The Eye Idols of Mesopotamia
Despite dating back more than 5 thousand years, the Eye Idols of Mesopotamia have an extraordinarily modern design: simple and abstract. The enigmatic figurines, which represent anthropomorphic figures with a trapezoidal body and large eyes, are still a source of interesting questions not yet clarified, starting from who produced them and who or what they represent.
Tell Brak is a large archaeological site 4 km from the right bank of the Giaghgiagha, a tributary of the Khābūr, on the caravan route that connected Syria with Anatolia and Mesopotamia.
The region, an important center of trade, at the end of the 3rd millennium was dominated by the dynasty of Akkad which was succeeded by the 3rd dynasty of Ur and later by the Assyrian ones.
The oldest period is the prehistoric one, represented by a small settlement dating back to 6 thousand BC, where materials from the late Neolithic culture called Halaf were found.
The occupation of the site lasted until the 4th millennium BC, an era considered proto-historic by scholars and to which one of the most important finds on the site can be traced back: a temple dedicated to an unknown deity.
The temple, built between 3200 and 3500 BC, was without foundations, resting directly on a platform that incorporated three previous buildings leveled and filled with bricks. Access to the temple was via a staircase which perhaps surrounded the eastern side of the platform.
The destruction of the complex occurred at the beginning of the Sumerian era, due to some raids. During the excavations, carried out in 1937-38 by the British archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan, hundreds of small idols characterized by one or more pairs of carved eyes were found, due to which the temple was called the "Temple of the Eye".
The idols vary in size, from 3 to 6 centimeters in height, and are made of white or black alabaster. They represent a unicum, in fact no parallel depictions are known, both in Syria and in Mesopotamia. Discovering the origin and meaning of the idols could help answer important questions about the history of the region.
The large number of eye idols found and their size suggests that they were left in the temple as votive offerings to thank the gods for some favor received. The figurines, in fact, could represent the people benefiting from the grace.
The decoration of the idols varies and they may be customizations. The idols have been grouped into five types: some have only one pair of eyes, with or without decoration; some have three, four or six eyes; others have small child figures carved into their foreheads and in others the eyes have been pierced sideways.
Furthermore, the figure of the eye is very frequent in the internal decoration of the temple, suggesting that it was considered a powerful magical and religious symbol. At the moment, however, the symbolism and the reason why the statues were carved remains topics of debate.
The saddest news in this fascinating enigma of the past is the political situation in Syria. The eye idols of Tell Brak are included in the "Emergency Red List", in which all Syrian cultural assets at risk are cataloged.
Several archaeological sites in Syria have been damaged due to bombing. Many of the ancient artifacts are then looted and destroyed. This is a situation similar to that which occurred in Iraq a few years ago, where a large part of the archaeological heritage of ancient Mesopotamia was lost during the revolts.
This is what the international museum community warned:
"Museums, auction houses, art markets and collectors are encouraged not to purchase objects from Syria without carefully and thoroughly examining their origin and all legal documentation. Given the wide variety of objects, styles and periods, the Emergency Red List is far from exhaustive. Every cultural object originating from Syria should be subjected to detailed examination and precautionary measures."
Unfortunately, the destruction of ancient artifacts is a very sad part of human history. The loss and damage of artefacts from the past seriously compromise the possibility of reconstructing the truth about our ancestors and the type of life they led on this planet in prehistoric times. A people without history is like a tree without roots. He's destined to die!
