Hittite helmet from Şapinuva

[Adrian Nayler]

If you have had sight of the most recent Ancient Warfare magazine (no. 103) you may have noticed the short note about a Hittite bronze helmet on page 5. This is new to me (and also to the magazine it seems).

It was found in 2002 at the Hittite administrative and workshop site of Şapinuva (modern Ortaköy) and was published in 2011 (though in what in the Anglophone world would be seen as an 'obscure' Turkish volume). It has fairly recently been restored and went on display at the Çorum museum in 2022. It is very rare – I don't know of another – and had apparently been placed as an offering in a temple on site.

The display of the helmet at the Çorum museum was covered fairly extensively online in 2022 but passed me by. Arkeonews (other sites are available) covered it here: https://arkeonews.com/hitit-imparatorlugu-doneminden-gunumuze-ulasan-nadir-3-bin-300-yillik-bronz-migfer/

The original publication is: Süel, A. (2011) 'Ortaköy-Şapinuva'da Bulunan Bronz Bir Miğfer', in Karadeniz'den Fırat'a Bilgi Üretimleri, Önder Bilgi'ye Armağan Yazılar (Knowledge Production from the Black Sea to the Euphrates, Studies Presented in Honour of Önder Bilgi'ye), Ankara.

You can find it here: https://www.academia.edu/45102708/Ortak%C3%B6y_%C5%9Eapinuva_da_Bulunan_Bronz_Bir_Mi%C4%9Ffer

I'm afraid it's a scan and in Turkish but well worth scrolling to the photographs at the end. Note the curved rim above each eye and the holes potentially used to attach cheek and neck guards.

[Duncan Head]

Thanks for that, Adrian. That's a nice find.