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LiveScience
LiveScience
Owen Jarus

2,700-year-old shields and helmet from ancient kingdom unearthed at castle in Turkey

Two women excavate cuneiform walls in narrow outdoor hallway of urartu temple.

While excavating at an ancient castle in Turkey, archaeologists unearthed several martial artifacts: three bronze shields and a bronze helmet dating to 2,700 years ago, back when a mighty kingdom known for its metalwork thrived there.

The team found the armor within a temple complex at Ayanis Castle, a fortress near Lake Van in eastern Turkey that was built by the Kingdom of Urartu (also known as the Kingdom of Van), which flourished between the ninth and sixth centuries B.C. The kingdom was known for its military might as well as its art, especially metalwork. The discovery of the shields and helmet was announced by Mehmet Ersoy, Turkey's minister of culture and tourism, on Instagram and X.

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