Infantry helmet with neck guard, Montefortino type

The helmet shown here dates from the early 1st century AD. Its surface is covered with a thin layer of tin that probably served as a cheap replacement for a costly silver coating. A neck guard protected the neck from sword blows. Bronze or iron helmets were part of the standard equipment of Roman soldiers. They had cheek plates and a holder for a crest. The helmet lining, a stuffed linen cushion, was glued into the helmet. Until the 3rd century AD a soldier’s weaponry included armor, a shield and two javelins. Often he wore a dagger on his belt as well. The sword was the main weapon of a Roman infantry soldier. Well into the 3rd century it was the gladius, a short stabbing sword with a broad blade.