Vendel helmet: previking’s warrior helmet found in grave. 7th century AD, Sweden

AN ANCIENT elite warrior and a Greek battle helmet have been unearthed from a rock-cut tomb in Croatia.

The solider was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago sometime in the 4th century BC.

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The Greek battle helmet dates back to the back to the 7th century BC.

Weapons, jewellery, pottery and the remains of a woman were also found as archaeologists were working on a mountain in Zakotarac in southern Dalmatia, Croatia.

The researchers were originally there to restore damaged graves before making the new discoveries.

The impressive headwear is known as an Illyrian helmet with its well-known open faced design.

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It’s believed to have belonged to an elite member of the ancient Greek military.

He was buried wearing the metal helmet as it sits were the skull of the skeleton should be but has deteriorated over time.

This is according to the archaeologists from Zagreb University who made the discovery.

Illyrian style helmets were first used by early Greek groups like the Etruscans and Scythians before being adopted by the Illyrians.

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The Illyrians were a group of ancient people who lived in the Balkan Peninsula area of Europe from around the 6th century BC.

They’re mentioned in ancient Roman and Greek texts and were known for their helmet style.

The open faced helmet was also popular in Italy where they were made out of ivory.

It’s thought Illyrians stopped using that style of helmet by the 4th century BC.

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Other ‘grave goods’ that were found included bronze statues, amber beads, pottery vessels and a bronze bracelet around the wrist of the female skeleton found nearby.

According to the Daily Mail, Dr Domagoj Perkić, from Dubrovnik Museums, said: “To date, more than thirty different vessels have been defined, mainly of Greek provenance, probably from the main Attic and Italic workshops.

“It has to be emphasized that these were the most expensive kinds of pots of the time, which the local population put alongside the deceased as grave goods for their life beyond the grave.

“Whether these vessels were bought or plundered during acts of piracy cannot be known, but those who gave them were very certainly aware of their value.”