A Carolingian Helmet from Pohansko near Břeclav (Czech Republic): Its Archaeological Context and Social Interpretation

Abstract

THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE REMAINS of an early medieval helmet found in 2015 at Pohansko near Břeclav (Czech Republic), one of the most important central places of an early medieval polity called Great Moravia. It is the first Carolingian helmet from Central Europe to be discovered in a settlement context during a conventional archaeological excavation. The helmet is dated by stratigraphic and radiocarbon methods, and placed in a broader European context based on the collected analogies. The authors also attempt a social interpretation of this extraordinary artefact and propose a hypothesis about the owner of this valuable piece of armour.