Bronze Helmet with Cheek Guards

The helmet is composed of a neck guard (paranuca), which leaves the ear area free, and articulated cheek guards mounted on hinges, characterized by a sinuous profile. On the left occipital area, corresponding to the nape of the neck, the object shows a significant deformation, likely resulting from use or post-depositional processes.

Together with an anatomical cuirass and bronze belts, the helmet formed part of the funerary assemblage of the so-called Warrior of Cariati, attesting to the high social status of the deceased and to the technical expertise achieved by workshops in southern Italy during the 4th century BC.

The armor, of exceptional quality and remarkably well preserved, represents one of the rare known examples of military equipment belonging to a member of the Brettian elite, the Italic people who inhabited Calabria and maintained close relations with the Greek colonies along the Ionian coast.

The assemblage comes from a monumental chamber tomb discovered in 1978 in the locality of Salto, near Cariati. Built of sandstone blocks and dated to around 330 BC, the tomb chamber had a rectangular plan, was covered with large stone slabs, and was originally decorated with plaster and frescoes. In addition to the armor, numerous objects emphasizing the prestige of the deceased were deposited alongside him, including spears, a curved iron sword, and several ceramic vessels, among them an intact Apulian amphora, a decorated jug, and a bell-shaped krater. The richness and variety of the grave goods make this burial one of the most important testimonies to the material culture of the Brettii.