Thank you for the information! The few Tel Halaf figures that I have seen with faces - (not relying on ebay ; see Bron's website for an example) - look like the faces of the Syro Hittite bird faced "Astarte," only drawn. It may be because the "Astarte" figures have big round eyes and the beak is pinched, just like the painted Tel Halaf figures. I understand the symbolism of the bird and female imagry. That would lead to having these fertility idols portrayed as birds. I have seen many of these idols with hands under/on their breasts. I purchased a Colima flat which is of a fertility idol and her hands are on her breasts. Since this comes from another part of the world, it would seem that the image of a woman having her hands under/on her breasts is a "universal" symbol (reflective of an archetype?). The Colima flat has a human face. I can not see how these Middle Eastern/Western Asian idols can all have bird-like faces which can be attributed to coincidence (I tend to believe that the word coincidental is used too much). Isn't it possible that these cultures, through trade, have influenced each other's religious beliefs. According to Genesis 50: 2 - 3 Jacob was mummified and Genesis 50: 26 Joseph was mummified. The only reason why we know this is because it is recorded. Also, the ancient Hindu language of Sanskrit was influenced by Latin (Deus - Latin for God ; Diva - Sanskrit for God). Just by observing language we can see how cultures were influenced by each other. I know this does not 'prove' anything, but I do find it very interesting. Thanks again to all for of your insights!! Tony --- On Mon, 6/9/08, Jason Dahling <jdahling@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Jason Dahling <jdahling@gmail.com> Subject: [Ancientartifacts] Re: More questions about Syro hittite figures To: Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, June 9, 2008, 10:24 AM
I'll take a stab at some of these in case Rolf decided to take a break over the weekend. ;-)
1) ...I tend to accept that theory, but were any of these figurines made out of metal? If so, I am sure they were not meant to be broken.
This is a tough question because we don't really understand the iconography of these figures, so it's hard to say where to draw the line when identifying figures that are supposed to be the same deity. There are some Syro-Hittite figures that were produced in bronze, lead, and copper, although they are a definite minority relative to the terracotta examples and most are male deities. I have never seen a published metal figure that was (a) clearly supposed to be the same bird-faced deity and (b) on the same scale as the terracotta figures. (Plus, as I indicated in a previous post, the evidence in support of ritualistic breakage is pretty slim in the first place.)
2) Are the merhgarh female idols related to the syro hittite idols in that they represent the same fertility goddess (Astarte or Asherah etc.)?
Bird and female imagery are common to the artwork from many cultures that had absolutely no contact with each other. Female imagery obviously has common fertility meaning, and birds are common symbols of transcendence, spirits of the dead, communication with the gods, etc. due to their ability to fly. (For example, think of Ba-birds in Egyptian symbolism.) There is definitely evidence of trade between the Near East and the Indus cultures, but no evidence that either region had a sizable impact on the religious beliefs/practices of the other. It's also noteworthy that there are major stylistic differences between the two broad types of figures, which further suggests two independent streams of development.
3) Many of the Tel Halaf idols I have seen also have a bird face - can they also be placed in the same category? Do the artifacts from Tel Halaf suggest that they were ritually broken?
Well, to be blunt, most Tel Halaf female idols you have seen for sale are probably fake. That said, authentic examples have a pinched, schematic face that generally isn't interpreted to be bird- like on purpose. The emphasis for these figures is exclusively on the fertility component -- breasts, hips, and thighs get all the attention. The faces, lower legs, and arms are simplistic because that's not the aspect of the female figure that the artist was really concerned about! Certainly no evidence for ritual breakage for these figures, and I don't know of any authors who have made an argument for it.
4) I have seen some Tanit figurines for sale recently - they do not seem to have been ritually broken. I realize they are Phoenician, but it seems possible that ritually breaking idols was somewhat of a common practice in ancient times - to release the 'mana' or powers locked within the idol.
Definitely not the case for Tanit figures. These were frequently mold-produced and hollow. The fact that you see few broken & repaired examples for sale speaks more to the observation that a broken hollow figure is usually broken beyond the point of easy repair/restoration than to differences in ancient use.
5) Is it probable that the Tel Brak 'eye idols' were also ritually broken? I have noticed that many of the stone idols have been broken at the neck (if terracotta - one of the 'eyes' are usually broken). Could the breaks be due to structural weakness - the long body of the 'Astartes' and the thin necks of the 'eye idols'?
Eye idols found in context are not deliberately broken. They are found in groups around a central figure and serve only to symbolize the reverence and absolute attention given by the observers. Like the fertility figures, only the salient aspects of the watcher -- his or her eyes -- are emphasized. Consequently, the breaks on eye idols are entirely accidental. I believe the same is true for all of the types of figures that you described above. All of them have fragile points, like waists or outstretched arms, that are easily broken.
Jason http://www.janusant iquities. com
--- In Ancientartifacts@ yahoogroups. com, S M <scriptusmeus@ ...> wrote: > > Thanks to all for the help and guidance you provide. > > Rolf, I was aware that many people believe that the syro hittite female fertility figures (astarte?) were ritually broken. I tend to accept that theory, but were any of these figurines made out of metal? If so, I am sure they were not meant to be broken. > > Did they also ritually break the horsemen? Is the figure on the horse a male god (possibly baal - or his equivalent?) . > > Are the merhgarh female idols related to the syro hittite idols in that they represent the same fertility goddess (Astarte or Asherah etc.) > > Many of the Tel Halaf idols I have seen also have a bird face - can they also be placed in the same category? Do the artifacts from Tel Halaf suggest that they were ritually broken? > > I have seen some Tanit figurines for sale recently - they do not seem to have been ritually broken. I realize they are Phoenician, but it seems possible that ritually breaking idols was somewhat of a common practice in ancient times - to release the 'mana' or powers locked within the idol. > > Is it probable that the Tel Brak 'eye idols' were also ritually broken? I have noticed that many of the stone idols have been broken at the neck (if terracotta - one of the 'eyes' are usually broken). Could the breaks be due to structural weakness - the long body of the 'Astartes' and the thin necks of the 'eye idols'? > > > Tony > > > > > --- On Thu, 6/5/08, rolf5568 heliosgallery@ ... wrote: > > From: rolf5568 heliosgallery@ ... > Subject: [Ancientartifacts] Re: dougie9350 - questionable syro hittite horse > To: Ancientartifacts@ yahoogroups. com > Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 12:57 PM > > > > > > > Hi Tony, > > Genuine Syro-Hittite votive figures which are intact can probably be > counted on one hand: these figures were made to be ritually broken > and distributed as offerings in fields for fertility or under > building foundations - the likelihood of one appearing on ebay and > not being fiercely bid upon by dealers such as myself is improbable > though of course not impossible. The reason I wouldn't personally bid > on this example is that I know there are many fakes of this type in > circulation and that the appearance of the surface is consistent with > the fakes which I've seen and handled in person. > > Newsflash: genuine items on ebay! I noticed a sale via fleabay- live > which seems to be offering genuine antiquities - Estates Unlimited > Inc. - I only looked at the Classical pieces but they looked pretty > good and many appear (I think) to have come from Howie Nowes who's a > perfectly straight and proper dealer in my opinion. > > Cheers, > Rolf Kiaer > www.heliosgallery. com >
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