This page last modified: 26 October, 2001
One of these days I will do some proper research on the Illyrians. Until then, here is a selection of images of Illyrian warriors, etc.
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The bronze shield and greaves are in the Tirana Museum in Albania, provenence and date as of yet unknown; they are joined by an Illyrian helmet in the reconstruction shown in the museum showing the small size of the shield (photographs courtesy of Michael Anastasiadas). The real shield however looks to be bigger in comparison to the greaves beside it that shown in the reconstruction.
The other warriors... (details to come)
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This is a detail of the famous Gradiste plate, again in the museum of Tirana, and photographed beautifully by Mike. It most likely dates to the 4th century BC. Some have seen a Macedonian fighting an Illyrian depicted here on account of the differing number of rings in the combatent's two shields, but in my opinion there is nothing here that says anything other than 'southern Illyrian'. The shields are of a much more normal size than the excavated example shown in the museum above (or at least, the reconstructed version thereof); certainly recovered Macedonian shields of this type vary from 60 cm to 75 cm in diameter which is just right for ones these two warriors are carrying. The use of a shield while fighting mounted was not a feature of contemporary Greek warfare (nor it seems, of Macedonian), but is known from nearby Italy, with which Illyria had close links, and the Celts to their north, |
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