The Vendel helmet from Hallum: an experimental reconstruction.
The bronze animal heads presented in Paleo-aktueel 28 were taken as the starting point for the reconstruction of a Vendel helmet to which they originally belonged. After a selection of more-or-less intact Vendel helmets from Swedish boat graves at Vendel, Valsgärde and Ulltuna are described shortly, the individual stages of the reconstruction are presented. During this experimental process all kind of choices had to be made, leading to new insights about the manufacture of the helmet crest (forged instead of cast), about the fastening of the central bow (with the help of both animal heads), and about the probable re-use of stamped bronze foils to produce new matrices. How the presence of a Swedish-type helmet in Friesland should be explained, is the subject of a forthcoming paper.
