There were many discoveries made during the 8th receive of excavations at Kınık Höyük, Niğde, inwards Turkey's Central Anatolia share (Greek Kappadokia). The earthworks at the archaeological site of Kınık Höyük is a articulation inquiry projection of the University of Pavia (Department of Humanities) in addition to the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World of New York University, led past times Professor Lorenzo d’Alfonso in addition to supported past times the General Directorate of the Antiquities in addition to Museums of the Ministry of Culture in addition to Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. In add-on to the fiscal back upwards provided past times the 2 Universities mentioned above, the projection tin count amongst a grant from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fund for earthworks projects at The Metropolitan Museum of New York, in addition to a sponsorship past times Türk Traktör.
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| Credit: Farnesina Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
The earthworks campaigns carried out inwards the 2014 - 2016 menstruum inwards Operation A, sector A1, on the north-western gradient of the mound uncovered 4 rooms of a sanctuary. There were 2 principal levels of occupations, one Late Achaemenid, in addition to i Late Hellenistic (around 400 - fifty BC), where zoomorphic vessels representing birds (often identified every bit birds of prey) were found. In the Late Hellenistic levels of the sanctuary, too a release of money hoards in addition to other precious metallic element objects, fragments of 3 woman individual figurines were found: 2 of them were identified every bit a Kybele in addition to an Aphrodite (the latter an import from Tarsus). The 3rd woman individual figurine was too fragmentary to live on identified. Excavations inwards 2018 continued inwards the sanctuary amongst a thought to defining the limits of the site to the West in addition to to the South. Moreover the sanctuary surface area was equipped amongst a semi-permanent comprehend to facilitate the stabilisation in addition to restoration of the whole building.
The most interesting facial expression of this earthworks receive was the regain of cultic finds in addition to a novel populace monumental architecture eastward of the sanctuary. Excavation inwards a novel trench uncovered the citadel walls from the Late Hellenistic in addition to Archaemenid period, in addition to maybe the northern gate of the acropolis of the temple-city. Inside the citadel walls, a stone-paved foursquare was establish dating dorsum to the Late Hellenistic period, in addition to excavated for a surface surface area of to a greater extent than than 110 m2. In the eatern section, the paving of the foursquare was non preserved, in addition to rock in addition to buidling debris covered the floor. The debris contained hundreds of ceramic fragments, which tin live on traced dorsum to at to the lowest degree 13 statues of bulls.
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| Credit: ANSA |
Preliminary observations on the dimension of the bull heads would larn far reasonable to intend that the statues were of 2 principal sizes in addition to namely: statues of approx. fifty cm (head of virtually xv cm) in addition to statues of over 1 thousand (head of virtually 35 cm). Some fragments of these statues showed figurative appliques of Greek gods Athena in addition to Dionysus, in addition to a molded panel of Silenus on the dorsum of a ass inwards a frame of grapes. The laid of finds from this surface area also included votive inscriptions on the bulls in addition to marble architectural decorations.
According to the information available, the finds pertain to a minute sanctuary located to the eastward of the piazza, in addition to maybe dedicated to Dionysus. The hypothesis of a Hellenistic cult of Dionysus inwards this share is peculiarly interesting, since it could live on considered every bit a Greek reinterpretation of the Neo-Hittite local cult of the tempest god Tarhunzas of the vineyards, also known to non-experts thank yous to its representation on the famous Ivriz relief. To confirm these hypotheses, excavations volition resume inwards 2019, incorporating the surface area to the eastward of the square.
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| Credit: ANSA |
The final calendar week of excavations revealed the most extraordinary notice of the entire season: a marble statue of an eagle clutching the caput of a immature caprine animal inwards its left claw. This headless statute is higher than 1.5 m, in addition to was establish inwards a hole close the Hellenistic town wall. The caput of the eagle had been previously establish inwards the same zone at a higher elevation inwards the 2017 receive of excavations. The eagle is a really well-known symbol of power, mutual inwards Anatolia during the Hellenistic in addition to Ancient Roman periods. The statute is currently existence restored at the archaeological museum inwards Niğde, in addition to should live on available for viewing past times the populace soon.
Significant information was also gathered from the excavations inwards other areas of the site. The results of a deep sonar receive investigating the stratigraphy of the lower town of Kınık Höyük were peculiarly significant, for it was possible to reach - for the foremost fourth dimension exterior the acropolis surface area - levels dating dorsum to the Early in addition to Middle Iron Age. This stratigraphic information proves the existence of a lower town inwards the foremost centuries of the I millennium BC, thus indicating that the Kınık Höyük site was already a groovy urban centre at that time.
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| Credit: ANSA |
Suffice to tell that to date, no other sites of the same historic menstruum (beginning of the I millennium BC) are known inwards Central Anatolia amongst documentation proving the presence of an acropolis or lower town. Further surprises were inwards shop when excavating the levels of line of piece of work earlier the Iron Age. The context below the levels dating dorsum to the offset of the I millennium BC included a complete wheel-made, red-slipped, carinated, collared juglet vase unequivocally dated to the Middle Bronze Age, historically known also every bit the Assyrian Colony Period inwards Anatolia.
Fragments of metallic element ware jugs establish inwards secondary contexts yell for that the lower town of Kınık Höyük was also occupied during the Early Bronze Age II-III (mid III millennium BC). Given the strategic seat of the site along commercial routes connecting Cilicia in addition to the Levant to Central in addition to Western Anatolia, in addition to some the rich mining surface area of Bolkar Dağ (Taurus), the regain that Kınık Höyük was an of import centre that already had a lower town during the III in addition to offset of the II millennium BC, puts the importance of the site in addition to the strategies to adopt to excavate it inwards the hereafter into a whole novel light.
Source: Farnesina Ministry of Foreign Affairs in addition to International Cooperation [September 01, 2018] Sumber http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com
