The oldest helmet ever discovered in Poland, a bronze Celtic item dating to the fourth century BC, has been uncovered by archaeologists. They say the discovery could change our understanding of contact with Celtic cultures during that period.
“This is a major discovery not only for Poland but for all of Central Europe,” Poland’s National Museum of Archaeology (PMA) wrote on social media, announcing the discovery.
The bronze helmet was one of around 300 artefacts unearthed near Chorzele in northern Poland by researchers from PMA and the archaeology department at the University of Warsaw.
The archaeologists did not, at first, recognise the object to be a helmet. “At first we thought it might be some kind of ancient vessel, as bronze vessels are much more common on Polish soil than helmets,” PMA’s Bartłomiej Kaczyński told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
But then they noticed characteristic elements – a neckpiece and the peak of the helmet – that allowed them to correctly identify the object. “We no longer had any doubt that we had a very rare artefact…Such a shape is analogous only to Celtic sites,” said Kaczyński.
It is only the second Celtic helmet ever found in Poland, with the last such discovery made in 1982 in the south of the country. But whereas that item dated back to the first century, the newly found helmet is three centuries older. Due to its poor condition, it will now undergo conservation at PMA for several months.
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Other objects found at the same site relate mainly to farming, logging and animal husbandry, including iron axes, scythes, scissors and a blade probably used for shearing sheep’s wool. “The Celts were famous for introducing iron tools into use,” Kaczyński explained.
“The objects found force us to reinterpret the beginnings of the Amber Road [an ancient trade route that ran between the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas] and trade in early Iron Age Europe,” wrote the PMA.
The discoveries “change the previous perception of the scale of contact with the Celtic world in the pre-Roman period”, added a social media account set up to share findings from the PMA and University of Warsaw’s archaeological work.
Apart from Celtic objects, those of local origin – that is the West Baltic Barrow culture – were also found. These include women’s ornaments such as epaulettes, necklaces and rings.
Main image credit: Państwowe Muzeum Archeologiczne/Facebook
Agata Pyka is an Assistant Editor at Notes from Poland. She specialises in Central and Eastern European affairs, cybersecurity, and investigative reporting. She holds a master’s degree in political communication from the University of Amsterdam, and her work has appeared in Euractiv, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), and The European Correspondent, among others.
