Animal-figured seals found in Arslantepe Mound

MALATYA

The Arslantepe Mound, located 15 kilometers southwest of the Euphrates River, has been home to humanity for thousands of years thanks to its high agricultural potential, wetlands and structure protected from the river's floods.

Findings from the Late Chalcolithic period to the Iron Age in the ancient site, bear the traces of many civilizations from the Hittites to the Romans and Byzantines.

During excavation works last year, it was unearthed two 7,000-year-old animal-figured seals at the UNESCO World Heritage site located in the eastern province of Malatya.

The seals found in the Late Chalcolithic period layer are believed to date back to 5000 B.C. and the oldest seals found in the mound to date.

Francesca Balossi Restelli, the head of the excavation team, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the animal figures on the seals found in the western part of the mound were used in earlier periods.

Restelli explained that these seals are different from other seals found in the mound in previous years in terms of their date and the motifs on them.

“Two seals were found under the wall of a house that belongs to the late Chalcolithic period, between 3900 and 3500 B.C. There is another house right next to it and it dates back to 4200 BC. There is a 500-year difference between these two houses. We found the seals right in the middle of these two houses. We compare the styles of the seals in other regions to determine the date from their motifs. When we look at the style, I think the date of these seals will be older, 5000 B.C.,” she said.

Noting that animal figures were carved on the seals, Rastelli said they are the oldest seals found so far at Arslantepe.

“We think that the bone seal has a goat or goat-like animal figure. The stone seal may be a dog or a dog-like animal. We find these animal figures mostly in the Chalcolithic period, not only Arslantepe but also the entire Northern Mesopotamia region and Eastern Anatolia Region use these figures on seals; a typical seal. But the seals we found before are not that old, so it is interesting. We understand that they started using these figures much earlier in Arslantepe. But there are definitely older ones because there are layers 10 meters below the hill. I'm sure we'll find older seals as we go down,” she said.

The Arslantepe Mound’s embankment is 30 meters high, and the mound was inhabited between 5000 B.C. and 11th century A.D.

At the mound site, more than 2,000 stamp seals, a statue of King Tarhunza and two late Hittite period lion statues have been found.

The temple of the mound dates from 3600-3500 B.C.