(ORDO NEWS) — In Israel, the boy found a small clay tablet, whose age is about 3,500 years. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it captures the scene of the consequences of the struggle for power in ancient Canaanite society.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the find was made by six-year-old Imri Elya, a resident of the kibbutz Nirim. Together with his family, he went on excursions to the ancient city of Tel Jemme, which was excavated only about a century ago.
The attention of the boy was attracted by a tiny object, measuring only 2.8×2.8 centimeters. It turned out to be a unique artifact. Specialists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have determined that this item probably dates back to the Late Bronze Age.
According to archaeologist Saar Ganor, the age of the artifact can be about 3,500 years. It is a clay tablet, which depicts, presumably, a warrior with a captive.
“Nothing of the kind was ever found during excavations in Israel,” said Saar Ganor. “We know that a similar object was found only in the north of Sinai. But we do not know exactly what it looked like, since the excavations were carried out there about 100 years ago, and the description of the item found was not very accurate. ”
The city of Tell Jemme was located in a place first inhabited during the Chalcolithic era about 6,000 years ago. Life flourished here until the Hellenistic period, the city fell into decay in the 1st century BC. The most important period in the history of this settlement dates back to the Bronze Age, and it began precisely about 3,500 years ago.
Scientists identify Tell Jemme with the powerful Canaanite city of Yurza. Mention of him is found in letters of that period, discovered earlier in Egypt during excavations in the city of El Amarna.
“These letters were written in Akkadian, which was then the international language, as English is today,” says Ganor. “Egypt ruled Canaan at that time, but Canaan was divided into city states such as Gaza, Ashkelon and Lachish. And each of them ruled his own local king. ”
Earlier in Tel Jemma, archaeologists discovered the remains of a palace and monumental buildings. Probably, it was in it that the local ruler lived. It was also established that about 1,500 people lived in the center of this city, while the rest lived on the outskirts.
Archaeologists believe that the scene depicted on the tablet is an illustration of the events that took place then – the confrontation of local kings who fought with each other for power.
At the same time, the ancient author tried to reflect ethnic differences in the features of two men. The invader wears a skirt, his face is rounder than that of a prisoner, and his hair is curly. The captive himself is very thin, his hands tied behind his back. His pose itself depicts humiliation – a common thing for the “parades” of that time, which were held in honor of military victories.
By the way, such an image technique is known to scientists. Previously, such engravings were found on objects excavated in Egypt. In this case, the researchers do not exclude that the artifact found was part of a much larger picture.
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