A group of archaeologists may have just unearthed the earliest known narrative scene etched into an 11,000-year-old Neolithic bench, which was found at Sayburç, Turkey, reported first by Heritage Daily.
The find was made while conducting excavations at Sayburç, which got underway in 2021, as reported by Dr. Özdoğan in the journal Antiquity. The site is in the province of Şanlıurfa, underneath a contemporary village.
In south-eastern Turkey in 2021, a wall relief with five people carved on a seat in a communal building from the ninth millennium BC was discovered. The complicated interplay between people, the natural world, and the animal life that lived around them during the shift to a sedentary lifestyle is reflected in this earliest known representation of a narrative "scene."
Ancient Narrative Scenes
Two carved motifs on the bench illustrate interactions between people and animals. A man holding his phallus with leopards on both sides is depicted in one scene. The second depicts a man crouching, ringing a rattle at a bull.
According to archaeologist Dr. Eylem Özdoğan of Istanbul University, these figurines, engraved together to show a narrative, are the first examples of such a comprehensive scene ever known.
Dr. Özdoğan added that this was a representation of the narratives that shaped the people's ideology at the time.
The Neolithic began in the ninth millennium BC when people began to settle permanently and switch from a nomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering to farming.
Several residential structures have also been discovered during excavations, along with a massive communal building with stone benches lining its walls that may have functioned as the center for gatherings or religious activities.
The narrative scenes on the bench, according to the research team, might show legendary or historical persons who played a significant role in the community's customs.
All of the distinctive characteristics of the communal constructions in the area are present in this building. Images of animals and people were identified in this structure, according to Dr. Özdoğan.
Reflection of a Collective Memory
Dr. Özdoğan added that this discovery is fascinating because archaeological evidence can offer some insight into the customs of previous societies. In this regard, Sayburç contains highly convincing evidence and has the potential to reveal more details about the Neolithic.
The themes and aesthetics of the Neolithic are represented in the Sayburç reliefs. The only attributes that can be used to determine the sex of the figures are their phallus, and an emphasis is focused on the predatory and violent characteristics of the animal kingdom, as seen by the portrayal of lethal features such as horns and teeth.
"The Sayburç reliefs, then, can be seen in a similar light: the reflection of a collective memory that kept the values of its community alive," Dr. Özdoğan wrote in her paper.
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