Losing One's Head in the Ancient Near East

Interpretation and Meaning of Decapitation

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, History, Ancient History
Cover of the book Losing One's Head in the Ancient Near East by Rita Dolce, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Rita Dolce ISBN: 9781351657099
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: December 15, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Rita Dolce
ISBN: 9781351657099
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: December 15, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In the Ancient Near East, cutting off someone’s head was a unique act, not comparable to other types of mutilation, and therefore charged with a special symbolic and communicative significance. This book examines representations of decapitation in both images and texts, particularly in the context of war, from a trans-chronological perspective that aims to shed light on some of the conditions, relationships and meanings of this specific act. The severed head is a “coveted object” for the many individuals who interact with it and determine its fate, and the act itself appears to take on the hallmarks of a ritual. Drawing mainly on the evidence from Anatolia, Syria and Mesopotamia between the third and first millennia BC, and with reference to examples from prehistory to the Neo-Assyrian Period, this fascinating study will be of interest not only to art historians, but to anyone interested in the dynamics of war in the ancient world.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the Ancient Near East, cutting off someone’s head was a unique act, not comparable to other types of mutilation, and therefore charged with a special symbolic and communicative significance. This book examines representations of decapitation in both images and texts, particularly in the context of war, from a trans-chronological perspective that aims to shed light on some of the conditions, relationships and meanings of this specific act. The severed head is a “coveted object” for the many individuals who interact with it and determine its fate, and the act itself appears to take on the hallmarks of a ritual. Drawing mainly on the evidence from Anatolia, Syria and Mesopotamia between the third and first millennia BC, and with reference to examples from prehistory to the Neo-Assyrian Period, this fascinating study will be of interest not only to art historians, but to anyone interested in the dynamics of war in the ancient world.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Supervising the Reflective Practitioner by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Religion and Mobility in a Globalising Asia by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Ethnomusicology by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Performativity, Politics, and the Production of Social Space by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book The Renaissance Computer by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Maritime Mobilities by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Girlhood, Schools, and Media by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Gawain by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Architecture and the Forest Aesthetic by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Semiotics: The Basics by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Global Perspectives on E-Commerce Taxation Law by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book Diversity, Conflict, and Leadership by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book From the Radical Center by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book The End of Terrorism? by Rita Dolce
Cover of the book American Flaneur by Rita Dolce
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy