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"Extraordinary" Roman Helmet
Photograph courtesy Christie's Auction House
A rare Roman helmet dating to the late first to second century A.D. fetched nearly $3.6 million dollars at a London auction on October 7.
The bronze helmet and face mask (seen above in an undated photo) were discovered in May 2010 by a treasure hunter using a metal detector in a field in Cumbria, a county in northwestern England.
(Related pictures: "Giant, Bulging-Eyed Roman Emperor Statue Found.")
The helmet was described by Christie's auction house as "an extraordinary example of Roman metalwork at its zenith."
Both the sellers and winning bidder have remained anonymous.
Published October 11, 2010
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Heads of Antiquity
Photograph courtesy Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
Christie's Head of Antiquities Georgiana Aitken poses with the newfound helmet in London on September 13.
The piece—named Crosby Garrett for the hamlet in Cumbria where it was found—sold for nearly eight times the amount it was expected to fetch. Six persistent bidders pushed the price up in auction, according to the Associated Press.
Aitken described the find as "the discovery of a lifetime for a metal detectorist."
(Related: "River Thames 'Mudlarks' Dig Up Medieval Toys.")
"When it was initially brought to Christie's and I examined it firsthand, I saw this extraordinary face from the past staring back at me and I could scarcely believe my eyes," the AP reported Aitken as saying.
Published October 11, 2010
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Just for Show
Photograph courtesy Christie's Auction House
A profile of the Crosby Garrett helmet is seen in an undated photo released by Christie's in September.
Christie's describes the nearly 2,000-year-old artifact as a cavalry parade helmet, worn for sporting events rather than for combat.
It's one of only three such pieces ever discovered in Great Britain—the others are housed in the British Museum and Edinburgh's National Museums Scotland.
(See "Iron Age Warrior with Roman Links Found in U.K.")
Published October 11, 2010
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Griffin-Topped Helmet
Photograph courtesy Christie's Auction House
A griffin—a mythical combination of a lion and eagle—tops the "virtually intact" Crosby Garrett helmet in an undated picture released by Christie's.
The solid-cast bronze piece on top of a Phrygian-style cap "appears unprecedented," according to Christie's.
The metropolis of Phyrgia, which peaked between the sixth and eighth centuries A.D., is located in modern-day Turkey.
(See "Lead 'Burrito' Sarcophagus Found Near Rome.")
Published October 11, 2010
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