YENİ ASUR DÖNEMİ (MÖ 1000-612) SOSYO-KÜLTÜREL YAŞAM VE İNANÇ SİSTEMİNDE KÖPEĞİN YERİ

Öz

Yeni Asur Dönemi’nde köpeğe dair verilere yazılı metinler başta olmak üzere Ninive, Nimrud, Nippur ve Sharif Khan’dan ele geçmiş pişmiş toprak ve metal heykelcikler, Ninive’deki Asurbanipal’in Kuzey Sarayı’nda yer alan kabartmalar, Nimrud’daki Ninurta Tapınağı ve Oda 74, Merh Khamis kremasyon gömüsü, Tell al-Rimah ve Tell Halaf’dan ele geçen mühürler ile satın alma yoluyla İsrail Müzesi, Bible Lands Müzesi ve Marcopoli Koleksiyonu’na kazandırılmış mühürlerde rastlanır. Söz konusu arkeolojik materyallerden, köpeğin Yeni Asur Dönemi sosyo-kültürel yaşam ve inanç sisteminde önemli bir yere sahip olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Kabartmalarda betimlenmiş ve avlanmada kullanılan köpek figürleri iri yapılı ve güçlü bir tür olan mastiff ırkının benzeridir. Köpekler avlanma başta olmak üzere, hastalıkları iyileştirme, adak nesnesi, cezalandırma ve kötülükleri uzaklaştırma gibi işlevlere sahiptir. Yeni Asur’da saraya ait köpekler avlanmada kullanılırken, tapınağa ait olanlar ise tanrıların hizmetkârları ve koruyucuları olmuşlar ya da dini törenlerde yer bulmuştur. Ayrıca, Yeni Asur uygarlığında köpeklerin bakımından sorumlu bir meslek grubunun da olduğu görülmektedir. Kabartmalardaki sahnelerden bu meslek grubunda saraya bağlı haremağaları ve sakallı erkek figürlerinin olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Bu veriler ışığında çalışmanın amacı; Yeni Asur Dönemi’nde köpeklerin insan yaşamındaki yeri, üstlendikleri roller ile işlevsel ve sembolik anlamlarını yazılı metinler başta olmak üzere kabartma, heykelcik ve mühür gibi arkeolojik buluntular aracılığıyla ortaya koymaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Köpek
• Yeni Asur
• Ninive
• Mühür

THE PLACE OF THE DOG IN THE SOCIO-CULTURAL LIFE AND BELIEF SYSTEM OF THE NEO-ASSYRIAN (1000-612 BCE) PERIOD

Öz

In the Neo-Assyrian period, evidence related to dogs is found primarily in written texts, as well as in terracotta and metal figurines recovered from Nineveh, Nimrud, Nippur, and Sharif Khan; in the reliefs of Ashurbanipal’s North Palace in Nineveh; in the Ninurta Temple and Room 74 at Nimrud; in the Merh Khamis cremation burial; in the seals recovered from Tell al-Rimah and Tell Halaf; and in seals acquired through purchase by the Israel Museum, the Bible Lands Museum, and the Marcopoli Collection. It can be seen from the archaeological materials in question that the dog held an important place in the socio-cultural life and belief system of the Neo-Assyrian period. The reliefs depict dogs used in hunting, often resembling the mastiff breed with their large and powerful build. In addition to hunting, dogs served various functions such as healing illnesses, being offered as votive objects, serving as instruments of punishment, and warding off evil. In Neo-Assyria, dogs belonging to the palace were primarily used for hunting, while those associated with temples acted as servants and protectors of the gods, or participated in religious ceremonies. Moreover, there is evidence of a professional group responsible for the care and management of dogs. Scenes depicted in the reliefs suggest that this group included palace eunuchs as well as bearded male figures. In light of these data, the aim of this study is to reveal the place of dogs in human life during the Neo-Assyrian Period, their roles, and their functional and symbolic meanings through written texts as well as archaeological findings such as reliefs, figurines, and seals.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Neo-Assyrian
• Nineveh
• Seal

Kaynakça

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