2,000-year-old Roman cavalry helmet sheds new light on conquest of Britain after experts piece 1,000 fragments back together

Historians have pieced together a 2,000-year-old Roman cavalry helmet 10 years after its discovery in an Iron Age shrine and say it sheds new light on the conquering of Britain.

The helmet and its cheek pieces have been painstakingly restored from 1,000 small fragments over three years by experts at the British Museum.

Constructed of sheet iron, the helmet, once decorated with gold leaf, is the only one to have been found in Britain with its silver gilt plating intact and is also one of the earliest ever found in Britain.

Metals conservation expert Marilyn Hockey began unearthing the fragments out of a 'big lump of soil' at the British Museum three years ago....