The Pratt Ivories in the Metropolitan Museum of Art—Kerma—Chronology and the Transition from Early Bronze to Middle Bronze

Abstract

The collection of ivory carvings acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930's has been convincingly traced back to the site of Acemh6yiik by Professor Nimet Ozgiig (cf. the Minutes of the Archaeological Seminar at Columbia University 1966-1967 AJA 72 [1968] 320). Mrs. Ozgiil pointed out that the burnt palatial building which she is excavating at Acemhtyuik (Nw of Aksaray and SE of the Salt Lake) contains fragments of ivories identical to or close to those in New York. A collection of seal-impressed bullae which came to the Metropolitan Museum of Art along with the ivories corroborates the suggested provenance. Mrs. Ozgii* discusses these discoveries in some detail in Anadolu (the Ankara University periodical formerly called Anatolia) IO (1966) 29-52, especially 43-46. The implication of this attribution for the origins of Hittite art were intimated by Mrs. Ozgii*. The date of the burnt building in which the ivories were found corresponds to a period at Kiiltepe which includes Karum levels II and Ib, i.e. the later phase of the building belongs to, and may exceed by some time, the period of gamsi-Adad I (ca. 1812-1780, on CAH reckoning) and Anitta (ca. i8oo B.c.). Instead of a mature product of the Hittite Empire Age, the ivories will have to be seen as an early manifestation of Hittite art, partly still under strong Egyptian Middle Kingdom influence, partly modified by Syrian transmissions and adaptations. Egyptian Middle Kingdom imports are known from Anatolia and have been discussed previously by W. S. Smith (Columbia Seminar, December 14th, 1967, see supra). The Egyptian elements of the ivories are evident in the small seated monkey holding a jar;' in an incised plaque with a fable(?)-like scene involving a monkey (ill. 4); in the kneeling longrobed captive (possibly victimized by a victorious lion, cf. Hayes, Scepter of Egypt I, 225, fig. 141) (ill. 5); and in the kneeling lion-headed hybrids which seem to hold plants or are tying plants to a central motif now missing. The crouching sphinx-supports and sphinx plaques are strongly stylized in Hittite fashion. The use of spiral ornaments on shoulders and headgear is related to Syrian and Aegean renderings of sphinxes. Hittite features are also foreshadowed in the seated lions, in the striding bullman2 and the small human head. The presumed falcon-and-antelope group is a hybrid of the Egyptian falcon and Asiatic Imdugud types, here first modified to suit the strongly modeled and firmly contoured Hittite style. A special Hittite group may be represented by the plaques of seated lions grasping their prey (antelope, stag) (ill. 6): such vivid renderings may be the precursors of some Alaca sculptures.' Old Syrian cylinder seals show similar motifs.