UToronto arch. find Iron Age cuneiform cache in Turkey

[boloboffin]

University of Toronto archaeologists find cache of cuneiform tablets in 2,700-year old Turkish temple

Excavations led by a University of Toronto archaeologist at the site of a recently discovered temple in southeastern Turkey have uncovered a cache of cuneiform tablets dating back to the Iron Age period between 1200 and 600 BCE. Found in the temple's cella, or 'holy of holies', the tablets are part of a possible archive. The cella also contained gold, bronze and iron implements, libation vessels and ornately decorated ritual objects.

"The assemblage appears to represent a Neo-Assyrian renovation of an older Neo-Hittite temple complex, providing a rare glimpse into the religious dimension of Assyrian imperial ideology," said Timothy Harrison, professor of near eastern archeology in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations and director of U of T's Tayinat Archaeological Project (TAP). "The tablets, and the information they contain, may possibly highlight the imperial ambitions of one of the great powers of the ancient world, and its lasting influence on the political culture of the Middle East."

Partially uncovered in 2008 at Tell Tayinat, capital of the Neo-Hittite Kingdom of Palastin, the structure of the building where the tablets were found preserves the classic plan of a Neo-Hittite temple. It formed part of a sacred precinct that once included monumental stelae carved in Luwian (an extinct Anatolian language once spoken in Turkey) hieroglyphic script, but which were found by the expedition smashed into tiny shard-like fragments.

"Tayinat was destroyed by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III in 738 BCE, and then transformed into an Assyrian provincial capital, equipped with its own governor and imperial administration," said Harrison. "Scholars have long speculated that the reference to Calneh in Isaiah's oracle against Assyria alludes to Tiglath-pileser's devastation of Kunulua - i.e., Tayinat. The destruction of the Luwian monuments and conversion of the sacred precinct into an Assyrian religious complex may represent the physical manifestation of this historic event."

Of course the dates 1200-900 mean a good chunk of the 19th dynasty in Egypt and the times that Saul, David, and Solomon were supposed to be in Israel. The tablets may not say anything about these matters, though. It may be about internal religious affairs. But it's a good time to be learning cuneiform if you've got kids heading to college.

 

[Simon39759]

Really; really cool!

 

[Akhenaten]

University of Toronto archaeologists find cache of cuneiform tablets in 2,700-year old Turkish temple

Of course the dates 1200-900 mean a good chunk of the 19th dynasty in Egypt and the times that Saul, David, and Solomon were supposed to be in Israel. The tablets may not say anything about these matters, though. It may be about internal religious affairs. But it's a good time to be learning cuneiform if you've got kids heading to college.

Sometimes the things that aren't mentioned can provide some useful clues.

As a hypothetical, if the tablets were to describe goings-on in Jerusalem at the time and no mention was made of Solomon et al, then certain conclusions could be made.

In any case, the tablets are a great find, even if they're only about those wretched Hittites.


Cheers,

Dave

 

[boloboffin]

Sometimes the things that aren't mentioned can provide some useful clues.

As a hypothetical, if the tablets were to describe goings-on in Jerusalem at the time and no mention was made of Solomon et al, then certain conclusions could be made.

In any case, the tablets are a great find, even if they're only about those wretched Hittites.


Cheers,

Dave

Ah, yes, a better way of putting that would have been "say anything that reflects on these matters." Thanks!

 

[GreNME]

Of course the dates 1200-900 mean a good chunk of the 19th dynasty in Egypt and the times that Saul, David, and Solomon were supposed to be in Israel. The tablets may not say anything about these matters, though. It may be about internal religious affairs. But it's a good time to be learning cuneiform if you've got kids heading to college.

It's doubtful the tablets are going to mention Egypt at all. If they do, it'll be in the pejorative. Most writings we have from Mesopotamia say very little about Egypt for two reasons: 1) Egypt tended toward being very aggressive in the relations that did take place, and 2) most of the Mesopotamian people (particularly the Hittites) didn't like Egypt all that much.

 

[boloboffin]

It's doubtful the tablets are going to mention Egypt at all. If they do, it'll be in the pejorative. Most writings we have from Mesopotamia say very little about Egypt for two reasons: 1) Egypt tended toward being very aggressive in the relations that did take place, and 2) most of the Mesopotamian people (particularly the Hittites) didn't like Egypt all that much.

I know. They will probably be internal documents for the temple anyway, but Amarna's cache was actual diplomatic documents from dependent states and bigger kingdoms. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm keeping hope alive!

 

[Akhenaten]

I know. They will probably be internal documents for the temple anyway, but Amarna's cache was actual diplomatic documents from dependent states and bigger kingdoms. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm keeping hope alive!

Wouldn't this temple archive be likely to have at least some correspondence with foreign countries stored within it? Something along the lines of the christian epistles perhaps. (only with less forgeries)

I've read translations of some of the stuff in the Amarna letters and something like that from the Hittites/Assyrians(?) would be priceless, I would have thought.

Am I right in thinking that the translation of cuneiform has been coming along in leaps and bounds lately?