Revealing the mystery of a 2,700-year-old bronze shield and helmet

Military artifacts found in the temple complex may have been offerings made by an ancient kingdom to their supreme deity.

While excavating an ancient castle in Türkiye, archaeologists found several military artifacts: three shields and a bronze helmet dating back 2,700 years.

Restoration work is underway at Ayanis Castle, an Urartu castle dating back some 2,700 years. (Photo: Anadolu).

The team found the armor in a temple complex at Ayanis Castle , a fortress near Lake Van in eastern Turkey built by the Kingdom of Urartu (also known as the Kingdom of Van), which flourished from the ninth to the sixth centuries BC. The kingdom was famous for its military prowess as well as its art, especially metalwork.

The discovery of the bronze shield and helmet was announced by Mehmet Ersoy, Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, on Instagram and X. The temple complex is dedicated to Haldi , the main god of Urartu. The battle artifacts may have been offerings to Haldi.

"This castle proves to be the richest Urartu site in Turkey for many reasons, not least the quantity of bronzes associated with the temple," said Paul Zimansky, professor of history at Stony Brook University in Turkey.

'Similar bronze shields and helmets have been found at Ayanis in the past, including a more elaborate shield and helmet excavated in 1997 with a lion's head mounted on it,' Professor Zimansky added.

The current excavation at Ayanis Castle, led by Mehmet Isikli, is still ongoing, led by a professor of archaeology at Ataturk University.