December 4, 2024 The sun rises from Anatolia

Assyriologist makes new interpretations of ancient symbols in a 2,700-year-old temple

Assyriologist Dr. Martin Worthington has made new interpretations of ancient symbols found in a 2,700-year-old temple in the ancient city of Dur-Šarrukin, home to King Sargón II, ruler of Assyria from 721-704 BC.

Dur-Šarrukin is located in Khorsabad, in present-day Iraq. Dur-Šarrukin means “fortress of Sargon”.

Sargon II, who built Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad), was given the title “Sharru-kinu” (True King) upon his accession to the throne, although his real name is unknown.

After rising to a high rank in the Assyrian army, he ascended to the throne upon the death of Tiglath-Pileser III in 722 BC.

During his reign, he expanded the Assyrian Empire to Babylon in the west and Urartu in the east. He conquered the Kingdom of Israel and exiled the Israelites.

The symbols of the lion, eagle, bull, fig tree and plow were reinterpreted in the 2700-year-old temple in the city of Dur-Sharrukin’i (Khorsabad), which was majestically designed to show the power and glory of Assyria.

These symbols and others like them were documented by French excavators who visited the site at the end of the 19th century.

Since their discovery, many researchers have tried to interpret their meaning. Some believe they are like Egyptian hieroglyphs, a kind of expression of imperial power, and could even spell the name of the king. But how these connections can be made remains a mystery.

Late 19th century drawings of the tree and plough symbols published by French excavator Victor Place. From New York Public Library

An Assyriologist named Dr. Martin Worthington of Trinity College in Dublin has presented a convincing analysis of these symbols that has the potential to completely change our perception of ancient Mesopotamian iconography.

In a recent article in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Dr. Worthington put forward a groundbreaking hypothesis: A sequence of five symbols could spell Sargon’s name (šargīnu) and also represent specific constellations.

“The study of ancient languages and cultures is full of puzzles of all shapes and sizes, but it is not often that one encounters mysterious symbols on a temple wall in the Ancient Near East,” Dr. Worthington said in a statement.

Late 19th century drawings of the lion symbol published by French excavator Victor Place. From New York Public Library.

Moreover, according to Dr. Worthington, each of the five symbols can also be understood as a constellation. Thus, the lion represents Leo and the eagle Aquila (our own constellations were largely inherited from Mesopotamia, through the Greeks, so many are the same). The fig tree represents the elusive ‘Jaw’ constellation (which we don’t have today) on the basis that the word iṣu ‘tree’ sounds similar to isu’jaw.

“The effect of the five symbols was to place Sargon’s name forever in heaven – a clever way of making the king’s name immortal. And of course, the idea of extravagant individuals inscribing their names on buildings is not unique to ancient Assyria…”

Although Dr. Worthington admits that his theory cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the fact that it holds true for both the longer three-symbol sequence and the five-symbol sequence suggests it is more than just a coincidence.

Trinity College Dublin

Cover Photo: Late 19th-century drawings of the eagle and bull symbols published by French excavator Victor Place. From New York Public Library.

Banner
Related Articles

Traces of the mega-drought that is thought to have caused the fall of the Akkadian Empire will be investigated in Kültepe

June 29, 2024

June 29, 2024

In Kültepe, traces of a mega-drought, thought to have played a role in the collapse of the Akkadians, the first...

The mystery of the monumental and three-dimensional Urartian statue found in Garibin Tepe is unraveling

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

During rescue excavations conducted last year in the Tuşba District of Van, archaeologists discovered a basalt figurine weighing approximately 1...

The 5,000-year-old underground city of Matiate will be open to visitors

March 13, 2024

March 13, 2024

Efforts are underway to open the 5,000-year-old underground city of Matiate, located in the Midyat district of the Mardin province...

Two 10,000-year-old ornaments with leopard, vulture and human figures found in Sefertepe excavations

September 29, 2024

September 29, 2024

During the ongoing excavations at Sefertepe in Şanlıurfa, two ornaments, one with a leopard, the other with a vulture and...

The remains of a 1800-year-old female statue and frieze fragments depicting mythological narratives discovered in the ancient city of Olba

August 16, 2023

August 16, 2023

During archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Olba in the district of Silifke, Mersin, a female statue believed to...

A sarcophagus was found during a drilling excavation at a construction site in Bodrum

February 24, 2024

February 24, 2024

A sarcophagus and its lid belonging to the ancient city of Myndos were found during a drilling excavation for a...

Running wild donkey figure carved into the ground stone discovered in Karahantepe

August 31, 2024

August 31, 2024

In Karahantepe, a Neolithic settlement with a history of approximately 12,000 years, a figure of a running wild donkey carved...

Beach projects for the ancient Lycian city of Phaselis canceled

April 6, 2024

April 6, 2024

The court decided to cancel the public beach projects in Bostanlık and Alacasu bays of the ancient Lycian city of...

2400-year-old artifacts found in the Black Sea’s first scientific underwater excavation

March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

The first scientific underwater excavation of the Black Sea was carried out in Kerpe Bay. Dozens of historical artifacts dating...

8000-year-old female statuette found in Ulucak Höyük

August 15, 2024

August 15, 2024

An 8 thousand year old female statuette was found in Ulucak Höyük, which has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic...

The frescoes of the thousand-year-old Beşaret Church are in danger of disappearing

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

The thousand-year-old rock-carved Beşaret church in the Koramaz valley, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, is in...

A colonnaded Roman street connected to the sea was unearthed in Antalya

April 18, 2024

April 18, 2024

A colonnaded Roman street connected to the sea has been discovered in Antalya, Turkey’s city of culture and tourism. 100...

In Savatra Ancient City, an altar dating back 1800 years and adorned with soldier, banner, and a victory wreath has been uncovered.

September 12, 2023

September 12, 2023

In the ongoing excavations at the ancient city of Savatra in Konya, a 1800-year-old victory wreath along with an altar...

The ancient city of Derbe, mentioned in the Bible, cannot be excavated due to insufficient funding

October 29, 2023

October 29, 2023

The ancient city of Derbe, which was a center of the bishopric in the early years of Christianity and mentioned...

A 1500-year-old structure was discovered beneath the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquake

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

In Hatay, which was shaken by two severe earthquakes two years ago, a 1500-year-old structure has emerged beneath the rubble...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *