Asmacık Stele
Asmacık stele and inscription The basalt stele was found in 1970 in a house in the Asmacık village (previously Tilhalit), which lies in the Oğuzeli province of Gaziantep, about 47 km south of the Gaziantep city center. Top section of the stele is broken. On the flattened front side is a Storm God figure, and on the rounded back side are the last three lines of a Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription. The surviving part of the stele is about 80 cm in height, 41 cm in width, and 20 cm in depth. Unfortunately the inscription is too worn out to be read. Stylistically a date around the 10th to 9th century BCE has been suggested. The unexcavated Tilhalit mound which lies about 1 km northeast of the village may be suspected as the source of this and other finds in the surrounding area. The stele is currently in the inventory of the Gaziantep Archaeology Museum.
Asmacık stele
Demirkonak orthostat Click on the pictures for larger images.
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Image sources:
Literature:
Balcıoğlu, B. Gaziantep Arkeoloji Müzesi Geç Hitit Dönemi Taş Eserleri, Gaziantep, 2009: 11, 28.
Hawkins, J. D. Corpus of Hieroglyphic Luwian Inscriptions, Vol 1, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2000: 564–65 and plt. 322.
Kalaç, M. "Einige Stelen mit hieroglyphisch-luwischen Inschriften oder ohne sie," CRRAI 20. 1975: 187-88 and plts. XLII–XLIII.
Yağcı, R. "Ankara Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesindeki Tanrı Adad betimlemeli bir grup eser," GsAkyurt-Devam, 1995: 373–87 and plts. 19–20.
(List of Abbreviations)
J. David Hawkins, 2000.
Burhan Balcıoğlu, 2009.
Tayfun Bilgin, 2014, 2019.