Monte Prama Giants - VIII: Warrior

This iconographic type – very often represented among the Nuragic bronze figurines – has been reported only twice among the Monte Prama statues, plus a third possible case, of which only one is in a good state of preservation.

This is the best preserved warrior's statue: it is among the most striking pieces of Monte Prama. Besides the horned helmet – whose horns are broken – it is marked by the presence of an armor with vertical stripes, short on the back but solid on the shoulders and more expanded on the breast.

The head exhibits an "envelope-shaped", crested and horned Nuragic helmet that – like archers' helmets – must have presented the typical long horns portrayed in bronze figurines. Several small cylindrical fragments have in fact been found during excavations. Once recomposed, some of these horns appear to bear small spheres at their terminal ends, like in some bronzetti, either anthropomorphic (in this case only warriors, never archers) or zoomorphic.

By analogy with armours visible on several bronze figurines, it is thought that the breastplate was built of metal strips applied on hardened leather. A panel, decorated and fringed, comes out from the lower part of the breastplate.

The shield is represented in a very detailed way, with chevron patterns reminiscent of geometrical drawings, and with radiating grooves that converge towards the shield-boss.

 

Nuragic sandstone sculpture

X - 1st half of VIII cent. BC

Drom Monte Prana, Cabras, Oristano, Sardinia

Cagliari Archaeological Museum

 

Source: Wikipedia Giants of Monte Prama page.

Done