Non-destructive identification of historical alteration in a 14th Century Italian helmet from the Chalchis hoard through Neutron diffraction

A large hoard of armour pieces (Chalchis hoard) was discovered in 1840 among the ruins of the Negroponte Venetian fortress (situated in the city of Chalchis) on the Euboea island in Greece. The fortress was destroyed by the Turks in 1470 and the hoard was buried there since then.The hoard components on the whole, represent a wide range of armour pieces from the late 14th early 15th Century and are probably the most important set of artifacts to learn about armour production in Europe.We apply for beamtime to examine a helmet from the Museum of Arms in Brescia Castle pertaining to the Calchis hoard. This is a 14th century helmet, bearing a Milanese maker’s mark, which has apparently been modified with a visor and movable side-plate during its working life.We intend to determine if the historical alterations exhibit different carbon content and microstructure.