Riders On The Storm: Ancient Clay Horse Heads Emerge After Heavy Rain In Israel

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Many important archaeological finds are a result of chance events and good fortune. In Israel, two clay horses’ heads which once were part of equine sculptures have been found by sheer luck.

 

They were only uncovered because of heavy rains and floods which exposed them in the ground according to the Israeli Antiquities Authority. These artifacts come from two different historic periods and are allowing experts to understand the importance of the horse in these distinct eras.

The Missing Riders

Based on social norms from the time, the riders depicted by the clay sculptures would have been males. Even though the figures were from very different periods, they may have both depicted cavalrymen or heroes. They would have presented the riders in heroic poses, possibly indicating that they were hunting or in battle. They would have served an important social function, as they would have stressed the martial virtues and prowess of their owners, who were typically members of the upper class.

Sadly, the heads of the figurines can only tell us so much, for example it is not known who or what the original sculptures represented. They show that while kingdoms and monarchs came and went, the horse retained its importance. Furthermore, it also demonstrates that the elite had a taste for equine sculptures down the centuries despite dramatic political and social changes. It is hoped that the current inclement weather in Israel will lead to more significant finds from the past.

Clay horse head figurine from the Hellenistic period found in Acre. ( Nir Distfeld )

Πολλά σημαντικά αρχαιολογικά ευρήματα είναι αποτέλεσμα τυχαίων γεγονότων.. Στο Ισραήλ, δύο κεφαλές πήλινων αλόγων που κάποτε ήταν μέρος γλυπτών ιπποειδών έχουν βρεθεί από καθαρή τύχη.

Αποκαλύφθηκαν  λόγω ισχυρών βροχοπτώσεων και πλημμυρών που διέβρωσαν το έδαφος σύμφωνα με την Αρχή Ισραηλινών Αρχαιοτήτων. Αυτά τα αντικείμενα προέρχονται από δύο διαφορετικές ιστορικές περιόδους και επιτρέπουν στους ειδικούς να κατανοήσουν τη σημασία του αλόγου σε αυτές τις ξεχωριστές εποχές!

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/clay-horse-0011384

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