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

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

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

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

, and was developed during the 8th and 7th centuries BC (700–640 BC).. Accurate representations on

Corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

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.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 The Kegelhelm (German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also Germ ...

(or Kegel type) of the Archaic Period found in Argos. The earliest Illyrian type helmets were developed in a workshop located in the northwestern Peloponnese (possibly Olympia), 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 (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

ian workshops. The first Type III helmets were created in workshops situated somewhere on the Illyrian coast of the Adriatic. The Illyrian type helmet did not obstruct the wearer's critical senses of

vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

though the first two varieties hampered

hearing Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds through an organ, such as an ear, by detecting vibrations as periodic changes in the pressure of a surrounding medium. The academic field concerned with hearing is audit ...

. 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 cult ...

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 Eastern * : "In modern scholarship the name 'Sakas' is reserved for the ancient tribes of northern and eastern Centra ...

, and became popular with the Illyrians 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 ...

based on its appearance on ivory reliefs and on a silver bowl at the "Bernardini" tomb at Praeneste. The helmet became obsolete in most parts of Greece in the early 5th century BC. Its use in Illyria 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 p ...

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 ...

in Altes Museum, 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,

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

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External links

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