Archaeology
Archaeologists excavate a lamassu at ancient Khursbad
In a press announcement by the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage, archaeologists have re-excavated an ancient lamassu at Kursbad, Iraq.
A lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity normally depicted with a blending of human, avian, and either bovine or leonine elements. Most lamassus are shown with a human-like head, a body resembling that of a bull or lion, and wings like a bird.
Assyrian sculpture commonly featured pairs of lamassu positioned at palace entrances, facing both the street and internal courtyards. These imposing figures were depicted in high relief, showcasing a dual perspective that appears to stand still when head on and in motion from the side.
Although lamassu were not typically found as large figures in the low-relief decorations adorning palace rooms – where winged genie figures were more prevalent – they occasionally made appearances in narrative reliefs, seemingly serving as protectors of the Assyrians.
According to the press release, the lamassu was first discovered in 1992 by an Iraqi archaeological mission during excavations at the 6th gate, located in the western part of the ancient city of Khursbad.
Khorsbad was constructed as a new capital city by the Assyrian king Sargon II shortly after he came to the throne in 721 BC. Following Sargon II’s death, his son and successor, Sennacherib, moved the capital to Nineveh, leaving construction of Khursbad incomplete.
Following the lamassu discovery, the head was stolen in 1995, but was later recovered and preserved in the Iraqi Museum. The main body was then reburied to preserve the architectural remains following the Gulf War conflict. This act likely saved the lamassu from destruction, as in 2015 ISIS systematically looted and destroyed much of the remains of Khursbad.
In a joint Iraqi/French mission, a team led by Professor Dr. Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani have recently re-excavated the lamassu, revealing it for the first time to the world in three decades.
According to Dr. Layth Majid Hussein, Chairman of the General Body for Archaeology and Heritage, the team are currently assessing the condition of the lamassu to determine their next steps.
General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage
Header Image Credit : Mustafa Yahya
Archaeologists from the University of Warwick are conducting an underwater study to document the submerged Mesolithic site of Bouldnor Cliff before it vanishes due to erosion.
Bouldnor Cliff is situated in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and the southern coast of England. The site was first discovered in 1999 when divers observed a lobster discarding worked flint tools from its burrow on the seabed.
At a time when Britain was cut off from mainland Europe by rising sea levels, the area of the Solent was a river valley inhabited by an advanced Mesolithic community who developed a boat building technology 2,000 years ahead of their time.
The study aims to find new data on the nature of the late Ice Age environment during the development of the Mesolithic era, and the extent of the interaction between the inhabitants of Bouldnor Cliff and Europe, including the exchange of materials.
Professor Robin Allaby, who is leading the expedition, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to understand the lost world in which the Mesolithic developed using the latest techniques before our chance is gone.”
The study will involve a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental analysis, in addition to state-of-the-art techniques such as optical simulated luminescence for constructing ecological profiles. Furthermore, archaeologists intend to recover archaeological artefacts and environmental markers to reconstruct the past environment.
Dr Kinnaird adds: “This is an exciting research project to showcase the new innovations in luminescence dating, which can tell when an object was last exposed to the Sun. The relevance of this technique in writing the narratives for 4000 years of history, at the time that the British coastline was rapidly changing, is huge!”
According to the researchers, these discoveries carry the potential to significantly transform our comprehension of the era when Britain emerged as an island.
Header Image Credit : University of Warwick
Sources : University of Warwick
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of the “Excalibur” sword found in Valencia has been revealed to have Islamic origins sometime during the 10th century AD.
Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain, founded under the name of Valentia Edetanorum by the Romans in 138 BC.
The city was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century AD, and was destroyed by Abd al-Rahman I of the Umayyad dynasty. Under Caliphate rule, the wider city area became known as Madînat al-Turâb (meaning “city of earth” or “sand”).
The sword was discovered back in 1994 in a house on Valencia’s Historiador Chabàs Street, where it was found standing upright in a grave beneath an Islamic era house.
Dubbed “Excalibur” due to the circumstances of its discovery, the sword is made from iron and has a hilt decorated with bronze plates. In mythology, Excalibur was the legendary sword of King Arthur and appears in various medieval poems describing Arthur pulling the sword from a stone.
However, the “Excalibur” from Valencia was found in a sedimentary strata from the 10th century AD and was likely the weapon of a cavalryman from the Andalusian Caliphate Era.
According to the archaeologists, the sword measures 46 centimetres in length and has a slightly curved blade towards the tip. Swords from this period are rarely found well-preserved due to the levels of oxygen and water in the soil that causes oxidation of the iron.
“It is the first Islamic sword that appears in the city of Valencia, with only one similar example being found during the excavations of Medina Azahara, the caliphal city of Abd al-Rahman III, in Córdoba,” said the Valencia City Council.
Header Image Credit : The Archaeology Service (SIAM) of the Valencia City Council
Sources : Valencia City Council
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
-
Ghosts2 years agoZozo: The Ouija Board Demon
-
Space2 years agoScientists claim to have found the answer what existed before the Universe
-
Ghosts2 years agoOld Coot of Mount Greylock
-
Archaeology1 year ago
New discoveries at Ekʼ Balam during conservation works
-
General3 years agoUC San Francisco engaging in horrifying experiments, organ harvesting of live babies in the name of “science”