Losing Ones Head in the Ancient Near East: Interpretation and Meaning of Decapitation (Studies in the History of the Ancient Near East)

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.

Title - Losing Ones Head in the Ancient Near East: Interpretation and Meaning of Decapitation (Studies in the History of the Ancient Near East)

Edition -

Author - Rita Dolce

ISBN 13 - 9781138067486

Imprint - Routledge

Publisher - Taylor & Francis Ltd

Date Published - 19/12/2017

Prize -

No. of pages -

Binding Type - Hardback

Dimensions - 156 x 234 x mm

Weight - 317 g

Languages - English