The heritage department of the Romanian Police recovered on February 7 a medieval helmet of Viking origin, the institution said.

The helmet was recovered following an investigation that lasted almost two months.  It dates back to the X-XIII centuries, the Police said. 

The item was initially discovered during works carried out on the Siret river in 2010, but it wasn’t handed over to the Romanian authorities at the time. 

It is a type of helmet “often seen in the Baltic area and that of the Kievan Rus” and is “unique in Romania and one of the few in Europe,” the Police said.

The helmet was handed over to the Moldova National Museum Complex in Iaşi, in northeastern Romania, to start the process to add it to the national patrimony.

The investigation to determine the circumstances of the helmet's disappearance is ongoing. 

Earlier this January, the Police discovered a 2,500-year-old Corinthian bronze helmet while conducting house searches at suspects accused of theft from archeological sites.

(Photo: Politia Romana Facebook Page)

simona@romania-insider.com