Certain symbols look on temple walls at various locations in the ancient city of Dūr - Šarrukīn , where Khorsabad , Iraq , is today . At the time of their existence , the metropolis was ruled bySargon II , who harness over the Assyrian kingdom from 721 to 705 BCE . The king was already middle - aged by the metre he took the potty ( by force ) from his brother , Shalmaneser V.
He was remembered as a groovy king who founded the Sargonid Dynasty , which ruled the Neo - Assyrian Empire for another century before it pass . He was particularly fond of build monument as well as being a supporter of the arts .
The region , which encompasses mod Iraq , role of Iran , Turkey , and Syria is often regarded as the “ provenance of civilisation ” today . It is the place where Empire were first born , along with cities and even writtenlanguage . It was an incredibly authoritative domain for much of human story , and so interpreting the symbols may aid us understand more about the ancient humans that lived there .
Drawings of the eagle and bull symbols recorded by French excavators at the end of the 19th century.Image credit:The New York Public Library.
The symbols tend to appear in the same sequence consisting of a social lion , eagle , bull , fig tree and a plough . They were first recorded and transmitted to public audience by French shovel who visit the location at the final stage of the 19thcentury .
Since their rediscovery , many researchers have attempted to interpret their meaning . Some think they are like Egyptian hieroglyphic , some variety of formula of majestic power , or may even spell out the king ’s name .
But now an Assyriologist from Trinity College Dublin has proposed a Modern explanation : the symbols may spell out Sargon ’s name ( šargīnu ) , while also representing specific configuration .
A drawing of the fig tree and the plough as recorded by French excavators at the end of the 19th century.Image credit:The New York Public Library.
“ The study of ancient language and cultures is full of mystifier of all shapes and size , but it ’s not often in the Ancient Near East that one present mystery symbols on a tabernacle paries , ” Dr Martin Worthington explained in astatement .
According to Worthington , the symbols can also be see as a configuration . For instance , the Leo represents “ Leo ” , and the bird of Jove “ Aquilla ” . Many of our survive constellations were inherited from the Greeks who themselves inherited those from Mesopotamia , so we would recognize them today . However , we have dropped others , include the “ jaw ” , which Worthington believes was represented by the symbol of the figure tree . This , he argues , fare from the belief that the word for “ tree ” – iṣu – vocalize interchangeable to that for jaw – isu .
“ The effect of the five symbols , was to send Sargon ’s name in the heavens , for all timelessness – a clever way to make the Billie Jean King ’s name immortal ” , Worthington append . “ And , of form , the estimate of bombastic individuals write their name on construction is not unequaled to ancient Assyria … ” .
Yet Worthington is cognisant that his idea is not rig in Lucy Stone , as it were . “ I can’tprovemy possibility , but the fact it works for both the five - symbol sequence and the three - symbol successiveness , and that the symbols can also be understood as culturally appropriate configuration , strikes me as highly suggestive . The odd[s ] against it all being happenstance are – forgive the pun – astronomical ” .
The study is published in theBulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research .
