The Illyrian type helmet (or Greco-Illyrian type helmet) is a style of

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

helmet, which in its later variations covered the entire head and neck, and was open-faced in all of its forms.. It originated in

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

, and was developed during the 8th and 7th centuries BC (700–640 BC).. Accurate representations on Corinthian vases are sufficient to indicate that the Illyrian type helmet was developed before 600 BC.. The helmet is named today as ''Illyrian type'' for convenience due to many initial archaeological discoveries coming from the region of

Illyria In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...

.Naming conventions and typology of ancient helmets are of modern origin and do not reflect contemporaneous usage. (

Archaeology

According to archaeological evidence, the Illyrian type helmet evolved from the Kegelhelm (or Kegel type) of the Archaic Period found in

Argos Argos most often refers to: * Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece ** Ancient Argos, the ancient city * Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland Argos or ARGOS may also refer to: Businesses * ...

. The earliest Illyrian type helmets were developed in a workshop located in the northwestern Peloponnese (possibly

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

), although the first Type II Illyrian helmets were created in

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...

ian workshops. The first Type III helmets were created in workshops situated somewhere on the Illyrian coast of the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

. The Illyrian type helmet did not obstruct the wearer's critical senses of vision though the first two varieties hampered hearing. There were four types of these helmets and all were open faced: *Type I (c. 700–640 BC) left the neck unprotected and hampered hearing. *Type II (c. 600 BC) offered neck protection and again hampered hearing. *Type III (c. 550 BC) offered neck protection and allowed better hearing. *Type IV (c. 500 BC) was similar to Type III but hearing was not impaired at all. The Illyrian type helmet was used by the

ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cultu ...

Etruscans The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, rou ...

Scythians The Scythians or Scyths, and sometimes also referred to as the Classical Scythians and the Pontic Scythians, were an Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern * : "In modern scholarship the name 'Sakas' is reserved f ...

, and became popular with the

Illyrians The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo ...

who later adopted it. A variety of the helm had also spread to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

based on its appearance on ivory reliefs and on a silver bowl at the "Bernardini" tomb at

Praeneste Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pre ...

. The helmet became obsolete in most parts of Greece in the early 5th century BC. Its use in

had ended by the 4th century BC..

Gallery

File:Griechische Helme1.JPG, Types of

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

helmets; top line, third from the left: Illyrian type helmet.

Antikensammlung The Antikensammlung Berlin (Berlin antiquities collection) is one of the most important collections of classical art in the world, now held in the Altes Museum and Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. It contains thousands of ancient archaeological ...

Altes Museum The Altes Museum (English: ''Old Museum'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin. Built from 1825 to 1830 by order of King Frederick William III of Prussia according to plans by Karl Friedrich ...

, Berlin. File:Illyrian and Corinthian.jpg, Illyrian type helmet (left) juxtaposed to a Corinthian type helmet (right). File:About c.400 BC Greek Illyrian helm from Budva Montenegro.png, Illyrian type helmet from

Budva Budva ( cnr, Будва, or ) is a Montenegrin town on the Adriatic Sea. It has 19,218 inhabitants, and it is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budva riviera, is the center of Montenegrin tourism, kno ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

(c. 4th century BC). File:Illyrian-Greek helmet from Montenegro - Budva -4th cBC.png, Illyrian-Greek helmet from Budva, Montenegro (4th century BC). File:Illyrian-Greek helmet from Montenegro -Klicevo -Upper Bronze Age.png, Illyrian-Greek helmet from Kličevo, Montenegro (Upper Bronze Age). File:Coif greco iliric 27790 IMG 1574.JPG, Greco-Illyrian helmet from Timis, Romania with horseman and six rose-petal decorations (6th–4th century BC).

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{Illyrians Ancient Greek helmets Ancient Peloponnese Ancient Corinth Archaic Greece Illyrian warfare