A cast helmet from Central Asia

As a rule, helmets are created using a sheet of metal hammered into the proper shape over a mold. As always, there are exceptions to the rule. And this helmet, which is exhibited in the National Museum of Uzbek History in Tashkent, is one of them.

[Picture from Mainzer Beobachter]

The descriptive label stated that the helmet was found near Maracanda, in the tomb of a Sacae leader. The Sacae lived in the steppes of Central Asia better known by their Greek generic name as Scythians and Sogdians. Livius has composed a thorough overview of these steppe people under the title Scythians/Sacae that provides many interesting details. By the way, it is Livius (Jona Lendering) who brought my attention to this helmet through his blog  Mainzer Beobachter.

In the book The Scythians by Barry Cunliffes, he discovers that this type of cast helmet is inspired by a technique that was customary in China. This example dates from the 6th century BC but became obsolete afterwards.

The story of this cast helmet reminds me of the Achaemenid silver bowl with hollow drop motives from the 3rd-2nd century BC that was found in China in recent years. It made headlines because it had been cast and not hammered as expected, meaning that this piece was really made in China and not imported from the West (see: Alexander's influence reached all the way to China?)

Dr Lukas Nickel from the University of Vienna, Asian Art History (previously from SOAS, University of London), had discovered that besides these bowls and the Nanyue silver box, there were about ten more of such unusual treasure boxes. They were found in different locations throughout China.

This is Hellenism with a twist, isn't it?

So far, we have a handful of artifacts with a Western design. As China has become very active in archaeology over the past decennia, the future looks very promising. Still so much remains unexplored in Central Asia and in the countries on the Silk Road.