Historic symbols on a 2,700-year-old temple which have baffled consultants for over a century have been defined by Trinity Assyriologist Dr Martin Worthington. The sequence of ‘thriller symbols’ had been on view on temples at varied areas in historical metropolis of Dūr-Šarrukīn, current day Khorsabad, Iraq, which was dominated by Sargon II, king of Assyria (721-704 BC).

The sequence of 5 symbols – a lion, eagle, bull, fig-tree and plough – had been first made recognized to the trendy world via drawings revealed by French excavators within the late nineteenth century. Since then, there was a spate of concepts about what the symbols may imply.

They’ve been in comparison with Egyptian hieroglyphs, understood as reflections of imperial may, and suspected to characterize the king’s title – however how?

Deciphering the Assyrian Symbols

Dr Martin Worthington of Trinity’s College of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Research has proposed a brand new answer in a paper revealed this month [April 26th] within the  Bulletin of the American Faculties of Oriental Analysis. He argues the Assyrian phrases for the 5 symbols (lion, eagle, bull, fig-tree and plough) include, in the suitable sequence, the sounds that spell out the Assyrian type of the title ‘Sargon’ (šargīnu)

Generally, the identical archaeological website makes use of solely  three of the symbols (lion, tree, plough), which Dr Worthington argues once more write the title ‘Sargon’, following related ideas.

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Late nineteenth century drawings of the tree and plough symbols revealed by French excavator Victor Place. (New York Public Library)

Dr Worthington commented:

“The examine of historical languages and cultures is filled with puzzles of all styles and sizes, nevertheless it’s not typically within the Historic Close to East that one faces thriller symbols on a temple wall.”

What’s extra, based on Dr Worthington, every of the 5 symbols can be understood as a constellation. Thus, the lion represents Leo, and the eagle Aquila (our personal constellations are largely inherited from Mesopotamia, through the Greeks, so lots of them are the identical). The fig-tree stands in for the hard-to-illustrate constellation ‘the Jaw’ (which we don’t have right now), on the idea that  iṣu ‘tree’ sounds much like  isu ‘jaw’.

“The impact of the 5 symbols, was to position Sargon’s title within the heavens, for all eternity – a intelligent option to make the king’s title immortal.  And, after all, the concept of bombastic people writing their title on buildings shouldn’t be distinctive to historical Assyria…”

Historic Messaging of Mesopotamia

Historic Mesopotamia, or trendy Iraq and neighboring areas, was residence to Babylonians, Assyrians, Sumerians, and others, and is right now being researched from cuneiform writings, which survive in abundance.  Certainly, writing was most likely invented there round 3400 BC.  So, although Sargon’s students wouldn’t have been conscious of this, in devising new written symbols they had been echoing Mesopotamian historical past from over a thousand years earlier than.

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Late nineteenth century drawings of the lion image revealed by French excavator Victor Place. (New York Public Library)

Dr Worthington defined: “I can’t  show my idea, however the reality it really works for each the five-symbol sequence and the three-symbol sequence, and that the symbols can be understood as culturally acceptable constellations, strikes me as extremely suggestive.  The odd in opposition to all of it being happenstance are – forgive the pun – astronomical”.

Dr Worthington specializes within the languages and civilizations of historical Mesopotamia, together with these of the Babylonians, Assyrians and Sumerians.

“This area of the world, which incorporates present-day Iraq and elements of Iran, Turkey and Syria, is also known as the “cradle of civilization”. It’s the place cities and empires had been born, and its story is a big a part of human historical past.  It’s due to the Mesopotamian behavior of counting in sixties that right now we have now 60 minutes in an hour, and Abraham (a central determine in three of the world’s main religions) is alleged to have come from the Mesopotamian metropolis of Ur.  “Fixing puzzles (or making an attempt to) is an particularly enjoyable bit”, says Dr Worthington, “however Mesopotamian research at giant have the grander goal of understanding the complexity and variety of an enormous a part of human societies and cultural achievements”.

Learn the complete article ‘Fixing the Starry Symbols of Sargon II’ here.

This text is a press launch initially titled, ‘It’s written in the stars – Trinity Assyriologist solves archaeological mystery from 700 BC’ by Trinity Faculty Dublin, and has been reprinted in full.

 Prime picture: Late nineteenth century drawings of the eagle and bull symbols revealed by French excavator Victor Place. Supply: New York Public Library