Since we're all still here ... how about a little tour through the #Neolithic exhibition of Urfa's new archaeological museum?
Well, at least the part I'm somehow familiar with ... which means the Pre-Pottery Neolithic #GobekliTepe finds on display there.
Well, at least the part I'm somehow familiar with ... which means the Pre-Pottery Neolithic #GobekliTepe finds on display there.
Before we start with the tour, let's just have a look at this sculpture right over here: It's so-called #UrfaMan (from Yeni Mahalle / Yeni Yol) - one of the oldest examples of a life-sized human statue, dating back to the Pre-Pottery #Neolithic as well.
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Starting with what still can be considered the only clear #female depiction at #GobekliTepe (which otherwise seems strongly dominated by a rather masculine iconography):
The (later?) carving of a woman on a stone slab found in one of the younger rectangular buildings there.
The (later?) carving of a woman on a stone slab found in one of the younger rectangular buildings there.
And to the left we see some great examples illustrating that these #Neolithic T-pillars which are so characteristic for the site indeed appear in all sizes: From the very monuments unearthed in the older enclosures to #miniature pillars as shown here.
Oh, this is a particularly interesting showcase: Some of the stone heads found at #GobekliTepe - originally part of life-sized naturalistic sculptures similar to #UrfaMan we've seen before (and much in contrast to the larger-than-life abstract T-pillars).
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Right behind us is another most fascinating find from #GobekliTepe: Another stone object we interpreted as (in this case larger-than-life) mask depiction. There are a number of similar objects en #miniature known from this and other sites as well ...
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This here is quite a display! A collection of #animal sculptures found in and around the monumental buildings at #GobekliTepe. Interestingly, some of these show 'tenons' or breaking edges - indicating that they might have been set into or onto these buildings' walls.
Another most remarkable object from the site. We nicknamed it '#totem pole' due to its appearance, but maybe 'complex composite sculpture' would've been a more scientific label. 🤔😉
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Which is a particularly interesting object due to the role these kind of 'composite sculptures' may take up in the complex development of different early #Neolithic types of #sculpture (with apparently different meaning?) in the region:
Oh, and here we're entering one of the highlights of this exhibition: A full size replica of 'Building D' - one of the large monumental enclosures at #GobekliTepe ... completely accessible. Go, have a look around!
And take note of the impressive 5.5 m high central pillars here! Highly abstracted in their characteristic T-shape, larger than life ...
... but still to be recognised as anthropomorphic, i.e. human-like depictions and sculptures!
We've already seen the composite sculpture 'totem pole' from #GobekliTepe - but this similar find from #NevaliCori (another Pre-Pottery Neolithic site in the same region) here in the centre illustrates that this type might not've been an exception.
And speaking of #NevaliCori we now come to another highlight of the #Neolithic exhibition in the Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum:
The so-called Terrazzo Building! It was here at Nevali Cori that for the first time those T-pillars were discovered in H. Hauptmann's excavations.
The so-called Terrazzo Building! It was here at Nevali Cori that for the first time those T-pillars were discovered in H. Hauptmann's excavations.
And the best part: This is indeed the original building unearthed at #NevaliCori!
It has been dismantled, numbered, and carefully packed before the site was flooded in the course of the Atatürk Dam construction ... and was rebuilt in the museum about 20 years later.
It has been dismantled, numbered, and carefully packed before the site was flooded in the course of the Atatürk Dam construction ... and was rebuilt in the museum about 20 years later.
So, that was our short tour through only the Neolithic part of the large collection of the Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum. Hope you enjoyed it.
But don't don't stop here! - There's plenty of more to discover here, and at other #MuseumsUnlocked: sanalmuze.gov.tr/muzeler/SANLIU…
But don't don't stop here! - There's plenty of more to discover here, and at other #MuseumsUnlocked: sanalmuze.gov.tr/muzeler/SANLIU…
