Silver Ishtar pendant found in Hellenistic city

A silver pendant decorated with an image and attributes of Assyrian goddess Ishtar has been discovered ancient city of Amos near Turunç, southwestern Turkey. Decorated with repoussé figures and hammered dots, the round medallion has a hanging loop at the top indicating it was worn on a necklace. It is missing a part of the lower left quadrant, but the lion’s fierce roaring face, body, hind legs and tail are all preserved. A female figure  wearing a tall headdress stands on the lion’s back. The star is behind her headdress.

Lions were Ishtar’s sacred animal. They were symbols of royalty, ferocity, and strength. Reliefs of lions adorns the Ishtar Gate built by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, and they feature prominently in depictions of Ishtar. She is often shown standing on or riding a lion, emphasizing her dominion over nature and monarchs.

Amos was settled by colonists from Rhodes, likely from the city of Lindos, in the 5th century B.C. The worship of Ishtar far predates it, and the site being excavated is of Hellenistic date (ca. 2,200 years old), so the pendant is evidence that the Mesopotamian deity had a wide cultural reach.

Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Gurbuzer, head of the excavation and a faculty member at Mugla Sitki Kocman University’s Department of Archaeology, explained in remarks conveyed to the media that the necklace points to Amos having had notable cultural, economic, and commercial strength.

He noted that during the seventh century B.C., advanced cultural elements from the Near East began to spread into the Mediterranean through trade and military contacts. Within this context, Amos appears to have stood out as a port city that was well plugged into the political and economic currents of its time.

* This article was originally published here