|
Taşçı Relief
About 60km southwest of Kayseri, near the location known as Taşçı in the Zamanti valley of Yenice river which is a branch of Seyhan. On the limestone rock walls of the valley there are two heavily worn out reliefs less than 100 meters apart. The first one, Taşçı A, is on a flattened rock surface of about 3 meters long. It was first recognized by Hans Rott in 1906 and shows three persons aligned to the right. Over them and left are the hieroglyphic writings. The details in lower section of the relief is almost impossible to make out. The left most of the three figures is probably a female and the two in front of her are probably male figures. The inscriptions right above the figure are thought be the names of each person. The name above the right most of the three is not complete. The left part of the script has the name of Hattusili III mentioned in it thus places the relief to his time. There is a cave like opening right above the relief in which is a small pitt and possibly a libation hole that may have served for ritual purposes.
The second one was first spotted by Sedat Alp, Ekrem Akurgal and Mc Callien in a joined mission, and it is in substantially better condition. Again it shows a person with hieroglyphics over and under his stretched arm, directed to the right. The figure is wearing a long robe and a round head piece similar to the ones in the first relief. The inscriptions by this relief were not clear anough for a meaningful reading.
38°11'58 N - 35°46'50 E Google Earth location (exact)
Taşçı A
|
|
Taşçı B
|
|
| ||||
Image sources:
Horst Ehringhaus. Götter, Herrscher, Inschriften. 2005, Zabern. ISBN 3805334699.
Kurt Bittel, Die Hethiter, Beck, München 1976, ISBN 3406030246.
Eberhard Rossner, Die hethitischen Felsreliefs in der Türkei. 1988, ISBN 3924390029.
Kay Kohlmeyer, "Felsbilder der hethitischen Großreichszeit", Acta Praehistorica et Archaeologica 15, 1983. ISBN 3896467123