Research and Restoration-Conservation of a Viking Helmet. Relevant Aspects

The medieval helmet of Viking origin, which was discovered on Siret River, in Pașcani city, in 2010, unique across the Romanian space and one of the few examples known in Europe, is appreciated by specialists in the field as having an immeasurable historical value. The cultural asset, included in the collection of Moldavia's History Museum within “Moldova” National Museum Complex of Iași, can be dated to the 10th − 13th centuries and represents a type of helmet most often found in the Baltic area and Kievan Rus. The object has an elongated, almost pointed shape of the skullcap, for deflecting sword blows and is characterized by a stylized representation of the eyes for magical purposes, to intimidate and dominate the enemy, but also by the presence of some ornaments specific to the Vikings, made up of lines and braided or meandering bands, often found in the Nordic art. The specialized literature shows that such pieces were completed with a protection for the back of the head, sometimes also for the cheeks, attached by riveting to the skullcap and which could be made of chain mail or thick leather reinforced with metal plates. The shape of the helmet from Pașcani is reminiscent of older pieces, used by the Germanic groups from the 6th − 7th centuries, which are characterized by the presence of strips − spangenhelm. The specialists believe that, by perpetuating this older morphology, elements of military equipment such as the helmet from Pașcani exuded authority, power, being at the same time adapted to the new military tactics of the era. The artifact was analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) in order to identify the composing elements of the main body and of the two ornaments. The helmet is in an medium state of conservation, with areas of corrosion, lack of material, deformations, massive deposits of petrified alluvium, with a weakened structure of the ornamental elements, due to the conditions of lying, represented by the conservation over a long period of time in the bed of Siret River. The restoration − conservation process found in the mechanical and chemical removal of adherent deposits, neutralization in distilled water, free drying, anhydration with ethyl alcohol, conservation.