|
April 9, 2010 | Archaeologists discover Old Testament-era tablet |
Washington:Archaeologists at University of Toronto have unearthed a cache of cuneiform tablets that contain a largely intact Assyrian treaty from the early 7th century BCE. The 43 by 28
centimetre tablet - known as the Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon - contains about
650 lines and is in a very fragile state. "The tablet is quite spectacular. It
records a treaty - or covenant - between Esarhaddon, King of the Assyrian Empire
and a secondary ruler who acknowledged Assyrian power. The treaty was confirmed
in 672 BCE at elaborate ceremonies held in the Assyrian royal city of Nimrud (ancient
Kalhu). In the text, the ruler vows to recognize the authority of Esarhaddon's
successor, his son Ashurbanipal," said Timothy Harrison. "The treaties were designed
to secure Ashurbanipal's accession to the throne and avoid the political crisis
that transpired at the start of his father's reign. Esarhaddon came to power when
his brothers assassinated their father, Sennacherib. "It will take months of further
work before the document will be fully legible. These tablets are like a very
complex puzzle, involving hundreds of pieces, some missing. It is not just a matter
of pulling the tablet out, sitting down and reading. We expect to learn much more
as we restore and analyze the document," added Harrison. With the discovery, researchers
hope to garner information about Assyria's imperial relations with the west during
a critical period, the early 7th century BCE. It marked the rise of the Phrygians
and other rival powers in highland Anatolia - now modern-day Turkey - along the
northwestern frontier of the Assyrian empire, and coincided with the divided monarchy
of Biblical Israel, as well as an era of increased contact between the Levantine
peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt, as well as the Greeks of the Aegean
world. The cache of tablets - which date back to the Iron Age - were unearthed
in August 2009 during excavations at the site of an ancient temple at Tell Tayinat,
located in southeastern Turkey. They also uncovered a wealth of religious paraphernalia
- including gold, bronze and iron implements, libation vessels and ornately decorated
ritual objects. |
|
|
|
Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Gujarat
Puducherry
|