Археологічні студії: здобутки та перспективи 2023 29
EUROPEAN-TYPE HELMETS IN UKRAINE
DURING THE CIMMERIAN TIME
Danylo Klochko PhD student, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy
The only eight Cimmerian time helmets which had been found in Ukraine
as of now belong to three different types and have European analogies.
Three of these helmets belong to the oldest type of metal helmets in Europe.
There are two unique items, one probably being a transitional form be-
tween two subsequent types and another — the local imitation of foreign
type. Generally, the presence of such fndings in Ukraine indicate the last-
ing connections between peoples of the North Pontic Region and their
western neighbors. The traces of damage on all eight helmets indicate their
direct usage in combat.
Keywords: Ukraine, Cimmerian time, helmets, Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age.
Introduction
Among the currently known Cimmerian-time hoards (either of Chor-
nohorivka of Novocherkaske groups), none had included the helmets.
However there is an amount of helmets with European analogies which
had been found in Ukrainian territory. They belong to different types and
thus — to different time frames. Some of them are already known to sci-
entists, while others are being published for the frst time.
In this article we will analyze these helmets, based on their affliation
to different types, as well as individual features and locations where they
had been found.
1. Helmets of Oranienburg type
This type is considered to be the oldest of European metal helmets. It
has a somewhat stretched form, a knob on the top and a symmetrical belt
of circles near the foundation. Until now there had been twelve known
helmets of this type: one helmet in each was found in Greece, Poland,
Germany and Romania; three appear in Slovakia and Hungary, the ori-
gin of two more is unknown (Mödlinger 2017, pp. 335–336).
© Danylo Klochko, 2023