(Thanks to Prioryman
at Wikipedia)
The item of
Roman cavalry headgear known as The Guisborough Helmet was found at Barnaby
Grange Farm, a little to the west of the town after which it was named in
August 1864. Like the recently discovered Crosby Garrett Helmet, it was found
buried in a flattened state in total isolation from other Roman remains, which
has led experts to suggest it was interred as a votive offering by an
ex-soldier.
When it was
originally found – during excavations for a road underpass beneath a railway
line – it could be neither identified for what it was, nor an accurate
estimation given as to its age. The copper-alloy piece was at first thought to
be a breastplate, and that it was perhaps Celtic or Anglo-Saxon. It was not properly identified as a third
century Roman helmet until as late as 1878 after its donation to the British Museum by the
landowner Frederick Greenwood. It was then restored, and now sits on display in
the museum itself.
No one seems to
know whether the head-piece was purely ceremonial, or if it was also used in
battle – but it is undoubtedly one of the region’s greatest archaeological
treasures.
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