It is
heartwarming, to say the least, to hear that this tomb of Ashkawt-i Qizqapan has been investigated and, what’s more, that its
façade has been restored and even copied to find a place of honor at the
entrance of the Sulaymaniyah Museum. So far, only two examples of
rock-cut tombs have been listed in Iraq and this is one of them and
its history is shrouded in mystery.
The entrance to
the tomb lies approximately eight meters above ground level and the most
striking element to the visitor are the two ionic inspired columns that are
supporting an awning-like imitation wooden roof. The entrance wall has been
filled with a number of reliefs. High up are three divine emblems. The right
one shows an otherwise unknown star-bust that suggests the goddess
Ishtar-Anahita or Artemis. The central emblem is round as well and appears to
rest on a lunar crescent supporting a seated figure which may represent the
moon god, Sin. The emblem on the far left brings Ahura Mazda to mind set on a
square background. Yet this figure has two pairs of wings, each set being
different in shape and size which may refer to Mithras, the upper god of the
Medes.
The analysis of
the central relief located between the columns raises other questions. We see
two men facing each other over a stepped altar holding a double-convex
Parthian-like bow. They wear a similar kind of headdress in Median style and
have their mouth covered in order to protect the sacred fire burning on the
altar.
According to the
contribution made by Dr
Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin on location and published in Ancient
History Encyclopedia in January 2018, the following tentative conclusions
were drawn: the depicted scene shows King
Alyattes of Lydia who reigned from 610 till 560 BC on the right and the
Median King Cyaxares who reigned from
625 till 585 BC on the left as they manifest the end of their war. Mediator in
this conflict was King Nabonidus of
Neo-Babylonia as represented by the crescent moon. The divine emblem on the
upper right corner is the Lydian goddess Artemis who accompanied Alyattes whereas Ahuramazda blesses Cyaxares.
Under the
central relief is a doorway that leads into three separate burial chambers. All three graves have been dug out from the floor and were apparently
covered with a now missing lid. However, no bones or artifacts have been found
inside the graves and the walls of these chambers are void of any inscription
or decoration.
Well, no solid
conclusion can be drawn from the above analysis that leans towards labeling
these tombs as Median and dating them to 600-550 BC. Other scholars are more
inclined to conclude that the style of the reliefs is Achaemenid and generally
date the tombs to the second half of the 6th or the 5th century
BC. Nothing is certain as yet since no other excavations have been carried out
in the region and this rock-cut tomb simply cannot stand on its own.
[Pictures are from Ancient History Encyclopedia in January 2018]
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