Hüseyindede vases

During site inspections by the Turkish archaeologists Tunç Sipahi und Tayfun Yıldırım in 1996, sherds of Early Hittite pottery were found on the surface on the south side of Hüseyindede Tepe among other things.

Fragments have also been found at Alişar, Alaca Höyük, Eskiyapar, Kabaklı, Elbistan-Karahöyük und Kaman-Kalehöyük.

They have generally been dated to the early period of the Hittite Empire, in the first quarter of the second millennium BC.

The motifs depicted on these vases consist of ritual activities, offering scenes, and festivals with acrobats, dancers and musicians.

After they were turned, figures made of high-quality clay were attached to the surface of the vases, in friezes.

The upper lip is a tube of clay broken up by a small basin and four bulls' head protomes facing inwards.

The bottom frieze shows four bulls facing in alternate directions, with their heads lowered towards the ground.

Their dynamic posture is unique in Hittite iconography of this time and contrasts with other depictions in which they are led away to be sacrificed.

They support the scene above on their shoulders, a feature seen also in seal impressions, a bronze plate from Alaca Höyük, and an ivory plaque from Megiddo.

In the fourth scene of this layer, the god is shown at right, seated on a high-backed chair, with a worshiper and a musician playing the lyre in front of him.

A similar scene is seen on the İnandık vase, but in that case the object of worship is the weather god in the form of a bull, as also on the orthostate reliefs from Alaca Höyük.

[5] The third frieze, which is the widest and most elaborate, shows another procession, which in this case leads to a temple and an altar.

Textual evidence records that statues in temples were decorated on ceremonial occasions and led in processions.

[5] The fourth and uppermost frieze of the vase is missing a large piece, but depicts another procession.

The other figures on this level are musicians: two men who play lutes, a woman with cymbals and a female dancer.

Sipahi considers them to be dancers, leading a circle dance, similar to the Yalli practiced in modernday East Turkey.

The next figure is a male musician with a long-necked lute, similar to the modern Saz, which commonly appears on Early Hittite relief vases.

By comparison with similar vases from İnandık and Boğazköy it is assumed that he was shown springing up from a crouching position.