For more than three decades, a remarkable cache of helmets recovered from the waters off eastern Spain was thought to date to Roman times. New research has revealed that the find is actually a lost cargo from the late Middle Ages, offering rare evidence for the movement of arms and armour across the Mediterranean.
The study, published in the journal Antiquity, was led by Manuel Frallicciardi, a doctoral student under joint supervision between the University of Alicante and the University of Salerno. By combining radiocarbon dating with detailed analysis of preserved textiles, researchers determined that the helmets were made between the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries.
The helmets were discovered in 1990 at the underwater site of Piedras de la Barbada, off the coast of Benicarló. Local fishermen accidentally hauled up two large masses of metal fused together by centuries of corrosion. Hidden inside were dozens of iron helmets. At least 43 examples have been identified, making the assemblage one of the most important underwater discoveries for the study of medieval weaponry in the western Mediterranean.
Originally, the helmets were thought to be Roman because other ancient objects had been found at the site, including amphorae and bronze helmets. A re-examination of the assemblage, however, pointed to a much later date.
According to Raimon Graells, a University of Alicante lecturer and co-author of the study, the significance of the discovery extends beyond the helmets themselves. “We are looking at direct evidence of large-scale arms trading. This discovery reveals a network of exchange and communication that was far more complex than previously thought,” he noted.
Dating Medieval Helmets Through Their Textile Linings
Helmets recovered off the coast of Benicarló were not Roman in origin, but formed part of a Late Medieval military cargo. Photo credit: University of Alicante
One of the most unusual aspects of the study was the survival of textile linings inside several helmets. Protected by corrosion and sediment, these fabrics created stable micro-environments that preserved organic material that would normally have decayed.
The researchers describe the direct radiocarbon dating of textiles associated with underwater helmets as unprecedented. Samples were analysed in two separate laboratories, with four of the five results placing the helmets between the later fourteenth century and the early fifteenth century.
Microscopic examination revealed that the linings were woven from plant fibres and formed a simple but robust fabric suitable for padding.
Frallicciardi recalled that identifying the helmets initially proved difficult. “At the beginning, it was difficult to place them in a specific era because they featured traits that recalled both Late Roman models and potential medieval pieces inspired by classical traditions,” he explained.
A Rare Type of Helmet
The helmets themselves appear to represent a little-known stage in the evolution of armour. Most have rounded shapes with longitudinal crests, while another resembles a kettle hat. No exact archaeological parallels are known.
“When I started the research, it was incredible to see that practically no known parallels existed,” Frallicciardi remarked.
Holkam Bible – British Library, Additional MS 47682 fol. 40r
His search led him to several fourteenth-century images, including illustrations in the Holkham Bible, which depict soldiers wearing helmets that resemble the Spanish finds. Similar examples also appear in paintings by Jacopo Uccello and Hans Multscher.
The researchers believe the helmets belonged to ordinary infantry rather than elite warriors. Their simple construction suggests they were produced before armour became increasingly standardized during the fifteenth century, possibly by smaller workshops supplying regional markets.
A Lost Shipment
Evidence indicates that the helmets formed a single cargo that entered the sea during one event. Rather than representing objects lost over centuries, they were probably being loaded or unloaded when an accident caused part of the shipment to fall into the water. The cache was found at a depth of only six metres beside what appears to have been an ancient jetty.
The loss likely occurred during a period of growing instability in the western Mediterranean. From the mid-fourteenth century onward, piracy and coastal raids intensified along the shores of the Kingdom of Valencia, leading to increased militarisation and the construction of defensive networks. The cargo may have been intended for local militias, troops serving the Kingdom of Valencia, or mercenary companies, although its exact destination remains unknown.
The study concludes that the Benicarló helmets represent a transitional form of armour and provide an exceptional snapshot of infantry equipment in use during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries.
The article, “Radiocarbon dating and characterisation of textiles preserved in late medieval helmets from Benicarló (Castellón, Spain),” by Manuel Frallicciardi, Carla Álvarez-Romero, Maria Teresa Doménech-Carbó, Raimon Graells i Fabregat and Alfredo Maria Santoro, was published in Antiquity. Click here to read it.
For more than three decades, a remarkable cache of helmets recovered from the waters off eastern Spain was thought to date to Roman times. New research has revealed that the find is actually a lost cargo from the late Middle Ages, offering rare evidence for the movement of arms and armour across the Mediterranean.
The study, published in the journal Antiquity, was led by Manuel Frallicciardi, a doctoral student under joint supervision between the University of Alicante and the University of Salerno. By combining radiocarbon dating with detailed analysis of preserved textiles, researchers determined that the helmets were made between the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries.
The helmets were discovered in 1990 at the underwater site of Piedras de la Barbada, off the coast of Benicarló. Local fishermen accidentally hauled up two large masses of metal fused together by centuries of corrosion. Hidden inside were dozens of iron helmets. At least 43 examples have been identified, making the assemblage one of the most important underwater discoveries for the study of medieval weaponry in the western Mediterranean.
Originally, the helmets were thought to be Roman because other ancient objects had been found at the site, including amphorae and bronze helmets. A re-examination of the assemblage, however, pointed to a much later date.
According to Raimon Graells, a University of Alicante lecturer and co-author of the study, the significance of the discovery extends beyond the helmets themselves. “We are looking at direct evidence of large-scale arms trading. This discovery reveals a network of exchange and communication that was far more complex than previously thought,” he noted.
Dating Medieval Helmets Through Their Textile Linings
One of the most unusual aspects of the study was the survival of textile linings inside several helmets. Protected by corrosion and sediment, these fabrics created stable micro-environments that preserved organic material that would normally have decayed.
The researchers describe the direct radiocarbon dating of textiles associated with underwater helmets as unprecedented. Samples were analysed in two separate laboratories, with four of the five results placing the helmets between the later fourteenth century and the early fifteenth century.
Microscopic examination revealed that the linings were woven from plant fibres and formed a simple but robust fabric suitable for padding.
Frallicciardi recalled that identifying the helmets initially proved difficult. “At the beginning, it was difficult to place them in a specific era because they featured traits that recalled both Late Roman models and potential medieval pieces inspired by classical traditions,” he explained.
A Rare Type of Helmet
The helmets themselves appear to represent a little-known stage in the evolution of armour. Most have rounded shapes with longitudinal crests, while another resembles a kettle hat. No exact archaeological parallels are known.
“When I started the research, it was incredible to see that practically no known parallels existed,” Frallicciardi remarked.
His search led him to several fourteenth-century images, including illustrations in the Holkham Bible, which depict soldiers wearing helmets that resemble the Spanish finds. Similar examples also appear in paintings by Jacopo Uccello and Hans Multscher.
The researchers believe the helmets belonged to ordinary infantry rather than elite warriors. Their simple construction suggests they were produced before armour became increasingly standardized during the fifteenth century, possibly by smaller workshops supplying regional markets.
A Lost Shipment
Evidence indicates that the helmets formed a single cargo that entered the sea during one event. Rather than representing objects lost over centuries, they were probably being loaded or unloaded when an accident caused part of the shipment to fall into the water. The cache was found at a depth of only six metres beside what appears to have been an ancient jetty.
The loss likely occurred during a period of growing instability in the western Mediterranean. From the mid-fourteenth century onward, piracy and coastal raids intensified along the shores of the Kingdom of Valencia, leading to increased militarisation and the construction of defensive networks. The cargo may have been intended for local militias, troops serving the Kingdom of Valencia, or mercenary companies, although its exact destination remains unknown.
The study concludes that the Benicarló helmets represent a transitional form of armour and provide an exceptional snapshot of infantry equipment in use during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries.
The article, “Radiocarbon dating and characterisation of textiles preserved in late medieval helmets from Benicarló (Castellón, Spain),” by Manuel Frallicciardi, Carla Álvarez-Romero, Maria Teresa Doménech-Carbó, Raimon Graells i Fabregat and Alfredo Maria Santoro, was published in Antiquity. Click here to read it.
Top Image: Photo credit: University of Alicante
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