Archaeology
Archaeologists suggest that Rabana-merquly was a sanctuary for the water goddess Anahita
Archaeologists excavating the mountain fortress of Rabana-merquly suggest that it may have also served as a sanctuary for the water goddess Anahita.
Situated within modern-day Iraqi Kurdistan on the southwest flanks of Mt. Piramagrun in the Zagros Mountains, Rabana-merquly was a regional centre within the Parthian Empire, spanning across the regions of Iran and Mesopotamia around 2,000 years ago.
Excavations conducted by the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology of Heidelberg University have uncovered architectural features and evidence of a fire altar adjacent to a natural waterfall, suggesting that the site was a sanctuary in dedication to Anahita, an Iranian goddess venerated as the divinity of “the Waters”.
Anahita was first mentioned in the Avesta, a compilation of texts within the Zoroastrian religion. These scriptures depict her as the divine origin of all earthly waters, portrayed as a magnificent and enchanting figure who can transform into a flowing stream or cascading waterfall. During the Seleucid and Parthian eras, the cult of Anahita held great reverence, particularly in the western territories of Iraq.
Dr Michael Brown from Heidelberg University, said: “The proximity to the waterfall is significant, because the association of fire and water elements played an important role in pre-Islamic Persian religion.”
“There may have been a pre-existing shrine that was absorbed into the Anahita cult during the Parthian era, which could have been pivotal in the occupation of the mountain,” added Dr Brown.
This interpretation of the site is mainly based on finds of architectural extensions in the natural surroundings of a seasonal waterfall located on the fortress site. The researchers also discovered an altar-like sculpture nearby carved into an escarpment, where offerings or oil may have been burned.
Header Image Credit : Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project
Sources : Ute Mueller-Detert Heidelberg University – A possible parthian-era anahita sanctuary at Rabana in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. https://doi.org/10.1017/irq.2023.6
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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
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