cavalry helmet

Alongside the Roman cavalry parade helmet, this is one of two of the most important military items from Roman Britain. These outstanding and associated pieces of Roman cavalry parade armour reflect the presence of army personnel in central Norfolk during the later years of Roman Britain.

The visor mask complements the helmet and would have been worn beneath a similar ceremonial piece. It similarly carries elaborate repousse decoration, depicting Mars on one side and Victory holding a wreath on the other. Intriguingly, these items are not actually a fitting pair, although they can be considered together as each would have originally been coupled with a similar complementary item.

These important objects were found close to a Romano-British small town at Billingford. This settlement grew up at a strategic crossing point where the Roman road which linked the industrial town of Brampton with that of Denver on the fen-edge, passed over the River Wensum. The discovery of over 1,500 Roman coins from the site shows that it was occupied for the full duration of Roman Britain, with greatest activity there during the middle years of the fourth century and declining in the final decades of Roman Britain, after about 380 AD. The helmet parts indicate the presence and importance of military elements in society even in areas like Norfolk that were not part of the obvious militarised zones of Roman Britain.