2D images of reconstructions

Stack of pila,with butts stuck in the ground and leaned against each other. — A stack of reconstruction pila of the Legio I Italica group at Hadrian's Wall Live 2015. Image: MCB
Pila

A reconstructed pilum stuck in the ground at an angle but not bent. — Reconstruction Oberaden-type pilum not bending after being thrown. Image: MCB
Pilum

Reconstructed pilum — Reconstructed Oberaden-type pilum. Image: MCB
Pilum

Parallel-edged Pompeii-type spatha and scabbard — Pompeii-type spatha reconstruction (Ermine Street Guard). Image: MCB (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Spatha and scabbard

Sword and sheath of the Mainz type — Fulham Mainz-type gladius of the the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mainz-type sword and scabbard

Sword and sheath of the Pompeii type (with parallel edges and a short point) — Pompeii-type gladius of the the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Pompeii-type sword and scabbard

A reconstruction of a Roman short sword with steel blade with triangular tip, wooden hand guard and pommel, and bone hand grip. — Modern reconstruction of a Pompeii-type gladius. Image: Rama (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Sword

On the left, a reconstructed dagger, and on the right, a reconstructed dagger scabbard with silver and red enamel inlay. — Reconstructed (by the Ermine Street Guard) dagger and scabbard, based on an amalgam of more than one design. Image: MCB
Dagger

Tinned openwork baldric fittings consisting of a phalera and a hinged terminal plate and pendant. — Left a reproduction tinned baldric phalera with the word OPTIME MAXIME CON(SERVA) in openwork around an eagle with wings stooped and head turned to right; on the right a rectangular baldric plate with the openwork words NUMERUM OMNIUM (with Us as Vs) and, hinged to it, a heart-shaped pendant with the word MILITANTIUM, both tinned. Motto means something like 'Best and Greatest, protect the whole unit in service'. Image: MCB
Baldric fittings

Reconstructed equipment displayed in a reconstructed barrack room. — Reconstructed double-ended stakes, bows, shield, and various tools displayed at Kleinkastell Pohl. Image: MCB
Various pieces of equipment

Two composite bows. — Reconstructed composite bows displayed at Kleinkastell Pohl. Image: MCB
Bows

Replica of a wooden bolt-shooting torsion weapon with ferrous and copper-alloy components mounted on a stand. — Schramm's reconstruction of the Ampurias catapult, now in the Saalburg Museum. Image: SBA73
Artillery

Red legionary shield with yellow blazons (wings and thunderbolt motifs) resting on the grass next to a pilum with a brass helmet placed on it. — Curved rectangular shield resting on the ground beside a pilum with a helmet placed over the shield boss. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Shield and helmet

A side and front view of a curved rectangular plywood shield painted red with a yellow blazon of wings and thunderbolts. There is a central ferrous boss. — Reconstruction of a curved rectangular shield, based on the Dura-Europos original, created by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Shield

A curved oval shield leaned against a wall with a leather cover fitted to it, with patches for the boss and name plate. — A leather shield cover reconstruction of the Legio I Italica group at Hadrian's Wall Live 2015. Image: MCB
Shield cover

Mail short hanging up on a wooden cross against a red background. — Reconstructed mail shirt with central double-S-shaped fastener in the centre. Image: Álvaro Pérez Vilariño
Mail shirt

Early reconstruction attempt of lorica segmentata. — Early 20th-century lorica segmentata reconstruction in the Museo della Civiltà Romana. Based on depictions on the helical frieze of Trajan's Column, it incorporates elements based on those discovered by von Groller at carnuntum. Image: MCB
Lorica segmentata front view

Armour formed from steel strips with brass fittings displayed on a red tunic. — Complete Corbridge type B/C lorica segmentata viewed from the front. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Lorica segmentata front view

Set of lorica segmentata collapsed and interleaved. — Top view of collapsed lorica segmentata showing the four principal interleaved components. This was how cuirass elements were stored in the Corbridge Hoard. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Collapsed lorica sementata

Interior view showing overlapping plates joined by leather straps secured by rivets and roves. — Top view of the lower half of lorica segmentata showing the internal leathering sagging. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Lorica segmentata girth hoops

Close-up showing brass fittings on steel plate. — Detail of the lobate hinges and decorated washer around rivets on an upper shoulderguard of a Corbridge type B/C cuirass. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Lorica segmentata upper shoulderguard

Armour formed from steel strips with brass fittings. — Reconstructed Newstead-type lorica segmentata. Image: Nanomat
Lorica segmentata front view

Brass laminated armguard — Reconstruction of the Newstead brass armguard made by Peter Connolly. Image: MCB (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Armguard

A ferrous helmet with broad neck guard, cheek pieces, and brow guard. — Ferrous Weisenau (Imperial-Gallic)-type helmet. Image: MCB
Helmet

Helmet with a red transverse crest of horsehair. — Helmet with transverse crest. Image: Matthias Kabel
Helmet

A ferrous helmet with broad neck guard, cheek pieces, brow guard, and brass fittings. — Ferrous Weisenau (Imperial-Gallic)-type helmet. Image: Claudia Thunnissen
Helmet

Front view of a ferrous Niderbieber-type helmet with brass fittings. — Replica ferrous Niederbieber-type helmet with copper-alloy edging, brow band, brow guard, ear guards, and cross-pieces. 3rd century. Image: Einsamer Schütze
Helmet

Side view of a cavalry face-mask helmet with a silvered face mask and a woven covering over the helmet bowl. — Cavalry 'sports' helmet from Nijmegen with woven 'hair net'. Image: Wolfgang Sauber
Helmet

A right foot wearing a replica of an openwork military boot — Modern reconstruction of a caliga. Image: Matthias Kabel
Caliga

Underside view of a boot showing flattened hobnails in a grid pattern. — View of worn hobnails on the sole of a caliga. Image: Matthias Kabel (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Hobnails

Musician blowing a copper-alloy cornu, held over his right shoulder. — Replica cornu. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Cornu

Four sets of three stakes with points at either end lashed together. — Double-ended wooden stakes lashed together in threes as obstacles to form large caltrops. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Wooden obstacles

Pairs of stakes with points at either end lashed together as obstacles. — Pairs of double-ended wooden stakes lashed together to form a palisade and ditch obstacles. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Wooden obstacles

Gable-end view of a contubernium tent made of tan-coloured leather panels stitched together. — Leather tent based on finds from Vindolanda and other sites. Image: MCB
Tent

Side view of a contubernium tent made of tan-coloured leather panels stitched together. — Leather tent based on finds from Vindolanda and other sites. Image: MCB
Tent

A wooden stake, rectangular in section, tapering to top and bottom, with a flat top and a notch in one side. — Modern tent peg made of wood, virtually identical to Roman examples. Image: MCB
Tent peg

General view of the right side of the harness fittings of the Xanten horse harness on a horse equipped with a red saddle cloth and brown Romano-Celtic saddle. — Detail of the Xanten harness fittings reconstruction by César Pociña. Image: César Pociña
Xanten harness reconstruction

Close-up of the neck straps and harness fittings of the Xanten horse harness on a horse equipped with a red saddle cloth and brown Romano-Celtic saddle. — Detail of the Xanten harness fittings reconstruction by César Pociña. Image: César Pociña
Xanten harness reconstruction

General view of the left side of the harness fittings of the Xanten horse harness on a horse equipped with a red saddle cloth and brown Romano-Celtic saddle. — Detail of the Xanten harness fittings reconstruction by César Pociña. Image: César Pociña
Xanten harness reconstruction

Reconstructed Roman saddle displayed on a wooden stand. It has a light tan leather cover, four hors (one at each corner, and straps hanging from each one. — Reconstructed Connolly four-horned saddle (reconstruction Comitatus). Image: MCB
Four-horned saddle

Rider stands behind a stationary horse holding two long reins. — Long-reining a horse at ROMEC XVIIII (2016). Stationary. Image: MCB
Long reins

Rider walks behind a moving horse holding two long reins. — Long-reining a horse at ROMEC XVIIII (2016). Walking. Image: MCB
Long reins

Harness fittings of tinned copper alloy for a ring junction, consisting of a ring with four strap loops attached, each attached to a leather harness strap. — Replica ring junction from horse harness, with four junction loops attached. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Ring junction

A central silvered phalera has two straps on loops towards the top, a leather strap horizontally, and a trefoil pendant beneath. — Replica phalera junction from horse harness, with two junction loops attached, a horizontal strap on a strap slide, and a hinged pendant. Reconstructed by the Ermine Street Guard. Image: MCB
Phalera junction

Front view of a reconstructed leather chamfron with brass fittings on a dummy horse head. — Reconstruction of one of the the Vindolanda chamfrons decorated with brass studs and appliqués. Image: MCB
Chamfron

Horse armour laid out flat on grass, with a central hole for the saddle and bronze scales edged with red on either side of the trapper and along the central long axis. — Reconstruction of the Dura-Europos copper-alloy scale trapper from horse armour. Image: MCB
Trapper

Tombstone stele, rectangular with a sphinx flanked by lions on top, a figure in a niche, above an inscription. It is decorated in bright colours. — Polychrome reconstruction of the infantry tombstone of Firmus. Image: Nightflyer (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Tombstone

Tombstone stele, rectangular with an angled top, a figure in a niche, above an inscription. It is decorated in bright colours. — Polychrome reconstruction of the cavalry tombstone of Rufus. Image: Michael Schmalenstroer (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tombstone

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Gallery Samples

Curved, rectangular copper-alloy shield boss with six of eight domed shield nails in situ. Image: P. Gross

Shield boss

Crossing the Red Sea fresco from the synagogue at Dura-Europos depicting soldiers with multi-coloured shields lined up before standard-bearers with vexilla. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Fresco

Ferrous back plate and scales from lorica squamata from Carlisle (GBR). The mostly ferrous scales are interspersed with copper alloy scales. Image: scrappy annie (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Scale armour

Ferrous cavalry helmet with copper-alloy (probably brass) embossed and incised sheathing (most of it missing over the bowl). The cheek piece may not be original (or may be a clumsy repair). A plume tube survives on the left-hand side just above the ear. Image: National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden (CC0 1.0)

Cavalry helmet

Copper-alloy belt plate from Chichester, hinged for a buckle or suspension frog. Image: MCB

Belt plate

Three-way strap junction from harness found at Doorwerth. Three junction loops and a trefoil pendant are hinged to loops on the rear face of the phalera. Brass with silver foil soldered on the front face and with niello inlay depicting stylised vine leaves and grapes. Image: National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden (CC0 1.0)

Phalera junction

Dagger and scabbard of the Antonine form from Stillfried (AT). Part of the handle survives on the blade and tang. Image: Wolfgang Sauber

Dagger and scabbard

Ferrous Weisenau (Imperial-Gallic)-type helmet. Image: MCB

Helmet

Roman Military Equipment

From Start to Finish

2D images of reconstructions