Phrygian Helms

[Ernst]

For all the complaining that posts here are diminishing because of FaceBook, it should be noted that some interesting finds are showing up there.

On the XIII century European Armour page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1565309087098768/

Siniša Zimke Vučković posted:

Exciting news from Serbia! During the archaeological excavations of Branicevo a phrygian shaped helmet was found in the remains of a burned late 12-early 13th century house, with wooden fragments around it, possibly from a box. However, during the restoration of helmet, another helmet was found inside of a helmet!
You can find an article about the find in our files called:
"A Note on New Archaeological Exploration (finds from Branicevo)"

A link to the article:
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A ... =aAQHsJ54H

Among the mentioned and the multitude of other discovered
artefacts, two helmets demand special attention.
Found stacked one into the other on the house
floor in a thick layer of soot, charred wood and straw,
they had very likely been put away into a chest (fig.
58). Both are made of iron and have an elongated conical
form with a somewhat pronounced rounded front;
one of them still has three bronze rings used to fix the
neck protector. Typologically, they correspond to conical
helmets without a nosepiece,²⁰ although these from
Braničevo are taller and more pointed, which makes
them more like Phrygian caps, very similar to those
depicted on the Bayeux tapestry (1066–1082).²¹

House 4 was built during the reign of John I Komnenos,
probably at the end of the third decade of the 12th century
– an estimation made by analysing John II and
Manuel I Komnenos coins found on the floor. The fire
that damaged the house can be tied to the events following
the death of Manuel I Komnenos (1180), and
the 1182–83 ensuing conflicts.²² The layers of debris
combined with the house burnt in the fire imply the
simultaneous destruction of the house and the western
defence wall. Friesach coins minted between 1170 and
1200 (Eriacensis, Friesach) and later emissions by King
Bélla III, in 1172–1196, mark the end of this prosperous
phase and the demolition of the structure.

Images:
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=58AEB5AB
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=58F63C5C
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=58B0DB18
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=58EB2F85

[Mac]

A very surprising find! I had started to wonder if the ones like this that we see in some MSs were just a sort of sort hand for "Eastern/foreign", but here they are.

It's important to note that they are quite a bit taller than the ones that modern armorers are making.

Mac

[Gerhard von Liebau]

Mac,

Last night Mart and I spent quite a bit of time discussing the finds and found a few manuscripts depicting tall Phyrgian helmets from Northern Italy or SE Germany (think Bavaria), where Balkan material culture may have been known and appreciated. The similarities to the finds are apparent, but it's important to note that most of them date later than this find by a century or more:

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4879/13302/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4411/14047/

Two from the same manuscript:
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4490/7848/
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4490/7849/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4693/12794/

There was also another nearly identical phrygian helmet was discovered in Pernik, Bulgaria a couple decades ago, about 400km away from Branicevo - both sites lie along the same imperial highway. Interesting stuff!

[Ernst]

The most troubling part for me is the loop at the center (presumably of the front). Either it's worn point back with a camail, or there is an attachment for covering the face.

[RandallMoffett]

Mac,

More like some of those funny bascinet tops in some ways.