Urartian shield and helmet found in the Ayanis Castle

Three bronze shields and a bronze helmet were found in the ancient Urartu fortress of Ayanis in eastern Turkey. They are about 2,700 years old and were found in the temple of Haldi, the god of war and the main deity of Urartu religion. Although the objects were buried when an earthquake destroyed the temple’s mud-brick walls around 650 BC, they are in a remarkably good condition.

The Kingdom of Urartu ruled over parts of what is now Turkey, Armenia, Iran, and Iraq from the 9th to the 6th century BC. Ayanis Castle was built around 672 BC by the kingdom’s last powerful ruler, Russa II. The fortress was built on Mount Van, 20 miles east of Urartu’s capital of Tushpa (modern Van). It was the last castle built by the Kingdom of Urartu and was short-lived. Historical records indicate that it was destroyed by an earthquake 20-25 years after it was built.

Shields, helmets and other bronze weapons were presented to Haldi by the Urartian ruling class, and dozens of them have been found in the temple complex at Ayanis. Most of the weapons were crushed and deformed in the collapse of the city walls and the subsequent fire, but three shields and helmets found in this year’s excavation survived. Archaeologists dug more than 20 feet into the floor of a room that they believe was used by the religious elite to find them.

Two shields are stacked on top of each other, with the helmet nestled inside the top shield. The inscription is currently obscured by dirt. The helmet is clearly decorated, so it is likely a ceremonial piece rather than true combat gear, but the full decoration will only be revealed after cleaning and conservation. There are some small cracks on the object, which will be repaired during conservation.