 1000
years old. Can anyone confirm or deny this report?
Thanks!
Ange...@hrofi.demon.co.uk
There was indeed a sword (a fine pattern welded one) and an ornate
bronze bowl as well as the helmet. There was also an iron buckle and
knife. It is believed to be a nobleman's grave from about 600-650AD,
so it's about 1,400 years old.
If you want to find out about the newly discovered Anglo-Saxon helmet
(with pictures) check out our page about it:
http://www.hrofi.demon.co.uk/angelcyn/helmet.html
Waes thu hael
Keith McArdle
On Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:35:47 -0500, "Nathan A. Breen"
<nbr...@sprynet.com> wrote:
>
>I had read, in the NY Times online (4-23-97) I believe, that it wasn't
>just a helmet that was found, but an entire corpse and a few other
>objects (one of them a bowl, I think). Is this true? The report also
>stated that the primary belief is that the body, according to its
>trappings, was that of a nobleman, possibly a prince from about 1000
>years old. Can anyone confirm or deny this report?
>
>Thanks!
Hi,
They believe he was a prince who lived in the 7th century. A helmet
with a boar on top of it was found along with the skeleton, a hanging
bowl and some very expensive armour. It was all found at
Wellinborough, they are still working on it however because where
Wellinborough is today there was nothing in the 7th century. They are
wondering why a prince would be out there by himself. The grave was
also quite shallow, the soil that covered the skeleton was only about
9 inches deep.
cu
Keith
Angelcynn
kei...@m130.aone.net.au (Keith McArdle) wrote:
Although the grave was 'in the middle of nowhere', it was near the
junction of two Roman roads - a landmark of some significance in early
Anglo-Saxon England. We know that barrows were often erected at
prominant landmarks, and the archaeologists believe the body _MAY_
originally have been buried in a barrow, so perhaps this explains why
he is buried by himself.
To find out more about this helmet (and to see photos of a
reconstruction of it) visit:
http://www.hrofi.demon.co.uk/angelcyn/helmet.html
Lindstrom James
: On Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:35:47 -0500, "Nathan A. Breen"
: <nbr...@sprynet.com> wrote:
: >
: >I had read, in the NY Times online (4-23-97) I believe, that it wasn't
: >just a helmet that was found, but an entire corpse and a few other
: >objects (one of them a bowl, I think). Is this true? The report also
: >stated that the primary belief is that the body, according to its
: >trappings, was that of a nobleman, possibly a prince from about 1000
: >years old. Can anyone confirm or deny this report?
: >
: >Thanks!
This is fascinating information. I've been looking for material on
weaponry in Beowulf, but seem unable to locate much of anything. Can
anyone suggest an article or two or three that might have some useful data?
The best I can find is a Master's Thesis from the late '70s. Surely this
topic has attracted more attention than that!
Jim Lindstrom
Duquesne University
linds...@duq3.cc.duq.edu
Kathy McIntosh
In article <33676213...@news.mky.aone.net.au>, Keith McArdle
<kei...@m130.aone.net.au> writes
>
snip
> where
>Wellinborough is today there was nothing in the 7th century.
snip
Keith, how can you say this? Where you there in the 7th century?
Surely the most you can say is that there is no visible evidence for
people living in the Wellingborough are in the 7th century. The very
fact that they have found this grave is evidence that people went there,
if only to be buried!
--
Kathy McIntosh
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Robert Byrne.
Nathan A. Breen
I'm not quite sure of articles on weaponry in Beowulf, but for
information on early swords, a good book to look at is Hilda L.S.
Davidson's _The Anglo-Saxon Sword_. You may also be able to get other
sources from her bibliography.
Nathan A. Breen
information on early swords, a good book to look at is Hilda S.
william thomas powers
>I'm not quite sure of articles on weaponry in Beowulf, but for
>information on early swords, a good book to look at is Hilda S.
>Davidson's _The Anglo-Saxon Sword_. You may also be able to get other
>sources from her bibliography.
Would this be "The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: by H.R. Ellis Davidson
Boydell Press, isbn 0-85115-355-0?
A great book and very readable--I've been trying their suggestions on
possible blade echants, salt and vinegar, tannic acid both seems to work
as required---I hardly ever use ferric chloride any more!
wilelm the smith
Carl Edlund Anderson
In article <336B7D...@sprynet.com>, "Nathan A. Breen"> information on early swords, a good book to look at is Hilda L.S.
Quick bibliographic correction: Hilda Ellis Davidson.
Cheers,
Carl
Carl Edlund Anderson
In article <cea20-ya02408000...@nntp-serv.cam.ac.uk>,
And to add to my own correction ;) it's: The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England.
Cheers,
Carl
Nathan A. Breen
william thomas powers wrote:
>
> >I'm not quite sure of articles on weaponry in Beowulf, but for
> >information on early swords, a good book to look at is Hilda S.
> >Davidson's _The Anglo-Saxon Sword_. You may also be able to get other
> >sources from her bibliography.
>
> Would this be "The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: by H.R. Ellis Davidson
>
> Boydell Press, isbn 0-85115-355-0?
>
> A great book and very readable--I've been trying their suggestions on
> possible blade echants, salt and vinegar, tannic acid both seems to work
> as required---I hardly ever use ferric chloride any more!
>
> wilelm the smith
Sorry! My memory and my notes are sometimes in shorthand :)
NAB
Bill MacLeod
(If I've missed a previous reference to this, please excuse...)
If you're interested in this recent find, there's an EXCELLENT site on
the web that has, among other things, quotes from Beowulf on both
helmits and swords, a descriptions of the swords and their manufacture,
and a full-page sketch of the newly discovered helmet.
Go see:
http://www.hrofi.demon.co.uk/angelcyn/helmet.html#back1
Bill.
cabo...@inspace.net
======================================================================
Nathan A. Breen wrote:
>
> I'm not Lindstrom James wrote:
> >
> > : On Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:35:47 -0500, "Nathan A. Breen"
> > : <nbr...@sprynet.com> wrote:
> >
> > : >
> > : >I had read, in the NY Times online (4-23-97) I believe, that it wasn't
> > : >just a helmet that was found... <snip>Can anyone confirm or deny this report?
> > : >
> > : >Thanks!
> >
> > <snip> ...I've been looking for material on
> > weaponry in Beowulf... <snip>
> > Jim Lindstrom
> > Duquesne University
> > linds...@duq3.cc.duq.edu
>
> <snip>