The boar’s tusk helmet, unearthed from a vaulted tomb near Pylos, Greece, offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient craftsmanship and warrior culture dating back to 1500 BC.
This distinctive headgear consisted of boar tusks meticulously sewn onto bands that encircled a conical leather cap, providing protective coverage for the wearer’s jaw and neck.
Pylos, an influential hub of the kingdom in ancient Greece, is underscored by its monumental tombs, among the earliest of their kind in the Peloponnese. These tombs bear testament to the region’s rich history and once-thriving population.
A description of a boar’s tusk helmet appears in book ten of Homer’s Iliad, as Odysseus is armed for a night raid to be conducted against the Trojans.
Description of the boar tusk helmet in Greece revealed by Homer
“Meriones gave Odysseus a bow, a quiver and a sword, and put a cleverly made leather helmet on his head. On the inside there was a strong lining on interwoven straps, onto which a felt cap had been sewn in. The outside was cleverly adorned all around with rows of white tusks from a shiny-toothed boar, the tusks running in alternate directions in each row.”
Archaeological finds, such as ivory fragments discovered at Mycenaean sites like Dendra, alongside bronze panoplies, and ivory plaques depicting similar helmets, further enrich our understanding. Though less protective than metal helmets, these artifacts may have served as prestigious symbols or identifiers among leaders.
Homer’s mention of such helmets as cherished heirlooms passed down through generations hints at their cultural significance and rarity. Crafting a single helmet required the tusks of up to forty to fifty boars, emphasizing their exclusivity and the resources invested in their creation.
Today, artifacts including these helmets are proudly displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Pylos, alongside other treasures like gold jewelry, vases, and arrows, offering a tangible connection to a bygone era of myth and history.
Pylos was a major center of Mycenaean civilization
Pylos was one of the major centers of Mycenaean civilization, alongside places like Mycenae, Tiryns, and Thebes. The most significant archaeological site associated with it is the Palace of Nestor, named after the wise king in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. This palace, located near modern-day Chora in Messenia, was remarkably well-preserved and has yielded thousands of Linear B tablets—an early form of Greek writing—which give us insights into the administrative, economic, and political systems of the time.
The ancient Greek city had a strategic coastal position on the southwest coast of the Peloponnese, giving it access to trade routes and maritime connections. The Linear B tablets suggest a complex bureaucracy and a large, organized population, with records of trade, taxation, religious offerings, and resource distribution.
The area around Pylos is rich in tholos tombs (beehive-shaped tombs) and shaft graves, filled with weapons, jewelry, and luxury goods, all pointing to a wealthy and influential elite class.
Related: Ancient Greek Helmets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly