Budapest Régiségei 32. (1998)
TANULMÁNYOK - Kocsis László: Lovassági sisak Albertfalváról 135-142
Hungarian National Museum. 23 To these lowbacked helmets of type "G" a single or bipartite mask had also belonged originally. On its more developed variant (type "H") the mask is replaced with a helmet-mask 24 or a cheek-piece. The other end of the series is closed by the type "I" 25 with decorated brow plate, of which an almost intact example is known from Rusovce/Oroszvár (Gerulata). 26 (Fig. 6.) In case of this type disappears the crest and the mask, made with the raised relief technique, from the top of the bowl, and the face-helmet is substituted with a cheek piece. The well known representation of the eagle, also appears on the cheek-piece of the Gerulata copper-alloy helmet. The decoration here is not a simple repoussé work but a raised relief, showing the eagle emerging spectacularly form the flat background of the cheekpiece. On these copper-alloy helmets the gleaming surface of the raised decoration, shining like gold, was contrasted by the white coating of the background. This polychromy increased the general impression brought about by the embellishment. Although, as for its shape, our cheek-piece is almost identical with the pieces applied on auxiliary cavalry helemt types 27 , judging from its ornaments and copper-alloy material, it still belongs to the category of parade helmets. 28 Due to the small number of helmets considered so far, we cannot say nevertheless, which type of calotts could bear the Albertfalva cheek-piece. Both the calotte of the Theilenhofen helmet 29 with a brow plate and a crest, decorated with a raised relief, and the calotte type of the Guisborough 30 helmet (Fig. 7.) with a decorated brow plate alone, could be brought into consideration. Thus, according to the typology of Robinson, the Albertfalva cheek-piece represents a transitional form between the types H-I of the Cavalry Sports Helmets. On the basis of the comparable material at our disposal we may date the manufacture and use of our cheek-piece to the période between the end of the 2nd and the middle of the 3rd century. This dating is supported by the structure itself-probably masonry walls on the territory south of the auxiliary fort 3 '-, identified as the precise finding place of the piece. Fig 1-2. Cheek-piece from Albertfalva Fig 3. Finding place of the cheek-piece Fig 4. Helm from Heddemheim Fig 5. Helm from Theilenhofen Fig 6. Helm from Gerulata Fig 7. Helm from Guisborough 140
