An underwater helmet hoard off Spain's coast is medieval, not Roman. Researchers confirmed the finding using radiocarbon dating.
Key facts
- •The helmet hoard was found off Spain's eastern coast near Benicarló
- •At least 43 helmets were recovered from the submerged site
- •The helmets date back to the late 14th or early 15th century
- •Radiocarbon dating was applied to iron helmets from an underwater site for the first time
- •The helmets are believed to have been lost at sea during a period of maritime insecurity
- •The simple construction of the helmets suggests they were made in smaller regional workshops
A collection of helmets found off Spain's eastern coast near Benicarló has been confirmed to be medieval, dating back to the late 14th or early 15th century. The helmets were previously thought to be ancient Roman.
Discovery and Research
The helmets were recovered by divers in 1990 from a submerged site about six meters deep near Benicarló. At least 43 helmets were identified and are now stored at two institutions. Researchers, led by Manuel Frallicciardi, applied radiocarbon dating to iron helmets from an underwater site for the first time. They found organic evidence trapped inside the helmets, including fabric linings that were sent to laboratories for analysis.
Dating and Analysis
The radiocarbon results showed that four of the five samples dated back to between the last quarter of the 14th century and the early 15th century. One sample returned a date roughly 150 years later, which researchers attributed to post-depositional contamination. The helmets were found to have simple constructions, with most having rounded skull caps and a central ridge, resembling medieval infantry helmets.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Greek Reporter.
