Iron Age Ivory Elephant Tusk Found in Turkey Features Depiction of Sphinx

Archaeologists from Turkey were able to uncover an elephant tusk from 2,800 years ago. They found it in a specific archaeological area that could have once served as the center of power in the Iron Age.

Iron Age Elephant Tusk

The elephant tusk artifact was found to depict a mythical sphinx, which has a winged lion's body and a human head. Aside from this, it also included an image of an actual lion and two tall plants that may have symbolized the tree of life.

The artifact spans roughly 30 centimeters in length and 10 centimeters in width. The unique tusk could have been part of a piece of furniture.

Though the item dates back to the Iron Age, the ivory tusk was found in a much older city's archaeological layer. It was specifically discovered in Hattusa, the Hittite capital during the Bronze Age.

Andreas Schachner, an archaeologist from the German Archaeological Institute who has been leading Hattusa excavations since the year 2006, explains that the artifact reveals that the specific settlement from the Iron Age at the area was a significant place despite being established after the abandonment of the city in B.C. 1200. This was when the Late Bronze Age collapse took place.

Scachner explains that the place may not have been a small town in the area. It could have served deeper importance and may have even been a center of power.

He further notes that the tusk could have been added to serve as a wooden box or furniture's ornament. The work appears to be broken on both the right and left sides, while the upper and lower segments display its original look. This suggests that the 2,800-year-old artifact could have actually been longer than it currently is.

When archaeologists and specialists are finished with conducting scientific studies on the ivory artifact, it will be displayed in the Boğazköy Museum.

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Important Settlement During the Iron Age

According to Scachner, the ivory finding was quite unique among the other discoveries found in the settlement from the Iron Age that was constructed over the previous Hattusa site. This area is now beside the Boğazköy village of Turkey.

He explains that it is the first time for them to be faced with an artifact that has a beautifully rendered and dense scene over it. While they have been conducting in-depth excavations at the Iron Age levels in the village, they were never able to discover any artifact with similar detail.

The carved symbols could shed light on the links between the Iron Age settlement and other cultures. It also offers vital clues regarding this specific time period.

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