Ancient life-size lion statues

Ancient life-size lion statues baffle scientists 
Two sculptures of life-size lions, each weighing about 5 tons in antiquity, have been discovered in what is now Turkey, with archaeologists perplexed over what the granite cats were used for.

One idea is that the statues, created between 1400 and 1200 B.C., were meant to be part of a monument for a sacred water spring, the researchers said. The lifelike lions were created by the Hittites who controlled a vast empire in the region at a time when the Asiatic lion roamed the foothills of Turkey.

"The lions are prowling forward, their heads slightly lowered; the tops of their heads are barely higher than the napes," write Geoffrey Summers, of the Middle East Technical University, and researcher Erol Ozen in an article published in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Archaeology.

The two lion sculptures have stylistic differences and were made by different sculptors. The lion sculpture found in the village of Karakiz is particularly lifelike, with rippling muscles and a tail that curves around the back of the granite boulder.

"The sculptors certainly knew what lions looked like," Summers told LiveScience in an interview.

He said that both archaeological and ancient written records indicate that the Asiatic lion, now extinct in Turkey, was still very much around, some even being kept by the Hittites in pits. The remainder of the article may be found here: http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=20902

I'm really not certain why scientists should be 'baffled' by these. Asiatic lions were native to the area at the time and the dating is 1400-1200bce. The Hittite Empire was destroyed by the Sea Peoples circa 1200bce so finding some incomplete artwork from the period would be normal.

The Hittites, Indo Europeans, carved many statues throughout Anatolia, especially in and around their capital, Hattusas. At any rate, enjoy the images and ambiance!


Cogs

Last edited by Ishtar; July 27th, 2012 at 08:53 AM.

The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with.