This clay figurine from Tell as-Suwayḥāt in Syria shows an uncastrated stallion, undoubtedly a horse, with a falling mane and a perforation, perhaps for a bit.
It is the oldest known, though very ambiguous depiction of a bridle bit as indicated by the perforation. If this find is accepted as a bitted horse, it is the earliest representation of a bit in the world.
Era: Early Bronze Age (2300-2100 BC).
Height: 8 cm.
Photo: Nichola Randall.
Collection of the National Museum of Damascus.
René Kyselý and Lubomir Peske, New discoveries change existing views on the domestication of the horse and specify its role in human prehistory and history – a review. December 2022 Archeologické rozhledy.
Highlights of the National Museum of Damascus. DGAM (Direction Générale des Antiquités et des Musées de Syrie). Ministère de la Culture, 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment