Another interesting object found in Tell Asmar and is dated to ED II period (2750/2700–2600BC)...The image are from this amazing paper "Sculpture of the Third Millennium B.C. from Tell Asmar and Khafajah"
This is a plaque with with three scenes.
In another amazing paper, "God or worshiper", we can read that the first scene depicts worshipers in front of Abu the god of green pastures, and his consort, goddess of fertility...These guys.
The second scene depicts two wild goats (Ibex) or two wild sheep (mouflon)...Sometimes it is difficult to discern which one of the animals is depicted as the horns are sometimes depicted smaller because of the space. Like this goat from Nipur, that I talked about in my post "Goat in a tree"...
The third scene depicts two calves.
Both goat/sheep and calves are depicted among green branches...
Are these animals chosen and arranged randomly?
In my previous post "Abu", I talked about the above statue of Abu found in Tell Asmar. And I talked about the fact that Abu was just another name for Ninurta/Ningirsu, the old god of rain...
That is of course fitting, because in Mesopotamia, the pastures are only green during the rain season, Oct/Nov-Apr/May....So only God of rain can be God of green pastures...
The start of the rain season in Mesopotamia coincides with the start of the mating season of wild goats and sheep, which is why they are the symbol of the rain season in the region...Particularly wild Ibex goat. Goat of rain...
The end of the rain season in Mesopotamia coincides with the beginning of the calving season of wild cattle, aurochs. We don't really have any photos of aurochs (extinct), but here is a reconstruction based on what we know
So what is depicted on this plaque from Tell Asmar is the time when Abu/Ninurta/Ningirsu rules is rain season which lasts from when the wild goats and sheep start to mate until the wild cattle start to calve...
No comments:
Post a Comment