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Paraphernalia of Funerary Display at Kaneš

A Closer Look at Gold Eye- and Mouth-Pieces
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Published/Copyright: August 20, 2020
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Abstract

The Hittite royal funerary ritual šalliš waštaiš prescribes gold pieces to be placed on the eyes and mouth of the deceased. This is consistent with the manner in which thin sheets of hammered gold are reported to have been found on the faces of occupants of in-house graves in the Lower Town of Kültepe, ancient Kaneš. Mouth-pieces of unmistakable similarity have also turned up in great numbers in Late Bronze Age graves on Cyprus, most notably at Enkomi. Beyond comparison with the šalliš waštaiš text, gold eye- and mouth-pieces from Kaneš have received little attention. This contribution offers the first comprehensive study of these objects specifically as a class of funerary paraphernalia. It provides a catalogue and typology of gold sheets, and explores their archaeological context before turning to their social and symbolic significance against the backdrop of the cosmopolitan Kanešean households. The discussion considers hybridity in terms of a compatibility between funerary practices across different cultural settings, also noting chronological implications.

Acknowledgements

A sizeable portion of the research for this paper was carried out between 2013-2015 when I held an Anniversary Research Fellowship at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge. I would like to thank several colleagues in particular for their help during various draft stages of the final product: Dr. Christina Tsouparopoulou, who aided my search for Aegean comparanda; Dr. İlgi Gerçek, who saved me from Hittitological blunders; Dr. Bike Yazıcıoğlu-Santamaria, who generously made time for read and comment on the entire text, and whose dissertation on Kanešean communities continues to be an invaluable resource; and Neil Erskine, who produced the line drawings to make everything a little more intelligible. I am also extremely grateful to Professor Cécile Michel, whose observations and suggestions I hope to have utilised well. Last but not least, I wish to thank Dr. Claudia Suter for the editorial care she has taken at every stage.

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Published Online: 2020-08-20
Published in Print: 2020-08-05

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