The present paper deals with the so-called “Herald’s Wall” at Iron Age Carchemish. It is argued that a stone installation at its middle may be the covering of a hitherto unrecognised grave. If this should be the case, it would confer on the wall and the whole ceremonial centre of the ancient City an unsuspected layer of meaning and be an important factor for the understanding of the cult of ancestors in Iron-Age Syro-Anatolia. First, an analysis of the Herald’s Wall and of the circumstances of its excavation is given (§1). There follows a discussion of the re-use of sculptured slabs and of its consequences for a correct interpretation of the installation in question (§2). Then, a cist grave at the related site of Zincirli is set forth as a comparison (§3). Finally, the evidence for intramural burials and the ancestor cult in Carchemish is called upon (§4).
The ancient city of Carchemish is a key site for the understanding of the Iron Age in the Syro-Anatolian region. Excavations revealed at the foot of the main mound a large ceremonial open place lined by walls decorated with sculptured orthostats. The present paper deals with one of them, the so-called »Herald’s Wall«. It is argued here that a stone installation at its middle may be the covering of a hitherto unrecognized grave. If this should be the case, it would confer on the wall and the whole ceremonial center an unsuspected layer of meaning and be an important factor for the understanding of the cult of ancestors in Iron-Age Syro-Anatolia.
Five drums at Carchemish: An Unrecognized Iron Age Burial along the Herald's Wall?
Gilibert, Alessandra
2007-01-01
Abstract
The ancient city of Carchemish is a key site for the understanding of the Iron Age in the Syro-Anatolian region. Excavations revealed at the foot of the main mound a large ceremonial open place lined by walls decorated with sculptured orthostats. The present paper deals with one of them, the so-called »Herald’s Wall«. It is argued here that a stone installation at its middle may be the covering of a hitherto unrecognized grave. If this should be the case, it would confer on the wall and the whole ceremonial center an unsuspected layer of meaning and be an important factor for the understanding of the cult of ancestors in Iron-Age Syro-Anatolia.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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