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Spangen Helms

Early examples are constructed by framing and riveting in the same way as their more rounded later period cousins. Later types were hammered from a single sheet of iron and either often had a nasal bar riveted on. They were worn with a mail aventail or not and a padded arming cap may well have been used. There is an intermediate style where the sections are riveted together without framing as the users found that their pointed profile gave them a greater inherent strength. I had tried to pin point a decent beginning time that Spangens began to appear but my dates were flawed, I was recently  given a better time frame by Norman J Finkelshteyn, of The Silk Road Designs Armoury. 

Norman says:

"The Romans started using Spangenhelms in around the 3rd (or maybe 4th cent), this is one of the distinctions of the Sassanid form from the Classical forms. They used both the "true Spangenhelm" and the "Ridge helm".

Obviously, before the Romans, the Sassanid Persians used them (hence the name: Romano-Sassanid) ...and the style seems to have gotten to Persia by way of the Altaic tribes (ie: Sarmatians and such) 

So, while I have no early terminus date, it would certainly be before the 4th century and I am willing to hazard as far back as the beginning of the Common Era, if not further."

 

The more commonly known Spangenhelms

This helmet is from a Frankish aristocratic grave at Krefeld, Gellep, ca. 525 A.D. 

Helmet style is Sassanian type introduced by the Romans, with Persian, Germanic and Christian motifs. Possibly a Mediterranean import or possibly of Frankish manufacture.

You may notice that this helms has what I have determined to be the biggest difference between early period and later period Spangens. It seems to me that most, if not all, of the early period Spangens have the teardrop shaped fill plates of which there are more that four and "Thor's" hammer shaped strap plates.  The later period Spangens seem to all have 4 infill plates and 4 linear strapping plates.

The last two statements are only a theory of mine and may of course be disproved so if you have any more information on the subject that can make those statements false please let me know.

The Morken Helmet

This Frankish helmet is from an early 7th century aristocratic warrior grave at Morken. The style is Sassanian, probably introduced to the West by the Romans.

Again notice the teardrop shape of the fill plates and the shape of the bands similar to a Thor's Hammer.

I have very little information on this helm at this time, in fact this info came from a small blurb on the internet from an interesting site about the Franks (4th-7th C. AD) .

I will be searching for more info on this one, if anyone has any idea where to get specific info let me know!