Montefortino - style helmet found

A remarkably well preserved "Montefortino"-style helmet was found in an underwater excavation in the Aegadian Islands off the coast of Sicily. The helmet was likely lost in the Battle of the Egadi Islands (also known as the Aegates Islands) in the First Punic War in 241 B.C.

This style of helmet was introduced to the Romans by the Celts and was a popular armor choice from the fourth century B.C. through the first century A.D. Notably, the Montefortino-style helmet has a small knob on the top where plumes were attached. It also had a projecting bill, like a modern baseball hat, and hinged cheek plates.

On March 10, 241 B.C., Carthage and Rome engaged in the Battle of the Aegates, the Latin name for the islands off the west coast of Sicily. According to the ancient historian Polybius, although the Carthaginians outnumbered the Roman army, the Romans were better trained and defeated them. As a result, Carthage surrendered Sicily, and the First Punic War came to an end after 23 years. Last year, a Roman "rostrum" — a naval battering ram that would have been attached to the bow of a warship — was also cleaned and studied. This revealed a new inscription "Ser.Solpicio C.F. Quaestor Probavi(t)", linking the ram with Gaius Sulpicius Gallus, a Roman magistrate during the First Punic War.