A helmet which sheds light on the Roman invasion of Britain is to be put on display after a nine-year restoration project.
The Roman cavalry helmet was discovered at a site in Leicestershire. The helmet dates roughly back to 43 AD and could be evidence of Celtic tribes serving with the Roman army.
Restored by a team at the British Museum, the helmet was rebuilt from hundreds of pieces stuck in the earth.
Dr Jeremy Hill, from the British museum, said: 'You can't underestimate the shock and surprise this had when it was first found - Hallaton really transforms our understanding of the Roman conquest of Britain.'
The site at Hallaton was found with hundreds of coins and a large amount of pig bones.
Discovered in 2000, over 5,000 coins, silver ingots and ritual deposits have been dug up by archaeologists and provides an essential part in shedding new light on what we know of the Roman times.
The entire block the helmet was found in was lifted and sent to the museum in order to be excavated carefully under laboratory conditions.
Marilyn Hockey, Head of Ceramics, Glass and Metals Conservation at the British Museum, said: 'This was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects of my career.
'It has been a long job, and I have come to know this object intimately, but I have felt enormously privileged to have had the chance to work on such a unique and fascinating piece of our history.'
The helmet was discovered to be made of iron, coated in silver and decorated in parts in gold leaf.
The helmet would probably have been designed for ceremonial occasions. The lavish decoration includes the bust of a woman, a laurel wreath, a lion and a mounted figure presumed to be an emperor.
'Even if it went into the ground in 43, 44, 45AD, that is changing what we normally think is happening in the Roman conquest. We normally think of the Roman conquest of Britain as Romans versus us. Here you probably have a situation where local Britons are fighting on the Roman side,' said Dr Hill.
The helmet will be displayed at Harborough Museum in Market Harborough from 28 January in a permanent display alongside other finds from the Hallaton site.
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