Introduction to studies on late Sasanian protective armour. The Yarysh-Mardy helmet

The article discusses a helmet found in 1968 in a mountainous village of Yarysh-Mardy situated on the river Argun in the north-eastern Caucasus. The helmet was often associated with the Golden Horde period, which according to the author seems highly unlikely . On the basis of a detailed comparative analysis, the author puts forward a thesis of dating the object to either the late-Sasanid or early -Islamic period, i. e. to late 6th -beginn in g of 8th c. AD. Specifically , it is suggested that the appearance of the helmet in the Caucasus may be attributed to the time of Byzantine-Sasanid conflicts taking place at the turn of 6th and 7thc. AD. Additionally , the article ar gues that in the late Sasanid eriod a new sub-typ e of helmets came into existence, namely the ones with straight sp angs and ones with spiky rivets. Furthermore, it is proposed that the Yarysh-Mardy helmet bears certain corresp ondences to similar finds from Gronin gen and Bremen