The Western Caucasus - Imported Armour in the Hellenistic Period

Abstract

The region of the Western Caucasus comprises the territories along the north-eastern and eastern Black Sea coast - the Bosporan Kingdom, Colchis and the foothills and mountains of the Caucasus as they spread between the two states. The area was keenly affected by the ancient Greeks through colonization and trade from the 7th-6th centuries BC on. These connections have yielded a rich wealth in finds of Greek type, for example pottery, jewellery, and weaponry. The latter is particularly interesting, as it comprises a wealth of Greek style helmets and greaves. All Greek-style armour finds stem from burials, most of which can be dated to the 4th-2nd century BC. The Greek-style helmet and greave finds from the Western Caucasus are particularly important for the study of Greek armour as a whole, the bulk of which comes from votive contexts in Greece (Olympia). However, none of these finds can be dated later than the mid 5th century BC. The Western Caucasus, however, is home to the highest concentration of Greek-style armour finds (particularly helmets) in the Hellenistic period, and as such are extremely useful in expanding upon existent typologies – which end with the Classical period, as well as examining the distribution and evident popularity of Greek armour outside Greece proper. The thesis begins by analyzing each individual region in terms of its interaction with the Greek world – colonization and trade contacts. This provides the necessary background for the analytical section, which looks at the defining characteristics of the individual greave and helmet types in order to answer questions of provenance and identify individual workshops. Particularly interesting is the heavy concentration and widespread distribution of the Chalcidian type helmet in the Caucasus foothills, which goes far to answer many questions about the key role played by the Caucasus tribes in the economy and political stability of the Western Caucasus as a whole. </p