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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GinoLR, post: 8320379, member: 128351&quot;]Most of the helmets found on this battlefield are what archaeologists call &quot;Montefiorino-type helmets&quot;, after Gallic helmets found in 3rd c. BC tombs at Montefiorino in North Italy. They are considered typical of the Gauls who lived at the time in North Italy, then called by the Romans &quot;Cisalpine Gaul&quot;. These Gallic pieces of armour were adopted by the Romans who used the same kind of helmets for their own warriors. But we also know that Carthaginians hired many Gallic mercenaries for their own military. Thus we cannot know to which side, Roman or Carthaginian, these Montefiorino-type helmets found underwater at the Aegates site belonged.</p><p><br /></p><p>The crests of these helmets can be mere globes, or a small lion (like the one illustrated in the article), or a griffin. The griffin helmet is of particular interest because it is the typical crest-ornament of Roma&#039;s helmet on coins from the 3rd c. BC. Here is a pic of an helmet from the Aegates battle site, a Roman didrachm of the 1st Punic War (Roma wearing a Phrygian helmet topped by a griffin&#039;s head) and a Roman denarius of the 2nd Punic War (not my coins, just for illustration).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1473657[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>All the helmets found at the Aegates site are of Montefiorino-type, except only one which is different and has been labeled &quot;Punic helmet&quot;.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another historic puzzle is the kind of galleys the bronze rams found at the Aegates belonged to. According to Polybius who left a detailed account of the battle, both sides mostly used quinqueremes also called &quot;Fives&quot;, galleys thought to be a bit larger than the classical triremes. But all the rams found at the Aegates site are rather small, when compared with other rams found elsewhere.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a pic of the Athlit ram (Haifa museum) found off the coast of Israel, and a pic of one of the Aegates rams. On both photos, the guy gives the scale.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1473660[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>It seems that all sunken galleys, Roman as well as Punic, discovered so far at the Aegates site, were relatively small units. Another historical problem is the nationality of the rams: most seem to be Roman, only two have Punic inscriptions. Some have made the hypothesis that Roman rams could have belonged to galleys previously seized by the Carthaginians, and fighting on the Carthaginian side in 241 BC. Why not? Polybius says that the Roman fleet fighting in 241 had just been built thanks to a forced loan from the wealthiest families, but there are different colleges of Roman quaestors or magistrates mentioned on the rams: the sunken Roman galleys did not belong to the same shipbuilding program, some were older than others...</p><p><br /></p><p>Let&#039;s add the pottery found, which seems to be from South Italy much more than from North Africa...</p><p><br /></p><p>To sum it up, helmets, rams and even pottery found so far at this site suggest, at first sight, that it was the Romans who suffered heavier losses there, losing many small galleys. This does not correspond to Polybius&#039; account. It is possible that the explored sector has been the site of a side-action of this battle.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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