2,500-year-old Illyrian helmet found in burial mound likely to cause 'enemy terror'

Archaeologists in Croatia have discovered a 2,500-year-old metal helmet inside an Illyrian burial mound that may have served as a votive offering or part of a cult practice.

The helmet was discovered in a stone structure inside a burial mound at the Gomel archaeological site. It dates back to a time between the end of the sixth century BC and the beginning of the fourth century BC. Hrvoje PotrebicaThe University of Zagreb archeology professor leading the excavation told Live Science in an email.

The Gomel site contains multiple burial mounds and is located near the village of Zakotorac, on the Pelješac Peninsula near the Adriatic Sea. “Every hill [contains] Multiple graves and each grave contains[s] “Multiple burials,” Potrebica said.

According to ancient Greek records, a people called the Illyrians by the Greeks flourished in the region around the time the helmet was made. The Illyrians were divided between different tribes and kingdoms and were gradually conquered by the Illyrians the Romans In a series of wars that took place between 229 and 168 BC

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This 3D model shows the burial mound in which archaeologists discovered the helmet. (Image credit: Model by Miroslav Vuković)

Potrebica said that although the newly found helmet had not yet undergone maintenance, it “appears to be in excellent condition.” The stone structure holding the helmet is separate from all the graves in the burial mound, suggesting that it was intended as a votive offering “to deceased ancestors or part of some religious practice relating to the entire mound and not [a] “A specific person or grave,” Potrebica said.

If the newly found helmet was used in battle, it would likely have a psychological effect on the enemy, Domague BerkicThe director of the Archaeological Museum, part of the Dubrovnik Museums, and a researcher working on the excavation, told Live Science in an email. “Just try to imagine a brilliant warrior [helmet] On his head, under the sun, on the eve of battle… That moment alone terrifies the enemy.”

Aerial photo showing the hill where the helmet was found. (Image credit: Miroslav Vuković)

In 2020, archaeologists found another helmet in a stone structure in a nearby burial mound, Potrebica said. Like the newly found helmet, it was likely not intended for any person or grave.

The Center for Prehistoric Research in Zagreb, headed by Potrebica, is coordinating research at the Gomel site and collaborating with scientists from the Dubrovnik Museums and the Institute of Archaeology of Croatia.