Helmet eyebrow arch

Helmet parts of this date are rare finds in Denmark…

What is it?

This piece of a remarkable pre-Viking Age helmet comprises two fragments that fit together perfectly to make up a section c.10cm long in total, representing two-thirds of the helmet’s eyebrow arch. The object is made of gilded bronze and features ornate decorations, including an animal with prominent teeth and large eyes that were originally inset with garnets, one of which still survives. It is possible that other perforations on the arch may also have been filled with garnets. The style of ornamentation dates the object to the Late Germanic Iron Age, specifically to between the later 7th and mid-8th century AD.

Where was it found, and when?

The discovery was made at the site of Lillebro, near the village of Gammel Lejre, in north-western Zealand, Denmark. Previous discoveries in the area – including several notable metal-detecting finds – indicate that this landscape was home to a powerful elite in the Late Iron Age. A field near Lillebro was therefore chosen as the location for a metal-detecting survey in spring 2024. Here, the two sections of the helmet brow arch were found by two different metal-detectorists, approximately 10m apart. The find was handed in to Roskilde Museum, which immediately informed the National Museum of Denmark, and sought permission to display it locally at Lejre Museum for a limited period.