Coppergate helmet 2

Treatment and analysis - part 1

For conservation and security reasons the helmet had to be removed from the site before nightfall on the day of its discovery. After five hours careful work this was finally done at 9 o'clock, just about sunset.

The helmet was in good condition, but while a conservation strategy was being formulated both the helmet and its contents had to be kept in an environment similar to that of burial to avoid their condition worsening. A very dry environment is normally the best way of preventing iron from corroding. But if any waterlogged textile or leather had survived inside the helmet it would shrink and crumble in a dry atmosphere, so this was not an option. Instead, an oxygen-free atmosphere was created using a sealed container and a nitrogen cylinder.

The aim of the conservation work on the helmet was to produce an object that was physically and chemically stable, and to reveal and preserve all the surviving surface detail for further study. This turned out to be a classic example of investigative conservation in action.

The helmet was full of thick clay soil from the site and this needed to be investigated before it could be removed. 'CAT scans' were made using the bodyscanner at York District and General Hospital. This produced X-ray images at different depths through the helmet and its contents. The missing second cheek piece could clearly be seen, as well as some chain mail.

It was then the task of the conservator to excavate carefully the contents of the helmet, layer by layer, using small hand tools. The soil was kept separate from each 10mm layer, and analysed by the environmental archaeologist for microscopic evidence.

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Bringing it alive