Revisiting an Unusual Corinthian Helmet: Transgressing Expectation and Challenging Taxonomy

An unusual Greek helmet at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology has confused scholars for decades. The helmet looks very much like a Corinthian helmet, the most popular helmet type in Archaic Greece, except for the fact that it was constructed in two halves. A seam runs vertically from the tip of the nose to the back of the neck guard, and the helmet is held together by a series of rivets. This paper presents an archaeometallurgical study of this object and explores how it challenges our paradigmatic approach to the material culture of ancient Greek warriorhood by engaging with important concepts from disability studies. The results indicate that construction of the Hearst helmet required less time and technical know-how, but more labor and fuel, than the more common one-piece Corinthian helmet type. Envisioning and mapping this process provides a window into the thought processes and preferences of the metalsmiths, their clients, and the combatants who wore these helmets into battle. In this case, the Hearst helmet was probably used in combat at least twice before a blow, preserved on the upper right side of the helmet, likely incapacitated the hoplite. Through the lens of disability theory, this paper explores how the Hearst helmet both adheres to and transgresses our taxonomic expectations. The helmet is indeed different, but it is far from unusual. Ancient armor had less to do with utility and defensive capabilities than we might think, but it is still a vital window into the ways in which warriors crafted their identities through the objects they bore.