Çağı'nda bölgede kurulan bu yerleşim merkezleri, bulunduğu konum ve büyüklüklerinin yanısıra ele ... more Çağı'nda bölgede kurulan bu yerleşim merkezleri, bulunduğu konum ve büyüklüklerinin yanısıra ele geçen seramik materyallerden de anlaşıldığı kadarıyla önemli birer idari ve askeri merkez olmalıdır.
14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, socia... more 14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, social and cultural dynamics. This era, also called the Amarna Age, the conflicts of interest between important trade centres in the region and small political structures were significant factors explaining the changes in great power zones of control and influence. Cities in Syria and Palestine had limited military capabilities, resulting in the expansion of mobility and activity on the part of nomads and marauders in the region. They lacked effective measures against the offensives of small nomad and marauder groups who used the advantages of geography, especially forests and mountainous terrain. Nomads and marauders were also utilized as mercenaries by lesser polities lacking in military defence as well as by great powers with military interests, that is Mitanni, Hittite and Egypt, during periods of conflict. Proxy wars, regional conflicts and relationships based on mutual interests of the ...
I. International Arslantepe Archaeology Symposium, 2019
Bu kitabın yayın hakkı I� nönü U� niversitesine aittir. 5846, 2936 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri... more Bu kitabın yayın hakkı I� nönü U� niversitesine aittir. 5846, 2936 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Yasası gereği herhangi bir bölümü, resmi veya yazısı, yazarların, yayımcısının yazılı izni alınmadan tekrarlanamaz, basılamaz, kopyası çıkarılamaz, fotokopisi alınamaz, hiçbir biçimde, hiç bir yolla çoğaltılamaz ve dağıtılamaz. Yazıların yasal sorumluluğu yazarlara aittir.
Archaeological survey in 2018 which can be considered as a continuation to the archaeological sur... more Archaeological survey in 2018 which can be considered as a continuation to the archaeological survey in 2017 is conducted on Malatya Province’s Yeşilyurt and Battalgazi districts, an area which two regions have differences in regards to geomorphology: Malatya Plains and Malatya Mountains. During the research conducted on Malatya Plains, ceramic sherds which are representing all three periods of Iron Age are found on Alibey Höyük which became partially submerged under Karakaya Dam waters; Pınarkolu-Sivri Tepe Area, Kürdonun Bükü Höyük, Avşaroğlu Necropolis Site in Tohma Basin; Örentepe Höyük in Sultansuyu Basin and Tepecik Area. Survey on Malatya Mountains which is the second part of the research is conducted on the area located 1400-2000 meters above sea level which is still actively used today by highland cultures. During the research, defense structures and ceramic sherds which are considered to be largely used during Early Iron Age and Middle Iron Age have been identified from the six archaeological site. Each of the Beypınar Tepe, Kilise Tepe, Seyituşağı Kale Archaeological Site, Meydan Kalesi, Cihan Kalesi and Aşağıköy/Kalebaşı archaeological sites are considered to be typical examples of defensive purpose settlements constructed by combining natural steep cliffs with stone build walls which are largely used in East Anatolian Region in Iron Age. In Üçgöze/Ziyaret Tepe area located upon Malatya Mountains where no archaeological structure are present and highland cultures enshrining the area; a ceramic sherd which is reflecting the Iron Age ceramic form is found. Ceramics identified in archaeological sites on Malatya Mountains and Malatya Plain is compared with ceramics collected from systematic archaeological excavations and surveys conducted in Upper and Lower Euphrates Basin, Upper Tigris Region, Northeastern and Central Anatolia, Syria and Northern Mesopotamia, and significant results were obtained which are revealing interregional interaction.
The sudden and extreme climate changes that occurred in Southwest Asia towards the end of the Las... more The sudden and extreme climate changes that occurred in Southwest Asia towards the end of the Last Glacial Period on a global scale, created important developments for both the natural environment and human communities. Hunter-gatherer societies trying to accommodate themselves to the natural environment in the face of these sudden changes were forced to develop several strategies to survive. For human societies organized around a common collective consciousness by blending the objective and symbolic elements; the selection and use of venue, and abstract and concrete means of information storage turned into a means of information transfer used in developing a sense of social belonging or identity as well as in determining the boundaries of cognitive development. The feasts, which were carried out in areas that functioned as collective memory spaces, the selection and processing of food needed for these feasts, and also the storage of food depending on their seasonal availability or famine conditions played an important role in domestication of plants and animals as well as the transition to settled life for the first time ever.
14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, soci... more 14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, social and cultural dynamics. This era, also called the Amarna Age, the conflicts of interest between important trade centres in the region and small political structures were significant factors explaining the changes in great power zones of control and influence. Cities in Syria and Palestine had limited military capabilities, resulting in the expansion of mobility and activity on the part of nomads and marauders in the region. They lacked effective measures against the offensives of small nomad and marauder groups who used the advantages of geography, especially forests and mountainous terrain. Nomads and marauders were also utilized as mercenaries by lesser polities lacking in military defence as well as by great powers with military interests, that is Mitanni, Hittite and Egypt, during periods of conflict. Proxy wars, regional conflicts and relationships based on mutual interests of the quickly turning nomad and vagabond groups which facilitated their rise in political power in regards to nature of the zone in Amarna Age will be discussed in this study.
A great change in humankind's cognitive and symbolic world with the start of the Upper Paleolithi... more A great change in humankind's cognitive and symbolic world with the start of the Upper Paleolithic period around 40 thousand B.C.E. Depicted works of art describing hybrid creatures have emerged during the Upper Paleolithic period in parallel with emergence of hunter cultures. Ancient forms of Shamanism, a popular belief system among hunter cultures, had an effect on emergence of these hybrid figures. Imitation of the strong and the intelligent within the animal kingdom and the humankind's thirst for merging developing its physical and intellectual capacity with this power are among the main dynamics behind emergence of hybrid figures. The humankind of the Upper Paleolithic period, which has seen the world with a sense of permeability among species and an animalistic sensitivity and vigor, had a cognitive world within which things and humans must have been at the same level and forming a unity. During breakage of this unity and a sense of "togetherness," the hunter tries to balance the fear and suspense caused by prohibition of violence against those that exist at the same level and spiritual unity with mythical thinking. Prohibition of violence gave way to a cognitive status that identifies with the prey. This new symbolic consciousness which has emerged during the Upper Paleolithic period has tried to find a balance between controlling the suspense and fear caused by violence directed against the strong and the wild and the strength of the victim. While there were human-animal hybrids at first, emergence of hybrids of multiple animals and humans during the Neolithic period is of vital importance, as this shows the level of cognitive development of the humankind. Because cultural permeability, continuity, and mobility were substantially prevalent in hunter-gathering societies this study focused on two regions especially where the hybrid symbols are intensively seen, the Upper Paleolithic Europe and Neolithic Near East. / MÖ 40 binlerde Üst Paleolitik dönemin başlaması ile birlikte, insanın bilişsel ve sembolik dünyasının gelişiminde büyük bir değişim ortaya çıkar. Karışık varlıkların tasvirli sanat eserlerinde ilk defa ortaya çıkışı, Üst Paleolitik avcı kültürlerin gelişimi ile paralellik göstermiştir. Karışık varlık figürlerinin ortaya çıkışında, avcı kültürler içerisinde yaygın bir inanç sistemini oluşturan şamanizmin ilkel biçimlerinin etkisi söz konusudur. Doğada güçlü ve zeki olana özenme, insanın fiziksel ve zihinsel kapasitesini bu güçle birleştirme arzusu, karışık varlık figürlerinin doğuşunun ana dinamiklerinden biridir. Dünyayı türler arası geçirgenliğe sahip, hayvansal bir duyarlılık ve canlılıkla algılayan Üst Paleolitik dönem insanın bilişsel dünyasında şeyler ve insan aynı düzlemde ve bir bütünlük içinde yer alıyor olmalıydı. Bu bütünlüğün ve “birlik” algısının kırılmasında, avcının, aynı düzlemde, aynı ruhsal birlik içerisinde yer alana karşı uyguladığı yasaklanmış şiddet olgusunun yarattığı korku ve gerilim, mitik düşünce yoluyla dengelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Yasaklanmış şiddet, kurban ile özdeşleşen bir bilinç durumu yaratmıştır. Üst Paleolitik ile başlayan bu yeni sembolik bilinç, güçlü ve vahşi olana yönelen şiddetin yarattığı gerilim ve korkunun kontrolünü, kurbanın gücü ile özdeşleşerek dengelemeye çalışmıştır. Başlangıçta insanhayvan karışık varlıkların sunumları söz konusu iken, Neolitik dönem ile birlikte, ilk defa iki farklı hayvan ve insan birleşimi karışık varlıkların da ortaya çıkması, insanın bilişsel gelişiminin ulaştığı seviyeyi göstermesi bakımından önemlidir. Avcı toplayıcı toplumlarda kültürel geçirgenlik, devamlılık ve hareketlilik oldukça yaygın olduğundan bu çalışma, özellikle karışık varlık sembollerinin yoğun olarak görüldüğü iki bölge, Üst Paleolitik Avrupa ve Neolitik dönem Yakındoğu’ya odaklanmıştır.
In periods, during which elite class began to arise, social inequality increased, in Ancient Nea... more In periods, during which elite class began to arise, social inequality increased, in Ancient Near East, quite significant findings about human sacrifice has been uncovered. In such societies, where social and economic dynamics began to change, to be able to prevent the tension created by social inequality and the violence, ritual behaviors that paradoxically both fed inequality and made conflict and disagreement invisible began to increase. For these societies seeing the rest as out of bounds of their own symbolic identity as bad, filthy and a threat to their existence, the sources, on which ritual violence was fed, were met through individuals in low status, new born and slaves. Perception manner of life, death and underworld in ancient Near East cannot be explained with secular world view and its concepts in modern societies. Except from findings obtained as a result of archeological excavations, in documents written in Sumerian language and on various seals, important information has been attained related to human sacrifice. Although not frequently, in the documents written in Sumerian information about human sacrifice has come to the forefront in two points. On iconographic findings human sacrifice has in general been seen as connected to divine violence.
Öz Eski Yakındoğu toplumlarında yer altı güçleri ile bağlantılı olarak dünyada gizli kalmış özler... more Öz Eski Yakındoğu toplumlarında yer altı güçleri ile bağlantılı olarak dünyada gizli kalmış özlerin ve minerallerin bilgisine sahip bir varlık şeklinde düşünülen yılan, aynı zamanda Prehistorik dönemlerden itibaren mevsimsel döngü ve yeniden dirim ile ilişkilendirilmiştir. Yılanın ilişki içerisinde olduğu tanrısal güçler merkezi yapıların doğuşu ile birlikte farklılıklar göstermeye başlamıştır. Zirai faaliyetler, sulama sistemleri, tahıl ambarları, bitkiler ve şifa ile ilişkili güçlerle bağlantılı olan yılan sembolü kimi zaman kompozit bir varlık olarak gerek arkeolojik belgelerde gerekse çivi yazılı metinlerde karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Yılanlı tanrıça sembolleri Neolitik döneme kadar gitmektedir. Muhtemelen ilkel toplumlar, doğadaki ölüm ve yeniden dirim ile ilgili güçlerin kontrolünün bir tanrıça tarafından yürütüldüğünü düşünmekteydi. Anadolu'da M.Ö. II. binde yer altı tanrıçalarına ilişkin bilgileri Hititçe çivi yazılı belgelerden öğrenmekteyiz. Buna göre, yer altı ile ilişkili tanrıçaların çoğu kader ve nehir kıyısının tanrıçaları olarak betimlenmişlerdir. Bu tanrıçaların, uzun hayat ve şifa verme yetileri bulunmaktadır. Harput Kabartması üzerinde görülen ve belden aşağısı yılan sarmalı şeklinde tasvir edilen yılanlı tanrıça, Eski Babil döneminde ortaya çıkan ve Mısır sanatı özellikleri taşıyan, Suriye orijinli bir yer altı tanrıçası olmalıdır. Ayrıca, Harput Kabartması üzerindeki yılanlı tanrıça savaşın kaderinin belirlenmesinde etkin bir role sahip görünmektedir. Abstract An Evaluation on the Cult of the Snake Goddess in the Ancient Near East Serpent, which was believed to possess the information on the minerals and hidden sources within the earth in relation to the underground forces in the Ancient Near East societies, was also associated with the seasonal cycle and resurrection since the Prehistoric Periods. Associated with the serpent, the divine forces displayed differences with the dawn of the central structures. The symbol of the serpent, associated with the agricultural activities, irrigation systems, granaries,
An Evaluation on the Cult of the Snake Goddess in the Ancient Near East Serpent, which wa... more An Evaluation on the Cult of the Snake Goddess in the Ancient Near East Serpent, which was believed to possess the information on the minerals and hidden sources within the earth in relation to the underground forces in the Ancient Near East societies, was also associated with the seasonal cycle and resurrection since the Prehistoric Periods. Associated with the serpent, the divine forces displayed differences with the dawn of the central structures. The symbol of the serpent, associated with the agricultural activities, irrigation systems, granaries,vegetables and healing, sometimes confronts us both in the archaeological documents and cuneiform scripts as a composite creature. The symbols of serpent goddess date back to the Neolithic Period. Probably the primitive civilizations thought that the forces of death and resurrection in nature were performed under the control of a goddess. In Anatolia of the 2nd millennium B.C., we are learning the information about the underworld goddesses from the Hittite cuneiform scripts. Accordingly, most of the goddesses, related to the underworld, were defined as the goddesses of fate and river banks. These goddesses have the abilities to grant long life and cure. The serpent goddess, displayed on the Harput Relief and described to have a serpent body below her waist, must be an underworld goddess, who appeared in the Ancient Babylon Period as she carried the characteristics of the Egyptian art, and originated from Syria. Furthermore, the serpent goddess, on the Harput Relief, seems to have an important role in determining the result of the war.
Abstract In the ancient Mesopotamian belief system, the definition of the evil and scary was alwa... more Abstract In the ancient Mesopotamian belief system, the definition of the evil and scary was always considered in relation with a divine power and anger. Evil and its representativecontents are defined with a divine existence like goodness, wealth and health. In such an existence, for the Ancient Mesopotamians, satisfying the Gods and providing their protection over humans were the only means to protect themselves from malignance and evil creatures. For this reason, deformed condition of the evil and demons, which were perceived as a kind of atmospheric phenomenon, were lost wanderers as individual units of chaos, which were banished from heaven, outcast and constantly looking for a shelter. They neither know mercy nor understand pray nor accept offerings. They do not have a spouse or any children. Being in a constant and incapable condition of anger due to being outlawed, demons keep on wandering around the temples to take the offerings that they would actually never accept, as they are the paradoxical units of existence. Against demons and the disease, evil and disaster that they involve, the Ancient Mesopotamians developed a set of protective measures. Since demons cannot be destroyed physically, people tried to cast them away by the magic and rituals under a priest’s guidance in order to escape from the demons’ negative effects. By the means of these rituals and magic, demons were sent to the places where they belonged in the underworld or to the edges of life like deserts, prairies and mountains. Various figurines that functioned as a part of the rituals represented a group of monsters which had the status of Deities’ assistances. The rituals which were performed to fend off the demons, which were the agents of fear and evil, meanwhile played a great role in the development of the temples’ economy in Mesopotamia.
Bu çalışma Hitit ekonomisinde metal kullanımını inceleyerek, metal ekonomisinin büyük oranda aske... more Bu çalışma Hitit ekonomisinde metal kullanımını inceleyerek, metal ekonomisinin büyük oranda askeri ve siyasi faaliyetlere bağlı olarak devlet kontrolünde geliştiğini tespit etmektedir.
We observe the use of metal as the most important mediums of exchange in the economic system impl... more We observe the use of metal as the most important mediums of exchange in the economic system implemented in Anatolia in the Hittite Period. The same economic system developed various units of weight and measurement in the sense of control mechanisms to create fixed equivalence in the mediums of exchange. Weighting stones obtained in various settlements of Anatolia since the Early Bronze Ages are of importance since they reveal the commercial relationships between Anatolia and the other regions, and the philological documents proving the use of various weights and units of measurement obtained from the Hittite Period provide important clues about how and by whom the control mechanisms were operated in Anatolia of the Period. When we observe the areas of use of the weights and the units of measurement and the methods of pricing determined by the laws in the cuneiform scripts in Hittite language, the units of weight and measurement used as control mechanisms were developed to a large extent by central structures, palaces or temples. In the vow scripts, diplomatic texts or pray texts in Hittite language, the weights and the measurements of the goods presented to the palaces or the * Bu makale Crosscheck sistemi tarafından taranmış ve bu sistem sonuçlarına göre orijinal bir makale olduğu tespit edilmiştir. purpura-/purpuri-kelimesi, yuvarlak, topak şeklinde, bilye ya da top, yuvarlak ekmek anlamına gelmektedir. , 554-555) 93 Erkut, 1983, 73. 94 Dönmez, 2013
Çağı'nda bölgede kurulan bu yerleşim merkezleri, bulunduğu konum ve büyüklüklerinin yanısıra ele ... more Çağı'nda bölgede kurulan bu yerleşim merkezleri, bulunduğu konum ve büyüklüklerinin yanısıra ele geçen seramik materyallerden de anlaşıldığı kadarıyla önemli birer idari ve askeri merkez olmalıdır.
14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, socia... more 14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, social and cultural dynamics. This era, also called the Amarna Age, the conflicts of interest between important trade centres in the region and small political structures were significant factors explaining the changes in great power zones of control and influence. Cities in Syria and Palestine had limited military capabilities, resulting in the expansion of mobility and activity on the part of nomads and marauders in the region. They lacked effective measures against the offensives of small nomad and marauder groups who used the advantages of geography, especially forests and mountainous terrain. Nomads and marauders were also utilized as mercenaries by lesser polities lacking in military defence as well as by great powers with military interests, that is Mitanni, Hittite and Egypt, during periods of conflict. Proxy wars, regional conflicts and relationships based on mutual interests of the ...
I. International Arslantepe Archaeology Symposium, 2019
Bu kitabın yayın hakkı I� nönü U� niversitesine aittir. 5846, 2936 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri... more Bu kitabın yayın hakkı I� nönü U� niversitesine aittir. 5846, 2936 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Yasası gereği herhangi bir bölümü, resmi veya yazısı, yazarların, yayımcısının yazılı izni alınmadan tekrarlanamaz, basılamaz, kopyası çıkarılamaz, fotokopisi alınamaz, hiçbir biçimde, hiç bir yolla çoğaltılamaz ve dağıtılamaz. Yazıların yasal sorumluluğu yazarlara aittir.
Archaeological survey in 2018 which can be considered as a continuation to the archaeological sur... more Archaeological survey in 2018 which can be considered as a continuation to the archaeological survey in 2017 is conducted on Malatya Province’s Yeşilyurt and Battalgazi districts, an area which two regions have differences in regards to geomorphology: Malatya Plains and Malatya Mountains. During the research conducted on Malatya Plains, ceramic sherds which are representing all three periods of Iron Age are found on Alibey Höyük which became partially submerged under Karakaya Dam waters; Pınarkolu-Sivri Tepe Area, Kürdonun Bükü Höyük, Avşaroğlu Necropolis Site in Tohma Basin; Örentepe Höyük in Sultansuyu Basin and Tepecik Area. Survey on Malatya Mountains which is the second part of the research is conducted on the area located 1400-2000 meters above sea level which is still actively used today by highland cultures. During the research, defense structures and ceramic sherds which are considered to be largely used during Early Iron Age and Middle Iron Age have been identified from the six archaeological site. Each of the Beypınar Tepe, Kilise Tepe, Seyituşağı Kale Archaeological Site, Meydan Kalesi, Cihan Kalesi and Aşağıköy/Kalebaşı archaeological sites are considered to be typical examples of defensive purpose settlements constructed by combining natural steep cliffs with stone build walls which are largely used in East Anatolian Region in Iron Age. In Üçgöze/Ziyaret Tepe area located upon Malatya Mountains where no archaeological structure are present and highland cultures enshrining the area; a ceramic sherd which is reflecting the Iron Age ceramic form is found. Ceramics identified in archaeological sites on Malatya Mountains and Malatya Plain is compared with ceramics collected from systematic archaeological excavations and surveys conducted in Upper and Lower Euphrates Basin, Upper Tigris Region, Northeastern and Central Anatolia, Syria and Northern Mesopotamia, and significant results were obtained which are revealing interregional interaction.
The sudden and extreme climate changes that occurred in Southwest Asia towards the end of the Las... more The sudden and extreme climate changes that occurred in Southwest Asia towards the end of the Last Glacial Period on a global scale, created important developments for both the natural environment and human communities. Hunter-gatherer societies trying to accommodate themselves to the natural environment in the face of these sudden changes were forced to develop several strategies to survive. For human societies organized around a common collective consciousness by blending the objective and symbolic elements; the selection and use of venue, and abstract and concrete means of information storage turned into a means of information transfer used in developing a sense of social belonging or identity as well as in determining the boundaries of cognitive development. The feasts, which were carried out in areas that functioned as collective memory spaces, the selection and processing of food needed for these feasts, and also the storage of food depending on their seasonal availability or famine conditions played an important role in domestication of plants and animals as well as the transition to settled life for the first time ever.
14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, soci... more 14th century BC Syria and Palestine was shaped by particular military, political, economic, social and cultural dynamics. This era, also called the Amarna Age, the conflicts of interest between important trade centres in the region and small political structures were significant factors explaining the changes in great power zones of control and influence. Cities in Syria and Palestine had limited military capabilities, resulting in the expansion of mobility and activity on the part of nomads and marauders in the region. They lacked effective measures against the offensives of small nomad and marauder groups who used the advantages of geography, especially forests and mountainous terrain. Nomads and marauders were also utilized as mercenaries by lesser polities lacking in military defence as well as by great powers with military interests, that is Mitanni, Hittite and Egypt, during periods of conflict. Proxy wars, regional conflicts and relationships based on mutual interests of the quickly turning nomad and vagabond groups which facilitated their rise in political power in regards to nature of the zone in Amarna Age will be discussed in this study.
A great change in humankind's cognitive and symbolic world with the start of the Upper Paleolithi... more A great change in humankind's cognitive and symbolic world with the start of the Upper Paleolithic period around 40 thousand B.C.E. Depicted works of art describing hybrid creatures have emerged during the Upper Paleolithic period in parallel with emergence of hunter cultures. Ancient forms of Shamanism, a popular belief system among hunter cultures, had an effect on emergence of these hybrid figures. Imitation of the strong and the intelligent within the animal kingdom and the humankind's thirst for merging developing its physical and intellectual capacity with this power are among the main dynamics behind emergence of hybrid figures. The humankind of the Upper Paleolithic period, which has seen the world with a sense of permeability among species and an animalistic sensitivity and vigor, had a cognitive world within which things and humans must have been at the same level and forming a unity. During breakage of this unity and a sense of "togetherness," the hunter tries to balance the fear and suspense caused by prohibition of violence against those that exist at the same level and spiritual unity with mythical thinking. Prohibition of violence gave way to a cognitive status that identifies with the prey. This new symbolic consciousness which has emerged during the Upper Paleolithic period has tried to find a balance between controlling the suspense and fear caused by violence directed against the strong and the wild and the strength of the victim. While there were human-animal hybrids at first, emergence of hybrids of multiple animals and humans during the Neolithic period is of vital importance, as this shows the level of cognitive development of the humankind. Because cultural permeability, continuity, and mobility were substantially prevalent in hunter-gathering societies this study focused on two regions especially where the hybrid symbols are intensively seen, the Upper Paleolithic Europe and Neolithic Near East. / MÖ 40 binlerde Üst Paleolitik dönemin başlaması ile birlikte, insanın bilişsel ve sembolik dünyasının gelişiminde büyük bir değişim ortaya çıkar. Karışık varlıkların tasvirli sanat eserlerinde ilk defa ortaya çıkışı, Üst Paleolitik avcı kültürlerin gelişimi ile paralellik göstermiştir. Karışık varlık figürlerinin ortaya çıkışında, avcı kültürler içerisinde yaygın bir inanç sistemini oluşturan şamanizmin ilkel biçimlerinin etkisi söz konusudur. Doğada güçlü ve zeki olana özenme, insanın fiziksel ve zihinsel kapasitesini bu güçle birleştirme arzusu, karışık varlık figürlerinin doğuşunun ana dinamiklerinden biridir. Dünyayı türler arası geçirgenliğe sahip, hayvansal bir duyarlılık ve canlılıkla algılayan Üst Paleolitik dönem insanın bilişsel dünyasında şeyler ve insan aynı düzlemde ve bir bütünlük içinde yer alıyor olmalıydı. Bu bütünlüğün ve “birlik” algısının kırılmasında, avcının, aynı düzlemde, aynı ruhsal birlik içerisinde yer alana karşı uyguladığı yasaklanmış şiddet olgusunun yarattığı korku ve gerilim, mitik düşünce yoluyla dengelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Yasaklanmış şiddet, kurban ile özdeşleşen bir bilinç durumu yaratmıştır. Üst Paleolitik ile başlayan bu yeni sembolik bilinç, güçlü ve vahşi olana yönelen şiddetin yarattığı gerilim ve korkunun kontrolünü, kurbanın gücü ile özdeşleşerek dengelemeye çalışmıştır. Başlangıçta insanhayvan karışık varlıkların sunumları söz konusu iken, Neolitik dönem ile birlikte, ilk defa iki farklı hayvan ve insan birleşimi karışık varlıkların da ortaya çıkması, insanın bilişsel gelişiminin ulaştığı seviyeyi göstermesi bakımından önemlidir. Avcı toplayıcı toplumlarda kültürel geçirgenlik, devamlılık ve hareketlilik oldukça yaygın olduğundan bu çalışma, özellikle karışık varlık sembollerinin yoğun olarak görüldüğü iki bölge, Üst Paleolitik Avrupa ve Neolitik dönem Yakındoğu’ya odaklanmıştır.
In periods, during which elite class began to arise, social inequality increased, in Ancient Nea... more In periods, during which elite class began to arise, social inequality increased, in Ancient Near East, quite significant findings about human sacrifice has been uncovered. In such societies, where social and economic dynamics began to change, to be able to prevent the tension created by social inequality and the violence, ritual behaviors that paradoxically both fed inequality and made conflict and disagreement invisible began to increase. For these societies seeing the rest as out of bounds of their own symbolic identity as bad, filthy and a threat to their existence, the sources, on which ritual violence was fed, were met through individuals in low status, new born and slaves. Perception manner of life, death and underworld in ancient Near East cannot be explained with secular world view and its concepts in modern societies. Except from findings obtained as a result of archeological excavations, in documents written in Sumerian language and on various seals, important information has been attained related to human sacrifice. Although not frequently, in the documents written in Sumerian information about human sacrifice has come to the forefront in two points. On iconographic findings human sacrifice has in general been seen as connected to divine violence.
Öz Eski Yakındoğu toplumlarında yer altı güçleri ile bağlantılı olarak dünyada gizli kalmış özler... more Öz Eski Yakındoğu toplumlarında yer altı güçleri ile bağlantılı olarak dünyada gizli kalmış özlerin ve minerallerin bilgisine sahip bir varlık şeklinde düşünülen yılan, aynı zamanda Prehistorik dönemlerden itibaren mevsimsel döngü ve yeniden dirim ile ilişkilendirilmiştir. Yılanın ilişki içerisinde olduğu tanrısal güçler merkezi yapıların doğuşu ile birlikte farklılıklar göstermeye başlamıştır. Zirai faaliyetler, sulama sistemleri, tahıl ambarları, bitkiler ve şifa ile ilişkili güçlerle bağlantılı olan yılan sembolü kimi zaman kompozit bir varlık olarak gerek arkeolojik belgelerde gerekse çivi yazılı metinlerde karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Yılanlı tanrıça sembolleri Neolitik döneme kadar gitmektedir. Muhtemelen ilkel toplumlar, doğadaki ölüm ve yeniden dirim ile ilgili güçlerin kontrolünün bir tanrıça tarafından yürütüldüğünü düşünmekteydi. Anadolu'da M.Ö. II. binde yer altı tanrıçalarına ilişkin bilgileri Hititçe çivi yazılı belgelerden öğrenmekteyiz. Buna göre, yer altı ile ilişkili tanrıçaların çoğu kader ve nehir kıyısının tanrıçaları olarak betimlenmişlerdir. Bu tanrıçaların, uzun hayat ve şifa verme yetileri bulunmaktadır. Harput Kabartması üzerinde görülen ve belden aşağısı yılan sarmalı şeklinde tasvir edilen yılanlı tanrıça, Eski Babil döneminde ortaya çıkan ve Mısır sanatı özellikleri taşıyan, Suriye orijinli bir yer altı tanrıçası olmalıdır. Ayrıca, Harput Kabartması üzerindeki yılanlı tanrıça savaşın kaderinin belirlenmesinde etkin bir role sahip görünmektedir. Abstract An Evaluation on the Cult of the Snake Goddess in the Ancient Near East Serpent, which was believed to possess the information on the minerals and hidden sources within the earth in relation to the underground forces in the Ancient Near East societies, was also associated with the seasonal cycle and resurrection since the Prehistoric Periods. Associated with the serpent, the divine forces displayed differences with the dawn of the central structures. The symbol of the serpent, associated with the agricultural activities, irrigation systems, granaries,
An Evaluation on the Cult of the Snake Goddess in the Ancient Near East Serpent, which wa... more An Evaluation on the Cult of the Snake Goddess in the Ancient Near East Serpent, which was believed to possess the information on the minerals and hidden sources within the earth in relation to the underground forces in the Ancient Near East societies, was also associated with the seasonal cycle and resurrection since the Prehistoric Periods. Associated with the serpent, the divine forces displayed differences with the dawn of the central structures. The symbol of the serpent, associated with the agricultural activities, irrigation systems, granaries,vegetables and healing, sometimes confronts us both in the archaeological documents and cuneiform scripts as a composite creature. The symbols of serpent goddess date back to the Neolithic Period. Probably the primitive civilizations thought that the forces of death and resurrection in nature were performed under the control of a goddess. In Anatolia of the 2nd millennium B.C., we are learning the information about the underworld goddesses from the Hittite cuneiform scripts. Accordingly, most of the goddesses, related to the underworld, were defined as the goddesses of fate and river banks. These goddesses have the abilities to grant long life and cure. The serpent goddess, displayed on the Harput Relief and described to have a serpent body below her waist, must be an underworld goddess, who appeared in the Ancient Babylon Period as she carried the characteristics of the Egyptian art, and originated from Syria. Furthermore, the serpent goddess, on the Harput Relief, seems to have an important role in determining the result of the war.
Abstract In the ancient Mesopotamian belief system, the definition of the evil and scary was alwa... more Abstract In the ancient Mesopotamian belief system, the definition of the evil and scary was always considered in relation with a divine power and anger. Evil and its representativecontents are defined with a divine existence like goodness, wealth and health. In such an existence, for the Ancient Mesopotamians, satisfying the Gods and providing their protection over humans were the only means to protect themselves from malignance and evil creatures. For this reason, deformed condition of the evil and demons, which were perceived as a kind of atmospheric phenomenon, were lost wanderers as individual units of chaos, which were banished from heaven, outcast and constantly looking for a shelter. They neither know mercy nor understand pray nor accept offerings. They do not have a spouse or any children. Being in a constant and incapable condition of anger due to being outlawed, demons keep on wandering around the temples to take the offerings that they would actually never accept, as they are the paradoxical units of existence. Against demons and the disease, evil and disaster that they involve, the Ancient Mesopotamians developed a set of protective measures. Since demons cannot be destroyed physically, people tried to cast them away by the magic and rituals under a priest’s guidance in order to escape from the demons’ negative effects. By the means of these rituals and magic, demons were sent to the places where they belonged in the underworld or to the edges of life like deserts, prairies and mountains. Various figurines that functioned as a part of the rituals represented a group of monsters which had the status of Deities’ assistances. The rituals which were performed to fend off the demons, which were the agents of fear and evil, meanwhile played a great role in the development of the temples’ economy in Mesopotamia.
Bu çalışma Hitit ekonomisinde metal kullanımını inceleyerek, metal ekonomisinin büyük oranda aske... more Bu çalışma Hitit ekonomisinde metal kullanımını inceleyerek, metal ekonomisinin büyük oranda askeri ve siyasi faaliyetlere bağlı olarak devlet kontrolünde geliştiğini tespit etmektedir.
We observe the use of metal as the most important mediums of exchange in the economic system impl... more We observe the use of metal as the most important mediums of exchange in the economic system implemented in Anatolia in the Hittite Period. The same economic system developed various units of weight and measurement in the sense of control mechanisms to create fixed equivalence in the mediums of exchange. Weighting stones obtained in various settlements of Anatolia since the Early Bronze Ages are of importance since they reveal the commercial relationships between Anatolia and the other regions, and the philological documents proving the use of various weights and units of measurement obtained from the Hittite Period provide important clues about how and by whom the control mechanisms were operated in Anatolia of the Period. When we observe the areas of use of the weights and the units of measurement and the methods of pricing determined by the laws in the cuneiform scripts in Hittite language, the units of weight and measurement used as control mechanisms were developed to a large extent by central structures, palaces or temples. In the vow scripts, diplomatic texts or pray texts in Hittite language, the weights and the measurements of the goods presented to the palaces or the * Bu makale Crosscheck sistemi tarafından taranmış ve bu sistem sonuçlarına göre orijinal bir makale olduğu tespit edilmiştir. purpura-/purpuri-kelimesi, yuvarlak, topak şeklinde, bilye ya da top, yuvarlak ekmek anlamına gelmektedir. , 554-555) 93 Erkut, 1983, 73. 94 Dönmez, 2013
Fırat Nehri'nin batısında yer alan Yazıhan (Malatya), Yukarı Fırat Havzası'nda, Fırat Nehri, Tohm... more Fırat Nehri'nin batısında yer alan Yazıhan (Malatya), Yukarı Fırat Havzası'nda, Fırat Nehri, Tohma Çayı ve Kuruçay'ın beslediği alüvyal düzlüklerden ve yüksek platolardan oluşmaktadır. Malatya Ovası, Transkafkasya, Kuzeydoğu Anadolu, Orta Anadolu ve Mezopotamya kültürel dinamiklerine etki eden unsurların yayılım alanının belirlenmesi ve bölgeler arası kültürel ilişkilerin aydınlatılması açısından son derece önemli bir konumda yer alan Yazıhan, çok sayıda arkeolojik yerleşim yeri, tümülüsler, kurganlar, kireçtaşı kayaçlara oyulmuş kaya odalarına ve kaya mezarlarına ev sahipliği yapmaktadır. Yazıhan'daki jeomorfolojik farklılaşma ve çeşitlilik, farklı yerleşim modellerinin ortaya çıkmasında etkili olduğu gibi birbirinden farklı kültürel dinamiklerin önemli bir etkileşim sahası olmuştur. 2019 yılı araştırma sezonunda Malatya'nın Yazıhan İlçesi'nde yürütülen arazi çalışmalarının sonuçlarını içeren bu kitap, Malatya ve Yukarı Fırat Havzası'nda bugüne kadar yapılmış olan arkeolojik araştırmalardaki bilgi boşluklarını tamamlayıcı niteliktedir.
2019-2020 Yılları Malatya İli Yüzey Araştırmaları, 2021
Haber iş birliği ile düzenlenen ve 3 bölüm şeklinde organize edilen "Türkiye Yüzey Araştırmaları ... more Haber iş birliği ile düzenlenen ve 3 bölüm şeklinde organize edilen "Türkiye Yüzey Araştırmaları Webinarı"nda Bakanlığımız izinleriyle gerçekleştirilen çalışmalar, bilim insanları ve ilgilerle paylaşılmıştır. Dünyayı etkisi altına alan çağın salgını, ülkemizde de etkisini göstermiş, olağan şekilde yapılan birçok etkinlik, internet ortamında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Anadolu'da tespit edilen; Paleolitik Çağlardan günümüze kadar iskân görmüş birçok arkeolojik yerleşim yerinde, Bakanlığımız izinleriyle gerçekleştirilen kazı ve yüzey araştırmalarından ele geçen buluntular, müzelerimizde ziyaretçilerin beğenisine sunulmuş, elde edilen bilimsel bulgular ise düzenlenen webinarlar ile hem bilim insanlarına hem de konuyla ilgili birçok izleyiciye ulaşmış ve bu çevrim içi konferanslar, büyük ilgi görmüştür. Bu ve benzeri etkinlikler, Bakanlığımızca önemsenmekte ve desteklenmektedir. Bu etkinlikler vesilesiyle hem uzmanlar hem de ilgililer, birbirlerinden ve çalışmalardan haberdar olmuş, görüş ve öneriler de birinci elden muhataplarına ulaştırılmıştır. Nitekim arkeolojinin bilinmesi, toplumsal hale getirilmesi, farkındalığının arttırılması, yaptığımız işlerin görünür olması, en önemli hedefimizdir. 2020 yılında, salgının devam etmesine rağmen alınan önlemler ve ekiplerin özverili çalışmalarıyla 118 Kararnameli Türk Kazısı, 21 Bakanlar Kurulu Kararlı Yabancı Kazı, 44 Müze Kazısı, 5 sualtı kazısı gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bunun yanı sıra 65 Türk Yüzey Araştırması, 3 yabancı yüzey araştırması, 3 sualtı araştırması gerçekleştirilmiş, ayrıca müze müdürlüklerince 138 kurtarma kazısı, 38 temizlik çalışması, 50 sondaj kazısı, 12 kamu yatırım alanları kazısı, 11 tescilsiz alanlardaki sondaj ve jeofizik çalışması ve 6 jeofizik-jeoradar çalışmasıyla yıl boyu toplamda 502 adet faaliyet gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmalarla geçmişin izini taşıyan 6 binden fazla eser, gün ışığına çıkartılmış ve bu faaliyetlere 40 milyon liradan fazla ödenek aktarılmıştır. 2021 yılı itibariyle 12 aylık kazı sayımız 127'ye yükseltilmiştir. Ülkemizdeki arkeolojik kazı ve yüzey araştırması çalışmalarının sayısı artırılarak birçok alanda yapılacak çalışmalarla bilim dünyasına yeni bulgu ve bilgiler ışığında katkı sağlanacağı şüphesizdir. Mezkûr kazı ve yüzey araştırmalarına ilişkin sonuçların Bakanlığımızca ulusal ve uluslararası mecralarda tanıtılması son derece önemsemektedir. Bu tür etkinliklerin gerçekleştirilmesinde her zaman işbirliği içinde olacağımız taahhüdüyle üniversitelerimiz ve Arkeolojihaber iş birliğiyle düzenlenen webinarlarda emeği geçenlere teşekkür ederiz.
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Papers by Sevgi Dönmez
Avşaroğlu Necropolis Site in Tohma Basin; Örentepe Höyük in Sultansuyu Basin and Tepecik Area. Survey on Malatya Mountains which is the second part of the research is conducted on the area located 1400-2000 meters above sea level which is still actively used today by highland cultures. During the research, defense structures and ceramic sherds which are considered to be largely used during Early Iron Age and Middle Iron Age have been identified from the six archaeological site.
Each of the Beypınar Tepe, Kilise Tepe, Seyituşağı Kale Archaeological Site, Meydan Kalesi, Cihan Kalesi and Aşağıköy/Kalebaşı archaeological sites are considered to be typical examples of defensive purpose settlements constructed by combining natural steep cliffs with stone build walls which are largely used in East Anatolian Region in Iron Age. In Üçgöze/Ziyaret Tepe area located upon Malatya Mountains where no archaeological structure are present and highland cultures enshrining the area; a ceramic sherd which is reflecting the Iron Age ceramic form
is found. Ceramics identified in archaeological sites on Malatya Mountains and Malatya Plain is compared with ceramics collected from systematic archaeological excavations and surveys conducted in Upper and Lower Euphrates Basin, Upper Tigris Region, Northeastern and Central Anatolia, Syria and Northern Mesopotamia, and significant results were obtained which are revealing interregional interaction.
human communities. Hunter-gatherer societies trying to accommodate themselves to the natural environment in the face of these sudden changes were forced to develop several strategies to survive. For human
societies organized around a common collective consciousness by blending the objective and symbolic elements; the selection and use of venue, and abstract and concrete means of information storage turned
into a means of information transfer used in developing a sense of social belonging or identity as well as in determining the boundaries of cognitive development. The feasts, which were carried out in areas that
functioned as collective memory spaces, the selection and processing of food needed for these feasts, and also the storage of food depending on their seasonal availability or famine conditions played an important
role in domestication of plants and animals as well as the transition to settled life for the first time ever.
MÖ 40 binlerde Üst Paleolitik dönemin başlaması ile birlikte, insanın bilişsel ve sembolik dünyasının gelişiminde büyük bir değişim ortaya çıkar. Karışık varlıkların tasvirli sanat eserlerinde ilk defa ortaya çıkışı, Üst Paleolitik avcı kültürlerin gelişimi ile paralellik göstermiştir. Karışık varlık figürlerinin ortaya çıkışında, avcı kültürler içerisinde yaygın bir inanç sistemini oluşturan şamanizmin ilkel biçimlerinin etkisi söz konusudur. Doğada güçlü ve zeki olana özenme, insanın fiziksel ve zihinsel kapasitesini bu güçle birleştirme arzusu, karışık varlık figürlerinin doğuşunun ana dinamiklerinden biridir. Dünyayı türler arası geçirgenliğe sahip, hayvansal bir duyarlılık ve canlılıkla algılayan Üst Paleolitik dönem insanın bilişsel dünyasında şeyler ve insan aynı düzlemde ve bir bütünlük içinde yer alıyor olmalıydı. Bu bütünlüğün ve “birlik” algısının kırılmasında, avcının, aynı düzlemde, aynı ruhsal birlik içerisinde yer alana karşı uyguladığı yasaklanmış şiddet olgusunun yarattığı korku ve gerilim, mitik düşünce yoluyla dengelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Yasaklanmış
şiddet, kurban ile özdeşleşen bir bilinç durumu yaratmıştır. Üst Paleolitik ile başlayan bu yeni sembolik bilinç, güçlü ve vahşi olana yönelen şiddetin yarattığı gerilim ve korkunun kontrolünü, kurbanın gücü ile özdeşleşerek dengelemeye çalışmıştır. Başlangıçta insanhayvan
karışık varlıkların sunumları söz konusu iken, Neolitik dönem ile birlikte, ilk defa iki farklı hayvan ve insan birleşimi karışık varlıkların da ortaya çıkması, insanın bilişsel gelişiminin ulaştığı seviyeyi göstermesi bakımından önemlidir. Avcı toplayıcı toplumlarda kültürel geçirgenlik, devamlılık ve hareketlilik oldukça yaygın olduğundan bu çalışma,
özellikle karışık varlık sembollerinin yoğun olarak görüldüğü iki bölge, Üst Paleolitik Avrupa ve Neolitik dönem Yakındoğu’ya odaklanmıştır.
cuneiform scripts as a composite creature. The symbols of serpent goddess date back to the Neolithic Period. Probably the primitive civilizations thought that the forces of death and resurrection in nature were performed under the control of a goddess. In Anatolia of the 2nd millennium B.C., we are learning the information about the underworld goddesses from the Hittite cuneiform scripts. Accordingly, most of the goddesses, related to the underworld, were defined as the goddesses of fate and river banks. These goddesses have the abilities to grant long life and cure. The serpent goddess, displayed on the Harput Relief and described to have a serpent body below her waist, must be an underworld goddess, who appeared in the Ancient Babylon
Period as she carried the characteristics of the Egyptian art, and originated from Syria.
Furthermore, the serpent goddess, on the Harput Relief, seems to have an important role in determining the result of the war.
measures. Since demons cannot be destroyed physically, people tried to cast them away by the magic and rituals under a priest’s guidance in order to escape from the demons’ negative effects. By the means of these rituals and magic, demons were sent to the places where they belonged in the underworld or to the edges of life like deserts, prairies and mountains. Various figurines that functioned as a part of the rituals represented a group of monsters which had the status of Deities’ assistances. The rituals which were performed to fend off the demons, which were the agents of fear and evil, meanwhile played a great role in the development of the temples’ economy in Mesopotamia.
Avşaroğlu Necropolis Site in Tohma Basin; Örentepe Höyük in Sultansuyu Basin and Tepecik Area. Survey on Malatya Mountains which is the second part of the research is conducted on the area located 1400-2000 meters above sea level which is still actively used today by highland cultures. During the research, defense structures and ceramic sherds which are considered to be largely used during Early Iron Age and Middle Iron Age have been identified from the six archaeological site.
Each of the Beypınar Tepe, Kilise Tepe, Seyituşağı Kale Archaeological Site, Meydan Kalesi, Cihan Kalesi and Aşağıköy/Kalebaşı archaeological sites are considered to be typical examples of defensive purpose settlements constructed by combining natural steep cliffs with stone build walls which are largely used in East Anatolian Region in Iron Age. In Üçgöze/Ziyaret Tepe area located upon Malatya Mountains where no archaeological structure are present and highland cultures enshrining the area; a ceramic sherd which is reflecting the Iron Age ceramic form
is found. Ceramics identified in archaeological sites on Malatya Mountains and Malatya Plain is compared with ceramics collected from systematic archaeological excavations and surveys conducted in Upper and Lower Euphrates Basin, Upper Tigris Region, Northeastern and Central Anatolia, Syria and Northern Mesopotamia, and significant results were obtained which are revealing interregional interaction.
human communities. Hunter-gatherer societies trying to accommodate themselves to the natural environment in the face of these sudden changes were forced to develop several strategies to survive. For human
societies organized around a common collective consciousness by blending the objective and symbolic elements; the selection and use of venue, and abstract and concrete means of information storage turned
into a means of information transfer used in developing a sense of social belonging or identity as well as in determining the boundaries of cognitive development. The feasts, which were carried out in areas that
functioned as collective memory spaces, the selection and processing of food needed for these feasts, and also the storage of food depending on their seasonal availability or famine conditions played an important
role in domestication of plants and animals as well as the transition to settled life for the first time ever.
MÖ 40 binlerde Üst Paleolitik dönemin başlaması ile birlikte, insanın bilişsel ve sembolik dünyasının gelişiminde büyük bir değişim ortaya çıkar. Karışık varlıkların tasvirli sanat eserlerinde ilk defa ortaya çıkışı, Üst Paleolitik avcı kültürlerin gelişimi ile paralellik göstermiştir. Karışık varlık figürlerinin ortaya çıkışında, avcı kültürler içerisinde yaygın bir inanç sistemini oluşturan şamanizmin ilkel biçimlerinin etkisi söz konusudur. Doğada güçlü ve zeki olana özenme, insanın fiziksel ve zihinsel kapasitesini bu güçle birleştirme arzusu, karışık varlık figürlerinin doğuşunun ana dinamiklerinden biridir. Dünyayı türler arası geçirgenliğe sahip, hayvansal bir duyarlılık ve canlılıkla algılayan Üst Paleolitik dönem insanın bilişsel dünyasında şeyler ve insan aynı düzlemde ve bir bütünlük içinde yer alıyor olmalıydı. Bu bütünlüğün ve “birlik” algısının kırılmasında, avcının, aynı düzlemde, aynı ruhsal birlik içerisinde yer alana karşı uyguladığı yasaklanmış şiddet olgusunun yarattığı korku ve gerilim, mitik düşünce yoluyla dengelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Yasaklanmış
şiddet, kurban ile özdeşleşen bir bilinç durumu yaratmıştır. Üst Paleolitik ile başlayan bu yeni sembolik bilinç, güçlü ve vahşi olana yönelen şiddetin yarattığı gerilim ve korkunun kontrolünü, kurbanın gücü ile özdeşleşerek dengelemeye çalışmıştır. Başlangıçta insanhayvan
karışık varlıkların sunumları söz konusu iken, Neolitik dönem ile birlikte, ilk defa iki farklı hayvan ve insan birleşimi karışık varlıkların da ortaya çıkması, insanın bilişsel gelişiminin ulaştığı seviyeyi göstermesi bakımından önemlidir. Avcı toplayıcı toplumlarda kültürel geçirgenlik, devamlılık ve hareketlilik oldukça yaygın olduğundan bu çalışma,
özellikle karışık varlık sembollerinin yoğun olarak görüldüğü iki bölge, Üst Paleolitik Avrupa ve Neolitik dönem Yakındoğu’ya odaklanmıştır.
cuneiform scripts as a composite creature. The symbols of serpent goddess date back to the Neolithic Period. Probably the primitive civilizations thought that the forces of death and resurrection in nature were performed under the control of a goddess. In Anatolia of the 2nd millennium B.C., we are learning the information about the underworld goddesses from the Hittite cuneiform scripts. Accordingly, most of the goddesses, related to the underworld, were defined as the goddesses of fate and river banks. These goddesses have the abilities to grant long life and cure. The serpent goddess, displayed on the Harput Relief and described to have a serpent body below her waist, must be an underworld goddess, who appeared in the Ancient Babylon
Period as she carried the characteristics of the Egyptian art, and originated from Syria.
Furthermore, the serpent goddess, on the Harput Relief, seems to have an important role in determining the result of the war.
measures. Since demons cannot be destroyed physically, people tried to cast them away by the magic and rituals under a priest’s guidance in order to escape from the demons’ negative effects. By the means of these rituals and magic, demons were sent to the places where they belonged in the underworld or to the edges of life like deserts, prairies and mountains. Various figurines that functioned as a part of the rituals represented a group of monsters which had the status of Deities’ assistances. The rituals which were performed to fend off the demons, which were the agents of fear and evil, meanwhile played a great role in the development of the temples’ economy in Mesopotamia.