ancient art Archives - New Historian

Credit: Gabi Laron[/caption]

A tiny representation of a momentous past

The glazed ceramic sculpture is of a man with long, black hair and a beard. He is wearing a yellow and black headband, which pulls the hair away from his dark, almond-shaped eyes. At only 5.1 cm x 5.6 cm, this tiny head is thought to have been part of a small statuette, according to archaeologists. At full size, the statuette would have been around 20 cm x 25 cm. Professor Robert Mullins from Azusa Pacific University’s Department of Biblical and Religious Studies is also co-director of excavations in the ancient city. He said: “Despite the head’s small and innocuous appearance, it provides us with a unique opportunity to gaze into the eyes of a famous person from the past — a past enshrined in the Book of Ages [the Hebrew Bible].”

Whom does the sculpture depict?

Given that it was found inside what is thought to be an administrative building at the city’s peak, it is likely that the sculpture is of an elite person. The first assumptions have been that it was a biblical king; though Mullins and his team have yet to undertake the necessary research to prove or disprove this theory. So if it is indeed a king, whom would it have been? [caption id="attachment_8706" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Credit: Gabi Laron[/caption]

Power struggles in Abel Beth Maacah

In the early stages of research, the team performed radiocarbon dating on the organic materials that were found in the same room as the sculpture. According to the findings, the object would have been constructed some time between 902 BC and 806 BC. The control of Abel Beth Maacah fluctuated greatly during this period. This is down to the fact that it sat at the border of 3 separate kingdoms: Israel, Tyre and Aram-Damascus. Borders were changing continually, leaving Abel Beth Maacah to be under the jurisdiction of different nations. Taking likelihood into account, Mullins thinks the sculpture could depict one of 3 possibilities: King Ahab of Israel, King Hazael of Aram-Damascus, and King Ethbaal of Tyre. However, there are many other candidates, he has said.

Future research to confirm identity

The sculpture will be displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, while the scientists are publishing a paper on the discovery for the journal Near Eastern Archaeology. Excavations at Abel Beth Maacah are undertaken by Azusa Pacific University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Joining Professor Mullins are Naama Yahalom-Mack and Nava Panitz-Cohen, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. They will continue to arrange excavations of the large building into summer 2018. Archaeologists are hopeful that new information will arise to determine the identity of this miniature sculpture.]]>

Iranian Researcher Finds Some of the Oldest Rock Etchings In Existence

The Independent. The problem is that he can’t know for sure just how old these rock carvings are. A major hurdle – one that can’t be easily overcome – is the fact that sanctions are imposed on Iran by the United States, posing difficulties in data access and analysis tools. Despite these disadvantages, Dr. Naserifard has spent more than a decade in his journeys across the length and breadth of Iran, claiming to have found 50,000 ancient engravings and paintings. Despite the lack of help from the United States, archaeologists from other countries around the world have occasionally pitched in to help Dr. Naserifard. Such an instance occurred in 2008 when Dutch researchers accompanied the Iranian on a visit to the area, evaluating a series of drawings that had been made with the use of cups and determining that they could have been made as much as 40,000 years in the past. Meanwhile, one of the most noteworthy finds is that of the engraved figure of an ibex, a type of deer with long, curled horns. The piece is thought to be 4,000 years old and but one of several similar pieces of prehistoric art that adorn the trail. These discoveries are slowly but surely building evidence for a hypothesis that modern humans began to develop common art traditions well before any diaspora from the Middle East, Dr. Naserifard remarked. He described his excitement in finding these ancient works of art as comparable to “finding treasure.” However, US sanctions have deprived Dr. Naerifard and colleagues of access to much-needed technology used in analyzing and dating samples. The archaeologist has high hopes that such technology can be brought into Iran in order to provide better, more accurate data concerning these engravings. With the US ban on fissionable materials being sent to Iran, scientists within the country lack analysis tools that rely on uranium to conduct much of their research. The technology is being used in other regions of the world as an alternative to radiocarbon dating, as it provides accurate estimations as to the date an object was created. Despite the many limitations his research has faced as a result of the ban, the archaeology professor says he has plans to continue his work, involving other archaeological institutions from around the globe in order to help document his many finds. Hopes are that such international attention may provide avenues for a more accurate date analysis of the ancient art. ]]>