Helm of Sochi

[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.