Friday, May 8, 2015

Day 14- Istanbul Archeology Museum

There were only two stops on today's tour. First two the Istanbul Archeological Museum:


These bronze weapons originally come from the middle to late Bronze Age somewhere between the 9th and 6th century BC. Though it is unclear exactly where these pieces originally came from, it is clear they are from te Urartian kingdom north of Assyria and just west of Lake Van in eastern Turkey. These weapons were cast with the cherished molten metal combination in used in battle which racked this region throughout this period. It is amazing to see how long these pieces actually are, considering they had to be carried in a soldiers belt without getting damages or damaging the soldier himself.


During the late Hittite period (around the 8th century BC, this relief was carved into the aide of a volcanic basalt mountain just outside of modern day Konya in southern Turkey. This reproduction depicts the Storm God Tarhunza on the left holding the crops that grew in this relatively dry climate: grapes, wheat, and barley. On the right, the king of Tyana at the time is depicted as a much smaller character makingsome sort of offering to the god, likely asking for a auccessful harvest. This relief shows just how decoted these people were to their beleif system and that the kings of these civilizations were not considered divine in any way, but still dependent on the gods.


In 1275 BC, the Egyptians came to the realization that the Hittites (late Bronze Age) were becoming a muh more powerful civilization and posed a threat to te security of the empire. The only way to settle these kinds of disputes was through war, so during this year the two sides battled to a supposed stalemate. In te end, this piece treaty written in 1269 BC on clay tablets using the Hittite language with cuneiform alphabet, wrote out the first peace treaty in human history. Afterards, the two empires established positive economic relations with each other, setting a precedent for all the modern cicilizations following them.


Coming from the Neo-Babylonian (Archeic) period around 600BC, these glazed brick tiles lions were originally found outside of the coty gates as part of a "processional street" leading into and out of the city. The Ishtar Gate, with these mighty, powerful animals on the outisde, symbolized the strength of the new regime in the area, building on the successes the Babylonians during the Iron and Bronze Age had done all those years ago. In fact, lions were frequently used during this era to symbolize power and status of a people on gates and temples.


This basalt statue of King Shalmaneser III of Assyria (c. 850 BC as part of the Neo-Assyrian period) was found in the city of Assur. Around the base, there was an incription dedicating the statue to the deseased king, sharing the status if the king as almost a god-like figure to the world: the king of the whole earth, the universe, and Assyria (plus listing the family lineage).  In this statue, the king is holding a staff and is shown with very rectangular, braided beard (similar to the way an Egyptian king maybe buried), again showing the power and prestige of this man.



These baked clay pots are dated around 5000-4000 BC as part of an ancient Istanbul settlement beneath where the Roman Hippodrome was built and still stands today. During this time period tsurroundig the Sea of Marmara was when Neolithic settlement where agricukture and domestication of animals first began. Chemical tests from these vessels could not indicated what exactly came from these jars, other than they were found in 1927 and were transported to the miseum following. Also notice the lack of ornament to these containers suggesting an early Neolithic creation.


This Hellenistic Greek gravestone was found in the Beyazit region of the city, very close to the main street that runs through the city (and where our hotel is). This marble monument from around 100 BC depicts three women: the one in the center seated on a pedestal while the other two are standing around her. There are also very faint engravings on the top of this gravestone using the Greek alphabet, thoug I could not determine what was said. Unlike the Romans during their imperial period, the Greeks depicted their people with perfect features without exception, as seen here in the faves of these women, though the rest of their bodies are covered with a wrinkled garment (similar to a toga).


These chunks of molten metal come from the Calchedon area in Istanbul, known today as the Bosporus Strait and the Sea of Marmara. Though they may be just metal scraps, they indicated these people were masters of metalworking, possibly using it for buildings or defense mechanisms. This region was also known as an economic center for the entire region during the Byzantine era (starting around 350 AD), as traders along the water were all forced to register whatever they were hauling to the customs officials stated around the waterway (as determined by an escription found in Ephesus).


This baked clay pottery was found during the excavation of Troy I, approximately 3000 BC. These pieces from the Chalcolithic Age were all and painted used pigments coming from natural minerals. These pieces come in all shaped and size, from small cups with a handle similar to a drinking glass to rather large vases without handles to communal drinking and food storage pots without handles.



This piece from the Palmyra civilization between 200 and 273 AD (Roman Imperial period) a family mausoleum dedicated to King Lisams for some partnership made with another geoup of people, possible militarily. Each of these squares contains the relief of either a man or woman (or the plaster recreaction of him or her) covering the tombs of a particular person. Inside the burial chamber, the body was laid in his or her back headfirst so their head would appear to be look out at the statue, looking like this. Also notice the glass and ceramic jars buried with the bodies, containing offerings to the gods above. The detail in all of these reliefs is partixularly amazing, depicting the dead in the most perfect form that hopefully would last forever. Fortunately for us, each of these pieces has.

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This is one big mall.... The Grand Bazaar (market) has literally hundreds of shops selling everything from jewelry to tea to baskets to elephant pants, and everything in between!



Amd one final photo of all of us, eating our final dinner on Turkish soil... :(


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