Antaeus - Communicationes ex Instituto Archaeologico Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 24. (A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Régészeti Intézetének közleményei, 1997-1998)
László Kocsis: A cavalry sports helmet find from Albertfalva
facturing technologies he divided the helmets and masks belonging to these types into several groups. According to the formal analysis of our cheek-piece, and its comparison with the possible types of bowls to which it may have belonged, we may reckon with two helmet types of different functions: on the one hand with a battle helmet for everyday use, and with a parade helmet worn at special occasions, on the other. The first possible type is the Auxiliary cavalry H,14 which is not a parade helmet (Fig. 3. 2). On the bowls of this type, which could have been made of iron or copper-alloy, or eventually the combination of these two, a cheek-piece almost identical in form with that from Albertfalva were applied. The protruding earguard known from earlier helmet types, plays no part on these types indeed, but rather a representation of a natural sized ear appears on the cheek-pieces, which latter wrapped totally even those parts of the head (i. e. the ears) which were left earlier uncovered. This type of cavalry helmets represents the latest phase of that development which had begun in the middle third of the 2nd centuiy, with the aim to create types serving cavalry purposes as well, from helmet types used by the infantry.15 At the consideration of the next possibility regarding the use of our cheekpiece, we may reckon with two typological variants. In both cases we may seek the bowl, to which our piece had belonged originally, among the further developments of the cavalry sports parade helmets G-H, furthermore the typological variants of ,J” according to the terminology and classification of Robinson. At one end of the typological series stands the almost entirely intact crested copper-alloy helmet with a decorated brow plate from Theilenhofen (Fig. 3. 4), made with the raised relief technology,16 which is equipped with a cheek-piece having minor differences in comparison to that from Albertfalva. On this bowl the embossed shape of the eagle with fluttering wings or the eagle-headed crest appears, known also from two low-backed helmets preserved in the Hungarian National Museum.17 To these, low-backed helmets of type „G” a single or bipartite mask had also belonged originally. On its more developed variant (type ,,H”) the mask is replaced with a helmet-mask18 or a cheek piece. 14 Robinson 1975 100. 15 After that time, the development of ealier helmet types ceased, and during the last quarter of the 3rd century, the Intercisa type helmets appear, manufactured with an entirely new technology in a new form. See: Kocsis 1994 82-101. 16 Klumbach - Wämser 1978 41 sqq.; Garbsch 1978 55-56. 17 One of these low-backed bowls was purchased from Brigetio, the other one is enlisted among the pieces of the Delhaes Collection. This latter comes from the region of the Iron Gate. See: Barkóczi 1954 45-48, 11/1-2, 12/2; Garbsch 1978 72, 28; Lipperheide 1986 315-316, 433b-433a; Garbsch 1978 72, 28/3-4. 18 A characteristic example of this type is known from Worthing. See: Robinson 1975 130-131, 384-388. A fragment of a face-helmet belonging to this type came to light on the Danubian limes at Aschberg in Raetia, where the figure of the eagle turning back its head also appears. See: Robinson 1975 131, 390.