Today’s Object of the Week is a true superstar of North-East museum exhibits.

A BATTERED helmet, known as the Yarm Helmet, has been one of the star objects at Preston Park Museum since 2012 – but in the last month it has received international recognition.

The helmet’s new-found fame comes after a project by Dr Chris Caple, of Durham University, confirmed it to be Britain’s first Viking helmet and only the second near complete one in the world – Norway’s Gjermundbu helmet being the first.

The Yarm Helmet was unearthed in the 1950s by workmen digging trenches for new sewerage pipes in Chapel Yard, Yarm.

Its discovery is something the museum are keen to learn more about and they would be interested to hear of any personal accounts or memories that may have been passed down over the years.

The following decades saw much debate over its age and in 2015 the helmet made its first trip to Durham University, where research and tests could take place.

The research included detailed analysis of the metal, which played a significant part in dating the helmet to the 10th century.

This places it in the Anglo-Scandinavian period and the new research helps to build a picture of what early Yarm and the wider Tees Valley was like.

Yarm may not be where you would expect to find a Viking helmet. The only previous find of this date from Yarm was a piece of 9th century cross shaft, which is now in Durham Cathedral.

There are however many pieces of Viking age sculpture that belong to St. Martin’s Church, Kirklevington, most of which are on loan to Preston Park Museum.

This could indicate that Yarm was a Viking market place with the merchants and leaders living in the Kirklevington area, 1.5 miles away.

The helmet dates to before the establishment of the town and was found on the east side of the loop in the river, an area that could have been a quayside.

There is an image of the Vikings as plunderers and pillagers but the first invasions of Britain took place in the late 8th century.

By the 10th century – the date of the helmet - Scandinavians had very much settled alongside the Saxons who had been living in Britain since the 5th century.

You can find the Tippin Delta on display at Preston Park Museum, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton.

All visitors must pre-book online at prestonparkmuseum.co.uk.