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| Helmet on Egyptian Papyrus | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 5 2016, 04:47 AM (274 Views) | |
| George Nicolaides | Jul 5 2016, 04:47 AM Post #1 |
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Most of us are probably aware of Andrea Salimbeti’s identification of a helmet seen on an Egyptian papyrus as being Mycenaean. For those who are not aware, please see his site at http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/helmets2.htm Andrea’s description is as follows: “Outside the Greek mainland and Aegean Island a possible representation of Achaean warriors equipped with boar tusks helmets is from an Egyptian papyrus fragments from Tell el-Amarna, home of Amenhotep III's son, dated around 1350 BC (*2). In this papyrus some warriors are depicted with conical pale-yellow helmets which remaind in general design the typical Aegean boar tusks helmet” Personally I disagree with his interpretation since this helmet looks nothing like any Mycenaean helmet I am familiar with. However, I came across another helmet on the internet which, to me, might be a better candidate for the papyrus depiction. A Lydian helmet found at Sardis and dated to around 6th century BC. The site is http://sardisexpedition.org/en/artifacts/latw-211 The description is as follows: “The unusual design and construction of the skull-piece anticipates that of Roman and Late Roman Spangenhelme (depicted on Trajan’s Column in Rome and attested by examples of the Late Roman era)....The only other example of such skull-piece design and construction approximately contemporaneous with No. 211 occurs in another iron helmet that was recovered in destruction debris of ca. 600 BC at Old Smyrna (personal communication from the excavator, J. K. Anderson). The destruction debris at Old Smyrna was associated by its excavators with a Lydian attack in the time of King Alyattes (Herodotus 1.16); common Lydian associations of the two helmets are evidence that they and their “proto-Spangenhelm” design may be Lydian.” If you take away the Lydian cheek pieces, the general shape and strong horizontal banding resembles the papyrus helmet, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch of the imagination to see the Lydian example as a later development of the Egyptian depiction (since the Lydian helmet may be around 600 years later – depending on whose chronology you follow!) If this is indeed the case, then how does an early style ‘proto Spangenhelme’ Lydian helmet end up in Egyptian service? Lydia occupies territory of what was earlier the Bronze Age Kingdom of Arzawa, and it just so happens that Arzawa was in contact with Egypt during the reign of Amenophis III as noted in the Armana Letters EA 31 (1) Thus says Nimuwaria, Great King, King of the land of Egypt, (2) to Tarhundaradu, King of the land of Arzawa, speak. (3) With me (it is) well, my houses, my wives, my sons, (4) the nobles, my army, my horse, (5) anything of mine within my lands (6) all (is) well. (7) With you may all be well, (8) your houses, your wives, your sons, the nobles, (9) your army, your horse, anything of yours (10) your lands, may all be well. (11–12) See, I have sent you Iršappa, my envoy. (12–13) Let us see the daughter whom they will bring to My Majesty for marriage. (14) For her (he will?) pour oil on her head. (15–16) See I have sent you one nice gold (zu)halaliya. (17) The works for which you wrote to me (saying): (18) ‘Send them to me,’ I will send them to you afterwards. (19–21) Dispatch back to me your envoy and my envoy at once and let them come, (22–4) and they will come and bring you the bride-price for your daughter (23) - my envoy, but the envoy who came (as) yours, he has died (?). (25–6) Bring me people of the Gasga-land. I have heard …. everything. (27) Now the land of Hattusa has been frozen (?) (28–9) Now see, I have sent you a consignment duly by the hand of Iršappa my envoy: (30–8) (list of presents). http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/Hawkins.pdf Since we have no depictions yet of Arzawan troop types, we cannot be certain that this type of helmet was being used by Arzawa at the time of Amenophis III. But the general similarity between the Lydian and Egyptian examples does present a number of interesting possibilities. Possibility 1 – That the Lydian helmet is a later development of an earlier Arzawan type depicted on the Egyptian payrus. If that is the case, then the papyrus is either depicting Arzawan mercenaries in Egyptian service, or Egyptians using Arzawan equipment as supplied (as tribute?) by the Arzawan king. This in turn may suggest that the Spangenhelm type of helmet construction (later seen on the Goths, Sarmatians, Franks, Scythians etc) had its genesis in Anatolia and spread east to the Eurasian steppes. Possibility 2 – That the Spangenhelme type of helmet construction originally started somewhere in the East, (as later seen on the Sarmatians, Scythians etc) and gradually spread west to Lydia. Given that Amenophis III asked for Gasga (Kaska) to be sent to him, (Kaska were located in North Eastern Anatolia around what was later Pontus), might the papyrus be actually showing Kaska mercenaries in their proto Spangenhelm helmets? A style which they brought to Arzawa and survived into Lydian times? Possibility 3 – That the early Spangenhelme type did originate in the East and came to Lydia via the Cimmerians and Scythians that swept across Anatolia and destroyed the Phrygian Kingdom. If that is the case then the Egyptian papyrus depiction is of an unknown type which just happens to resemble the later Lydian form. Your thoughts everyone? Regards George |
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| Todd Feinman | Jul 5 2016, 03:48 PM Post #2 |
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Hi George, I think it is more likely to be a leather helmet or even a textile helmet. Bronze helmets at the time were either beaten from one piece, or made from two pieces riveted together; spangenhelms and also lamellar helmets were both developed later. You'll notice what appears to be a row of stitching along the lower edge of the helmet, probably to keep the pieces sewn together. The leather helmets in use and described earlier in the Nuzi texts, have yet to be successfully differentiated from metal and textile helmets in the depictions.. The scale armour helmets had leather bases that must have looked very similar to the helmets depicted on that papyrus; I vote for the helmets to be made of rawhide / leather. Also, a specialized and developed form like the spangenhelm would be unlikely to raise its segmented head and then disappear without any other example or reference until later.. |
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| Sean Manning | Jul 5 2016, 07:21 PM Post #3 |
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I think that I have seen what look like fluted bronze helmets on enemies in New Kingdom art. At first glance I would interpret the yellow helmets with brown lines in the same way. My copy of Kendall's article gurpisu ša awilu is not to hand though- but it has photos or line drawings of most of the art. The thing with the Sardis helmet was before it was found, the first Spangenhelme were from the third or fourth century CE. So suddenly they had a find a thousand years earlier and in a different area than expected. Ps. You can find object EA74100 (thanks Andreas for the cite!) in the British Musuem collection online. |
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| Todd Feinman | Jul 5 2016, 07:48 PM Post #4 |
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I think it is likely that spangenhelms developed from lamellar helmets which in turn developed from scale helmets. Some Mycenaean seals seem to show helmets with embossed decoration and fluting, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was pretty common, even in Egypt. In Central Europe the star-decorated cap helmets and others decorated items developed quite early. |
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