Helm of Sochi

[Evgeny]

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

The original article can be found here: http://badaew.narod.ru/sochi/sochi.htm
The drawing - here: http://badaew.narod.ru/sochi/sochi.jpg

The picture you posted is the drawing colored in Photoshop.

[Caballo]

Thank you - new to me. As i dont speak Russion, am I right in thinking this is a Roman helmet found at Sochi on the Black Sea? And were there any other finds?

[Peroni]

So they found it again! I thought this helmet went missing?

[Robert Vermaat]

Thank you - new to me. As i dont speak Russion, am I right in thinking this is a Roman helmet found at Sochi on the Black Sea? And were there any other finds?

Google translation:

Sudarev NI

Two findings from the Roman period the city of Sochi
Antiquities of the North Caucasus and the Black Sea, Moscow, 1991. S. 143-146

In 1977, the third branch of the farm within the boundaries of Matsestinskaya Greater Sochi during plowing a field plantation plow was found a number of things: a helmet, two iron swords, fragments of vessels, etc. In 1990, a helmet and one of the swords were handed over to a side of Vladimir Nikolaevich Agency of the USSR. The fate of other things could not figure out.


Sword of iron (Fig. 1), broken off part of the handle and the blade tip. The length of the preserved part of the blade 39.3 cm, width 4.2 cm at the crosshairs Crosshair direct, rhombic in plan, forged out of a thin beam width of 0.4 cm heel wearing on the blade. Handle to forge one piece with the blade of iron, rectangular in section, its width at the crossing 2.3 cm, further narrowing. Handle broken off, so we can not judge the presence and shape of the tops. However, according to a cross and a way of fixing this his sword close to the swords of the type 1 group, "without the metal tops," according to the typology AM Khazanov [1]. These swords appear in the Caucasus and the Kuban in the I century AD and portrayed it to the IV century AD [2].

Of great interest is forged bronze helmet (Fig. 2). Its surface is covered with light green patina. Crown hemispherical, slightly flattened shape, with the left side of the partially damaged. Front lower edge slightly bend inwards. In addition, there are cracks in the front, associated with metal corrosion. Height of crown 14 cm, width 22 cm, length 19.5 cm

The front of the helmet reinforced massive bronze bracket width 1.8 cm, 0.4 cm thick, which was tightly riveted to Tuglie three rivets: one front, at a distance of 2.5 cm from the bottom edge and two at the temples. Right rivet lost. On both sides of the lower bracket, there are also two holes with a diameter of 0.4 cm for fixing naschechnikov. Naschechniki themselves are absent, however, it appears that in the wake of Tuglie, we can assume that they were iron and lost recently. Higher bracket, front, embossed images show two horns or the eyebrows raised upward. On the sides, the bottom of the notches are polukrkglye for the ears protected from the top ledges. Right ledge preserved almost completely, from the left was only a small part.

On the back side are three rows of rollers, below which is attached to a semicircular Tuglie nazatylnik. Its length is 9 cm, width 21 cm, thickness 0.1 cm by nazatylniku, from the crown, are two platen, one closer to Tuglie, is a semi-circle around the nazatylniku, the second consists of two arcs with the ends directed toward Tuglie and converge in the central part. In addition, two rivets nazatylnike preserved: one from the right side, the other - in the center. It seems that originally there were three, but one (left) has been lost. They probably were intended to secure a soft lining. On the inner side to the center rivet was fixed plate, serving, apparently, to secure additional chin straps.

These helmets have long attracted the attention of researchers [3]. Their report in 1961 was published H. Klumbahom [4]. Later, they paid attention to R. Robinson [5] P. Connolly [6]. The last named this type of "imperial-Gallic" and linked it to the production of Gallic arms workshops [7]. Most of these helmets are from the Central and partly in Southern Europe [8]. There are a bronze [9] and iron [10] specimens.

Helmets "imperial-Gallic" type existed in the mid to end of I century AD [11]. Moreover, according to P. consensus [12], supported by the then H. Klumbahom [13], the earliest to include helmets of bronze, and iron at a later date. The test specimen is another feature by which it must be attributed to the early version. The fact that, according to H. Klumbahu, to include early helmets which, as in our case, a sharp transition from crown to a horizontal nazatylniku. Over time, this transition becomes more gradual and sloping nazatylnik [14].

Thus, the helmet from the vicinity of Sochi has been made in the middle - second half of the I century AD Maybe - closer to the middle. Currently he is the most easterly discovery of this type of helmet and only in our country. His appearance on the east coast of the Black Sea may be linked to the relocation of some departments of the Roman army from the European provinces.

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

The helmet went missing in the 90s and still is.

Here is somewhat corrected translation (still rough) of the helmet related parts:


Sudarev N.I.

Two Roman period findings from the town of Sochi.

Antiquities of the North Caucasus and the Black Sea Region, Moscow, 1991. pp. 143-146

In 1977, in the third branch of the Matsestinskiy collective farm within the boundaries of Greater Sochi, during plowing of a field with a plantation plow, a number of things were found: a helmet, two iron swords, fragments of vessels, etc. In 1990, a helmet and one of the swords were handed over by Vladimir Nikolaevich Pobochniy to the Archaeology Institute of the Academy of Sciences of USSR. The fate of the other findings could not be determined.
…

The forged bronze helmet is of great interest (Fig. 2). Its surface is covered with light green patina. The bowl is hemispherical, of a slightly flattened shape, with the left side partially damaged. The front lower edge is slightly bent inwards. In addition, there are cracks in the front, associated with metal corrosion. The height of the bowl is 14 cm, width 22 cm, and length 19.5 cm.

In the front, the helmet is reinforced with a massive bronze peak 1.8 cm wide and 0.4 cm thick, which was permanently riveted to the bowl with three rivets: one in the front, at a distance of 2.5 cm from the bottom edge, and two at the temples. The right rivet is lost. On both sides of the peak, there are also two holes 0.4 cm in diameter for attaching the cheek-guards. The check-guards are missing. However, judging from the traces remaining on the bowl, it may be presupposed that they were made of iron and were lost recently. Above the peak in the front there are two embossed horns or eyebrows raised upward. On the sides, in the bottom part, there are semicircular cut-outs for the ears with protective ear-guards on the top. The right ear-guard is preserved almost completely, whereas only a small part remains from the left.

On the back, there are three rows of ridges. Below them, a semicircular neck-guard is attached to the bowl. Its length is 9 cm, width 21 cm, thickness 0.1 cm. On the bowl side, the neck-guard has two steps: one, the closest to the bowl, continues in a semi-circle around the entire neck-guard; the other consists of two arcs with the ends directed toward the bowl and converging in the center. In addition, there are two rivets preserved on the neck-guard: one on the right edge, the other - in the center. It seems that originally there were three, but one (left) has been lost. They probably were intended to secure a soft lining. There was a plate attached to the center rivet on the inner side, serving, apparently, to secure additional chin straps.

...

The helmets of the "imperial-Gallic" type existed from the middle to end of I century AD [11]. Moreover, according to P. Couissin [12], whose opinion was later supported by H. Klumbach [13], bronze helmets are the earliest, while the iron ones come in later. This helmet under discussion here has another feature by which it must be attributed to the early version. According to H. Klumbach the earlier helmets had, as in our case, a sharp transition from crown to a horizontal neck-guard. Over time, this transition becomes more gradual and the neck-guard — sloping [14].

Thus, this helmet from the vicinity of Sochi has been made in the middle - second half of the 1st century AD. Maybe - closer to the middle. Currently it presents the most easterly find of this type of helmet, the only one in our country. Its appearance on the east coast of the Black Sea may be linked to the relocation of some units of the Roman army from the European provinces.