Syro-Hittite Monumental Art and the Archaeology of Performance: The Stone Reliefs at Carchemish and Zincirli in the Earlier First Millennium BCE (Topoi: Berlin Studies of the Ancient World)

The ceremonial centers of the Syro-Hittite city-states (1200-700 BC) were lavishly decorated with large-scale, open-air figurative reliefs – an original and greatly influential artistic tradition that has captivated the imagination of its contemporaries as well as that of modern scholars. This volume explores how Syro-Hittite monumental art was used as a powerful backdrop to important ritual events, and it opens up a new perspective by situating the monumental heritage in the context of large public performances and civic spectacles of great emotional impact. The first part of the volume focuses on the sites of Carchemish and Zincirli, offering a close reading of the relevant archaeological contexts. The second part of the volume discusses the embedment of monumental art in ritual performance and examines how change in art relates to change in ceremonial behavior, and how the latter relates in turn to change in power structures and models of rulership. * First volume of the new series __Topoi - Berlin Studies of the Ancient World__ * Connected to the excellence cluster __Topoi__ * Opening new perspectives within the study of the function of monumental art CONTENTS List of Figures List of Tables Bibliographical abbreviations Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 2 The Syro-Anatolian region in the Iron Age 2.1 The urban landscape 2.2 Questions of ethnicity 2.3 Carchemish 2.4 Zincirli 3 Carchemish 3.1 Archaeological fieldwork 3.2 The monumental contexts 3.2.1 The South Gate 3.2.2 The Water Gate 3.2.3 The Lower Palace Area 3.2.4 The Herald’s Wall 3.2.5 The King’s Gate complex 3.2.6 The temple of Tarhunzas 3.2.7 The Hilani 4 Zincirli 4.1 Archaeological fieldwork 4.2 The monumental contexts 4.2.1 The Southern City Gate. 4.2.2 The Outer Citadel Gate 4.2.3 The Lions’ Pit 4.2.4 Gate Q 4.2.5 The colossal statue at the outer wall of Building J 4.2.6 The Kulamuwa orthostat at the entrance to Building J 4.2.7 Inside the Southwestern complex 4.2.8 Hilani IV 4.2.9 Hilani III 4.2.10 Monuments at and around Hilani II 4.2.11 The funerary context beside Hilani I 4.2.12 The funerary stele in the north lower town 5 The embedment of monumental art in ritual performance 5.1 Urban setting 5.2 Iconographic evidence 5.3 Written evidence 5.4 Monumental art and ceremonial events 6 Art and ritual performance in diachronic perspective 6.1 The archaic transitional period (twelfth to mid-tenth century BCE) 6.2 The age of civic ritual (late tenth to early ninth century BCE) 6.3 The mature transitional period (870–790 BCE) 6.4 The age of court ceremony (790–690 BCE) 7 Conclusions Bibliography Catalogue Index of concepts Die Reihe Topoi. Berlin Studies of the Ancient World versammelt Beitrge aus allen altertumswissenschaftlichen Disziplinen, von der Ur- und Frhgeschichte ber die Klassische Archologie bis zur antiken Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Theologie. Einen Schwerpunkt bilden Monographien und Sammelbnde, in denen die Forschungsergebnisse des Exzellenzclusters Topoi vorgestellt werden. Weitere Schwerpunkte sind in Planung.Das Exzellenzcluster Topoi untersucht die Formation und Transformation von Raum und Wissen in den antiken Zivilisationen. Topoi wird von der Freien Universitt Berlin und der Humboldt-Universitt zu Berlin gemeinsam getragen. Partner sind die Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, das Deutsche Archologische Institut, das Max-Planck-Institut fr Wissenschaftsgeschichte und die Stiftung Preuischer Kulturbesitz. Topoi ist darber hinaus mit vielen weiteren universitren und aueruniversitren Einrichtungen vernetzt. Nheres unter (http://www.topoi.org.Ausgewhlte) www.topoi.org.Ausgewhlte Titel aus der Reihe Topoi. Berliner Studien der Alten Welt werden gleichzeitig mit dem Erscheinen als Buch auch in digitaler Form im Internet frei zugnglich gemacht. Die Reihe versteht sich als Pilotprojekt fr eine Verbindung des open-access-Gedankens mit der verlegerischen Betreuung von wissenschaftlichen Publikationen.Siehe Presseinformation vom 23. Juni 2009.

The ceremonial centers of the Syro-Hittite city-states (1200-700 BC) were lavishly decorated with large-scale, open-air figurative reliefs – an original and greatly influential artistic tradition that has captivated the imagination of its contemporaries as well as that of modern scholars. This volume explores how Syro-Hittite monumental art was used as a powerful backdrop to important ritual events, and it opens up a new perspective by situating the monumental heritage in the context of large public performances and civic spectacles of great emotional impact. The first part of the volume focuses on the sites of Carchemish and Zincirli, offering a close reading of the relevant archaeological contexts. The second part of the volume discusses the embedment of monumental art in ritual performance and examines how change in art relates to change in ceremonial behavior, and how the latter relates in turn to change in power structures and models of rulership.

The ceremonial centers of the Syro-Hittite city-states (1200-700 BC) were lavishly decorated with large-scale, open-air figurative reliefs - an original and greatly influential artistic tradition. But why exactly did the production of such an array of monumental images ever start? This volume explores how Syro-Hittite monumental art was used as a powerful backdrop to important ritual events, and opens up a new perspective by situating monumental art in the context of public performances and civic spectacles of great emotional impact, such as processions, royal triumphs, and dynastic funerals Biographical note: Alessandra Gilibert, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany