ON THE ICONOGRAPHY OF LIONS AND LEOPARDS ON THE GOBLET OF KARASHAMB

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH202354-366

Keywords:

Goblet of Karashamb, iconography, lions, leopards, Hittites, KI.LAM festival, Hattian

Abstract

The Goblet of Karashamb (c. 22nd-21st centuries BC, stored in the History Museum of Armenia, HMA 3183-206) is considered one of the most renowned archaeological artifacts in Armenia. The iconographic features of the goblet have already been discussed by researchers. Various opinions, parallels, and comparisons mentioned by them highlight that the Goblet of Karashamb synthesizes the iconography and jewelry styles distinctive to Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and the South Caucasus. While concurring with this assessment, this study focuses specifically on the depictions of lions and leopards on the goblet, exploring potential parallels in Asia Minor culture. For the first time, these depictions are examined within the context of preserved Hittite sources, correlating their role with the attributes and proceedings of the Hittite KI.LAM festival (the “Festival of the Gate”) of Hattian origin. Certain aspects of the Goblet of Karashamb’s iconography suggest connections to early Hittite or pre-Hittite periods. The iconography of lions and leopards represents an ancient tradition in Asia Minor, exemplified by the Lion Gate of Hattusa. A notable instance of royal association with these animals appears in the Annals of Ḫattušilis I (c. 1650-1620 BCE), one of the earliest Hittite kings. The analyzed attributes of the KI.LAM festival, contextualized within the goblet’s iconography, have ancient Hattian roots and likely trace back to the early Hittite period. This interpretation is further supported by Anitta’s text (c. 1790-1750 BCE) from the early Hittite period, which scholars have compared to the KI.LAM festival description. Notably, the animals captured during the royal hunt in this text correspond to those depicted on the Goblet of Karashamb.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Асмик Арутюновна Амаякян, The Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia
    PhD, Associate Professor, Senior Researcher
  • Моника Овиковна Мирзоян, Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia,
    Senior Laboratory Assistant

References

Martirossian HA. The Rock Carvings of Gegham Mountain Range, Archaeological Monuments of Armenia 11, Rock Carvings, Issue III. Yerevan: Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, 1981. (In Arm.).

Esayan SA. Gürtelbleche der älteren Einsenzeit in Armenien. Beiträge zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden Archäologie. München, 1984, 6: 97-197.

Piliposyan AS. Late bronze age standart at Shirakavan. Heritage and Modern Times. 2022; 5(1): 37-47. (In Rus.).

A Glance from the Bronze Age. Findings from the Bronze Age Burial Mounds in Armenia IV-I Millennia B.C. from the Collections of the History Museum of Armenia, Catalogue-Album. Yerevan: Printinfo, 2010.

Devejyan S., Hobosyan S. The Reflection of Cosmological Notions on Archaeological Artifacts from Lori Berd. Historical-Philological Journal. Yerevan, 2015; 3: 168-181. (In Arm.).

Gunter A. Animals in Anatolian Art. A History of the Animal World in the Ancient Near East. Leiden: Brill, 2002: 77-96.

Mellaart J., Hirch U., Balpinar B. The Goddess from Anatolia. Adenau: Eskenazi, 1989; 1.

Mellaart J. Excavations at Çatal Hüyük, 1963, Third Preliminary Report. Anatolian Studies. 1964; 14: 39-119.

Hodder I. Çatalhöyük: The Leopard’s Tale: Revealing the Mysteries of Turkey’s Ancient ‘Town’. New York: Thames & Hudson Publ., 2006; 13: 288.

Meece S. A Bird’s Eye View – of A Leopard’s Spots. The Çatalhöyük ‘Map’ and the Development of Cartographic Representation in Prehistory. Anatolian Studies. 2006; 56: 1-16.

Beckman G. The Hittites Serve Their Gods. In: Samuel E. Balentine (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Ritual and Worship in the Hebrew Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020: 37-52.

Simonyan H. Royal Tomb N1 at the Necropolis Nerkin Naver [Nerk‘in Naveri N1 “ark‘ayakan” dambaranǝ]. Hushardzan. Annual. 2021; 16: 9-84. (In Arm.).

Collins BJ. A Statue for the Deity: Cult Images in Hittite Anatolia, in Cult Images and Divine Representation in the Ancient Near East. Boston, MA: American School of Oriental Research, 2005.

Johnston SI. Religions of the Ancient World, A Guide. Abusch T, Assmann J, Attridge HW, Beard M, Collins JJ, Graf F, Lincoln B, Wright DP, editors; Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press, 2004.

Arbuckle BS. Symbolic Uses of Animals in Ancient Anatolia. Actual Archaeology Magazine, 2015: 37-45.

Hoffner H. Histories and Historians of the Ancient Near East: The Hittites. Orientalia. 1980; 49: 283-332.

Lorenz J., Schrakamp I. Hittite Military and Warfare. In: H. Genz, D. P. Mielke (Hg.). Insights into Hittite History and Archaeology (Colloquia Antiqua 2). Leuven-Paris-Walpole, MA: Peeters, 2011: 125-151.

Collins B.J. Ḫattušili I, The Lion King. Journal of Cuneiform Studies. 1998; 50: 15-20.

Strawn B.A. What Is Stronger than a Lion? Leonine Image and Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East. Fribourg: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen, 2005.

Gurny O.R. The Hittites. London: Penguin, 1990.

Keel O. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. German: Eisenbrauns, 1997.

Chalendar V. Animals and Their Relation to Gods, Humans and Things in the Ancient World. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien, 2019.

Marcuson H. “Word of the Old Woman”: Studies in Female Ritual Practice in Hittite Anatolia. Chicago, Illinois: 2016.

Oganesyan V. Silver cup from Karashamb. Historical-Philological Journal. 1988; 4: 156–160. (In Rus.).

Petrosyan A. The Myth of Aram in the Context of Indo-European Mythology and the Problem of Armenian Ethnogenesis [Arami ar‘aspelǝ hndevropakan ar‘aspelabanut‘yan hamatek‘stum ev hayoc‘ azgacagman xndirǝ). Yerevan: Van Aryan, 1997. (In Arm.).

Hovhannisyan S. Around Interpretation of Animal Pictorial Friezes of the Silver Goblet of Karashamb’s Large Burial Field. [K‘аrašambi mec dambanablri arcat‘e gavat‘i kendanakan patkeragotineri meknabanman šurǰ]. Kantegh. 2002; 5: 127–133. (In Arm.).

Boehmer R., Kossack G. Der figürlich verzierte Becher von Karašamb: Umfeld, Interpretation und Zeitstellung. Variatio Delectat, Iran und der Westen / Alter Orient und Alter Testament. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2000; 272: 9–71.

Avetisyan P., Piliposyan A. Karashamb, The Gold of Ancient Armenia (III mill. BC – XIV cent. AD) [K‘arašamb, Hayastani voskin vał ev mijin bronzi darašrjannerum, Hin Hayastani voskin]. Gitutyun. Yerevan, 2007. pp. 89–98. (In Arm.).

Collins B.J. Animals in the Religions of Ancient Anatolia in A History of the Animal World in the Ancient Near East. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 The Near and Middle East. Brill, 2002; 64: 237–250.

Haas V. Geschichte des Hethitischen Religion. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Leiden: Brill, 1994; 1(15): 1–11.

Taracha P. Religions of Second Millenium Anatolia. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2009.

Gurny O. Some Aspects of Hittite Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Collins B.J. Hero, Field Master, King: Animal Mastery in Hittite Texts and Iconography. The Master of Animals in Old World Iconography. Edited by Derek B. Counts and Bettina Arnold, Budapest, 2010; 10: 59–71.

Ardzinba V.G. Rituals and Myths of Ancient Anatolia. Moscow: Nauka, 1982. (In Rus.).

Collins J.C. Hittites and Their World. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2007.

Boroffka N., Boroffka R. Auf, singet und trinket den köstlichen Trank! Gedanken zur Darstellung von Festen in der Ur- und Frühgeschichte. In: C. von Carnap-Bornheim, W. Dörfler, W. Kirleis, J. Müller, U. Müller (Hrsg.). Von Sylt bis Kastanas. Festschrift für Helmut Johannes Kroll zum 65. Geburtstag (Offa 69/70). Neumünster: Wachholtz Verlag, 2013. pp. 171–188.

Kosyan A. The Hittite Kingdom (Political History) [Xet‘akan t‘agavorut‘yun]. Yerevan: Copy-Print Publ., 2022. (In Arm.).

Bobokhyan A, Gevorgyan A. The Golden Fleece-Vishap Stones: from Legend to Archaeology [Voske Gełm-višapak‘ar. aŕapelic‘ depi hnagitut‘yun]. Armen Petrosyan, Arsen Bobokhyan (eds.). The Vishap Stone Stelae. Yerevan: Gitutyun Publ., 2015: 246-247. (In Arm.).

Downloads

Published

2024-08-12

Issue

Section

Archeology

How to Cite

1.
Амаякян АА, Мирзоян МО. ON THE ICONOGRAPHY OF LIONS AND LEOPARDS ON THE GOBLET OF KARASHAMB. ИАЭК. 2024;20(2):354-366. doi:10.32653/CH202354-366