THE SCULPTURES OF ALACAHÖYÜK: A Key to Religious Symbolism in Hittite Representational Art
This article presents a new interpretation of the monumental sculptured friezes of the Sphinx Gate of Alacahöyük in northern Anatolia, an important site of the Hittite Empire. Historical and cultural arguments support a date in the second half of the thirteenth century b.c.e. for the Sphinx Gate. On...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of Chicago Press
2012
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| In: |
Near Eastern archaeology
Year: 2012, Volume: 75, Issue: 2, Pages: 108-115 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This article presents a new interpretation of the monumental sculptured friezes of the Sphinx Gate of Alacahöyük in northern Anatolia, an important site of the Hittite Empire. Historical and cultural arguments support a date in the second half of the thirteenth century b.c.e. for the Sphinx Gate. On the basis of a comparison of the scenes with other representations in Hittite art, it is argued that the cult and hunting scenes reflect the concept of the main triad of the Hittite state pantheon: the sun-goddess, the storm-god, and the tutelary god of the countryside. At the same time, the lower frieze on the West Tower depicts the royal couple officiating, presumably during an actual local festival. An identification of Alacahöyük with the sacred city Arinna is proposed. The Alacahöyük sculptures may pertain to the Great Festival of Arinna, a festival attended by the royal couple. |
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| ISSN: | 2325-5404 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Near Eastern archaeology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5615/neareastarch.75.2.0108 |