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This early Medieval (c. 600 C.E.) iron helmet decorated in bronze was recovered from a burial mound at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England.

The burial barrow also contained an 88.5-foot-long ship and many costly and extravagant items. The remains from the burial chamber, including this foot-high helmet, closely parallel finds from the Vendel and Valsgärde cemeteries in Sweden, but with some decidedly Christian elements as well. This reflects the religious transformation occurring in England at the time.

When the roof of the Suffolk burial chamber collapsed, the rusty helmet shattered into hundreds of pieces, which led to a difficult and tedious reconstruction project. The remains of the helmet along with a replica of the helmet are on display in the British Museum in London.