Ribchester Helmet: A rare 'face mask' helmet worn by a Roman cavalry officer 1,900 years ago

In 1796, while scampering through fields behind his house in Ribchester, England, a young boy stumbled upon a hoard of over 30 metal artifacts in a hollow. The most unique and impressive item in the hoard was a bronze helmet with a face mask dating to the early Roman Empire.

The Ribchester Helmet entered the collection of the British Museum in 1813, where it has been on display ever since. The helmet consists of two main parts: a helmet bowl decorated with a martial scene, and a mask shaped like the face of a young man. Together, the parts of the mask weigh 2.9 pounds (1.3 kilograms). It is one of only three helmets with face masks ever found in Roman Britain.

The helmet bowl has been highly decorated with a scene of apparent combat between six cavalry and 11 infantry soldiers. Although the cavalry troops are outnumbered, they seem to have the upper hand, as two infantrymen lie dead. Two palmettes symbolizing victory are also depicted on the helmet bowl, in addition to a shield and spears signifying armor captured from the enemy. Holes in the nape of the neck suggest streamers were once attached to the helmet.

On the face mask, the young man has an expressionless and beardless visage. His hair curls turn into four serpents' heads — likely a visual reference to the myth of Medusa and the Gorgons, which has been found on other Roman military equipment. Atop the youth's hair rests a diadem in the form of the "corona muralis." This crown, shaped like a city wall, was one of the highest forms of Roman military decoration. But the mask has very small eye and nostril holes, making it impractical to wear in actual combat.

In a 2019 study published in the journal Arms & Armour, archaeologists Jamie Kaminski and David Sim explained the purpose of the Ribchester Helmet as special equipment worn during "hippika gymnasia" (cavalry tournaments), a type of military exercise that doubled as entertainment for troops and visiting dignitaries.

"The events included mock battles between the élite riders of the unit, in which both men and horses were bedecked in flamboyant suites of equipment often in the guise of Greeks, Trojans and Amazons," Kaminski and Sim wrote.

The helmet was likely being stored in a box or chest, along with the rest of the military equipment, for future use or for scrap purposes near the Roman fort of Bremetennacum Veteranorum, which was once located in the present-day village of Ribchester. The fort was abandoned in the late second century, and the hoard was likely forgotten until a curious young boy dug it up 17 centuries later.

For more stunning archaeological discoveries, check out our Astonishing Artifacts archives.