Abstract
Thirteen stone stelae, most of which were carved in a bas-relief style, never before seen in Anatolia or the Near East, were found in the centre of Hakkari in 1998. The stelae were carved on upright flagstones measuring between 0.7 m, to 3.10 m. high. The stones contain only one cut surface, upon which human figures have been chiselled. The theme of each stelae reveals the fore view of the upper human body. Eleven of the male stelae are depicted with the drinking vessel or bags made of skin, which the male hold tightly with both hands. Stelae with relief of this type are not common in the ancient Near East. However, there are, plenty of close parallels produced by a variety of peoples from the Eurasian steppes between the third millennium B.C. to the eleventh century A.D. Earliest parallels of this cup-holding gesture have come from the cemeteries of Northwestern Iran dating from the second half of the second millennium B.C.
Published Version
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