Excavations at the Palatial Complex
Title | Excavations at the Palatial Complex PDF eBook |
Author | Geoffrey Summers |
Publisher | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures |
Pages | 534 |
Release | 2023-01-20 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1614910804 |
The city on the Kerkenes Dağ in the high plateau of central Turkey was a new Iron Age capital, very probably Pteria. Founded in the later seventh century BC, the city was put to the torch in the mid-sixth century and then abandoned. Excavations at what we have identified as the Palatial Complex were conducted between 1999 and 2005. The stone glacis supporting the Fortified Structure at the eastern end of the complex was revealed in its entirety while the greater portion of the Monumental Entrance was uncovered. Portions of buildings within the complex were also excavated, notably one-half of the heavily burned Ashlar Building, one corner of the Audience Hall, and parts of other structures. This volume documents as fully as possible the results of those excavations with the exception of sculpture, some bearing Paleo-Phrygian inscription, already published (OIP 135). The location of the complex, its development from foundation to destruction, and its architecture are discussed and illustrated. Within the Monumental Entrance were extraordinary, unexpected, semi-iconic stone idols, and other embellishments that include stone blocks with bolsters, bases for large freestanding wooden columns, and stone plinths. Extensive use was made of iron in combination with timber-framed facades and large double-leafed doors. Objects of gold, silver, copper alloys, and iron attest to former splendor. Organization of the volume is roughly chronological, beginning with the Fortified Structure, and concluding with the Monumental Entrance. Presentation of material culture is organized with an emphasis on context. Specialist chapters report on alphabetic and nonalphabetic graffiti and masons' marks, animal bones among which was found the jawbone of a dolphin, and a Byzantine-period burial. This volume provides further dramatic and surprising new evidence for the power, wealth, and sophistication of an eastward expansion of Phrygian culture exemplified by architecture, cultic imagery, Paleo-Phrygian inscriptions and graffiti, pottery, and artifacts. The brief existence of this extraordinary city, hardly more than one hundred years, together with the excellent stratigraphic context provided by the destruction level, offer an unparalleled window onto the first half of the sixth century BC on the Anatolian Plateau.
Tiryns
Title | Tiryns PDF eBook |
Author | Heinrich Schliemann |
Publisher | |
Pages | 520 |
Release | 1885 |
Genre | Excavations (Archaeology) |
ISBN |
This book contains the results of the author's excavations in Troy, Mycenæ, Orchomenos, and Tiryns which present a picture of the ancient architecture of fortresses, palaces, and tombs in Greece and Asia Minor.
Ramat Raḥel IV
Title | Ramat Raḥel IV PDF eBook |
Author | Oded Lipschits |
Publisher | Penn State Press |
Pages | 867 |
Release | 2021-02-26 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 1646020782 |
This is the first of a three-volume final report on the Tel Aviv–Heidelberg Renewed Excavations at Ramat Raḥel, 2005–2010. It presents the stratigraphy and architecture of the excavation areas, including portions of the palatial compound, the subterranean columbarium complex, and the Late Roman cemetery; site formation of the tell; twentieth-century fortifications at the site; and the ancient garden and its water installations.
Excavations at Tel Kabri III
Title | Excavations at Tel Kabri III PDF eBook |
Author | Eric H. Cline |
Publisher | BRILL |
Pages | 486 |
Release | 2023-10-20 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9004548335 |
Tel Kabri was the center of a Canaanite polity during the Middle Bronze Age. Initial excavations conducted at the site from 1986 to 1993 revealed the remains of a palace dating primarily during the first half of the second millennium BCE. Excavations were resumed at the site under the co-direction of the present editors, Assaf Yasur-Landau and Eric H. Cline, beginning in 2005. This volume presents the results of the work done at Tel Kabri during the years from 2013 to 2019, focused especially on the exploration of the rooms within the Wine Storage Complex of the palace.
Excavations at the Cappadocia Gate
Title | Excavations at the Cappadocia Gate PDF eBook |
Author | Geoffrey D. Summers |
Publisher | Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago |
Pages | 409 |
Release | 2021-04-30 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 161491060X |
The city on the Kerkenes Dag in the high plateau of central Turkey was a new Iron Age capital, very probably Pteria. Founded in the later seventh century BC, the city was put to the torch in the mid sixth century and then abandoned. Between 1999 and 2011 what we have called the Cappadocia Gate, one of the seven city gates that pierce the 7 km of strong stone defenses, was excavated in its entirety. This volume documents as fully as possible the results of those excavations. The location of the gate and its architecture are discussed and illustrated, with a chapter devoted to its partial restoration. Cultic installations within the gate structure include a built stepped monument with semi-iconic idol, an aniconic stela, and graffiti representing similar stones. Sculpture set up at the back of the gate comprised many fragments of a life-sized statue supported by a plinth bearing adorsed sphinxes carved in relief. The remains of two human victims of the destruction are examined, as are animal bones that perhaps provide evidence of meals consumed by builders of the gate. Pottery and other finds, including well-preserved iron door bands, are presented, as is an exceptional ornament of gold and electrum. A final chapter attempts to place these remarkable discoveries in a wider context. The gate plan and the cultic installations and sculpture set up inside the gate appear to be entirely Phrygian. Combined with evidence of Paleo-Phrygian inscription and graffiti already published (OIP 135), this volume sheds dramatic new and unexpected evidence for the power, wealth, and sophistication of an eastward expansion of Phrygia. The brief existence, hardly more than 100 years, together with the excellent stratigraphic context of the destruction level, provide an unparalleled window onto the first half of the sixth century BC on the Anatolian Plateau.
Excavations at Tel Kabri
Title | Excavations at Tel Kabri PDF eBook |
Author | Assaf Yasur-Landau |
Publisher | BRILL |
Pages | 376 |
Release | 2020-06-08 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9004425721 |
Tel Kabri, located in the western Galilee region of modern Israel several kilometers inland from modern Acco and Nahariyya, was the center of a Canaanite polity during the Middle Bronze Age (MB). Initial excavations conducted at the site from 1986 to 1993 revealed the remains of a palace dating primarily to the Middle Bronze Age II period, during the first half of the second millennium BCE. Excavations were resumed at the site in 2005 under the co-direction of the present editors, Assaf Yasur-Landau and Eric H. Cline. This volume presents the results of the work done at Tel Kabri from 2005 to 2011.
The Archaeology of Urbanism in Ancient Egypt
Title | The Archaeology of Urbanism in Ancient Egypt PDF eBook |
Author | Nadine Moeller |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 449 |
Release | 2016-04-18 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 1316352242 |
In this book, Nadine Moeller challenges prevailing views on Egypt's non-urban past and argues for Egypt as an early urban society. She traces the emergence of urban features during the Predynastic period up to the disintegration of the powerful Middle Kingdom state (c.3500–1650 BC). This book offers a synthesis of the archaeological data that sheds light on the different facets of urbanism in ancient Egypt. Drawing on evidence from recent excavations as well as a vast body of archaeological data, this book explores the changing settlement patterns by contrasting periods of strong political control against those of decentralization. It also discusses households and the layout of domestic architecture, which are key elements for understanding how society functioned and evolved over time. Moeller reveals what settlement patterns can tell us about the formation of complex society and the role of the state in urban development in ancient Egypt.