Unique warrior helmet on display

ÇORUM

A 3,300-year-old bronze warrior helmet that has been unearthed in archaeological excavations at the Şapinuva ruins in the Ortaköy district of Çorum is priceless.

The warrior helmet, which was brought to the scientific world by Mustafa Süel after its discovery in 2002, is unique in the world. Due to the fact that bronze war materials were taken as booty in wars and the bronze was melted and reused in other productions, the helmet is very important as it is the only example that has survived from the Hittite Empire era.

Özge Eren, one of the archaeologists of Çorum Museum, announced that the warrior’s helmet was put on display at the Çorum Museum this year. The bronze helmet, which has been put on exhibition this year, was found on an offering bench in the building called D during the archaeological excavations carried out in Ortaköy Şapinuva ruins in 2002 and was published by the late Dr. Mustafa Süel.

“The helmet, which has a conical form with a pointed crest, has rivet holes on the nape and cheek. Apparatuses that protect the cheeks and neck are attached to these parts. During the excavations in building D, the helmet cheekbones and body armor bronze scales, spearheads, and bronze axes were found together with the helmet to protect the head and body against cutting weapons in wars.”

Eren explained that the bronze helmet was crushed and destroyed because it was under the rubble of building D, which was a religious building destroyed by a great fire about 3,300 years ago.

“Due to the fact that bronze war materials were taken as booty in wars and the bronze was melted and reused in other productions, very few of them have survived to the present day. For this reason, this helmet found in Ortaköy Şapinuva was very important in terms of being the only example that has survived from the Hittite Empire era although it was found in a crushed and destroyed condition,” she said.

Stating that the work, whose Hurrian name is “gur-sip-pi” and Hittite name is “huprushi,” is one of the gifts presented to him in a temple dedicated to the “Storm god,” which also represents war, Eren said:

“Bronze helmets are among the precious gifts sent to the pharaoh in ancient Egypt, another superpower at that time. This helmet found in Şapinuva is in perfect harmony with the helmet worn by the god, who is depicted with war clothes and weapons on the relief on the King Gate in Boğazköy Hattuşa. This situation shows that the sculptors of the period were able to apply the high relief technique on limestone in a very realistic way and that they were able to visually reflect some aspects of the Hittite world 3,300 years ago. We invite everyone who is interested in the Hittite civilization to the Çorum Museum to see this rare helmet and other artifacts put on display this year, and take a journey into the past.”