Abstract
The article is the fi rst publication of a bronze Montefortino-type helmet acquired by the Historical and art museum complex of Gorodets in 2016 (Inv. No. GRM VH/1659). It was accidentally found in the Krasnodar Territory, and its provenance is unknown. The helmet is covered with a thick layer of corrosion and is fragmented (the upper part and the left side of its crown are missing). Despite this, based on the analysis of the details and the shape of the remaining parts, this combat headgear can be attributed to the Montefortino-type helmets widely used in the Roman army, but not the Mannheim type (“Mannheim” or “Coolus “). The author examines similar samples of Roman and Etruscan-Italic helmets and, based on comparative analysis, draws a conclusion that this helmet dates this accidental fi nd to 150–50 BC. Such dating suggests that appearance of this helmet on the territory of the Northwestern Ciscaucasia could be associated with the events of the Mithridatic Wars (89–63 BC). This casual fi nd adds the list of the Montefortino-type helmets from Eastern Europe and the each new piece is of undoubted interest for the historians and archaeologists, as it extends our knowledge of the cultural and military-technical interactions on the periphery of the ancient world.
Keywords
Roman armament, defensive armament, armour, helmets.
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