Papers by Giampiero Tursi
This short article, published in the Bulletin of the "Museo del Hombre" in Santo Domingo, present... more This short article, published in the Bulletin of the "Museo del Hombre" in Santo Domingo, presents the initial archaeological data from the excavation of 'El Pozito' (Las Galeras-Samanà). The site is noteworthy for its scientific significance within the context of Caribbean archaeology, as it consists in a proto-Ceramic and proto-Taino archaic settlement.
The Udjat or "Eye of Horus" is universally known as one of the most powerful and popular Egyptian... more The Udjat or "Eye of Horus" is universally known as one of the most powerful and popular Egyptian amulets. Its protective and regenerative properties made it an amulet that was widely used in funerary settings, but also worn by the living in daily life. The use of such amulets spread from Egypt to the whole of the Levant and, in later times, it also reached the Western Mediterranean and ancient Persia. Despite this widespread use, Udjat eye attestations in the Arabian Peninsula are extremely scarce, and have been limited so far to Saudi Arabia only. This paper discusses the first Udjat amulet discovered in the Sultanate of Oman, which was excavated in a Late Pre-Islamic tomb at Dibbā al-Bayah, whose funerary paraphernalia are as a whole outstanding in their variety and manufacture, testifying to the international nature of trades linked to the port of Dibbā.
VICINO ORIENTE XXVII, 2023
The lotus flower is a ubiquitous motif in Egyptian art, related to concepts of rebirth and afterl... more The lotus flower is a ubiquitous motif in Egyptian art, related to concepts of rebirth and afterlife, and frequently depicted in funerary and libation ceremonies. Although its origins are to be found in the Nilotic swamps, it was in the Southern Levant during the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1550-1140 BCE) that the lotus underwent a process of re-interpretation, becoming a vehicle for the Canaanite perception of royal attributes. Its symbolism thereby became intertwined with the iconographic motif of the branch, understood synecdochally as the Mesopotamian Tree of Life. This discussion aims to present the archaeological evidence of the lotus motif as attested through different kinds of media, highlighting its iconographic development and, accordingly, the Canaanite role in creating new and hybrid visual types through the reworking of foreign motifs, in accordance with the local ideology.
The present contribution aims to provide an overview of the large collection of soft stone vessel... more The present contribution aims to provide an overview of the large collection of soft stone vessels and lids coming from the collective tomb Long Collective Grave 1 in the Dibbā al-Bayah funerary complex, along with a brief description and evaluation of the tomb itself. The corpus of material here discussed has been recovered during the 2012 season, and it mainly encompasses the chronological span between the second and first millennium BC. The findings are classified and organised in tables according to their chronological phase, and successively on the basis of their morphology and decorative patterns to which a major focus is addressed. Given the outstanding manufacturing of the materials, the finely incised and even plastic decorations, and their state of preservation, an assessment of such remarkable corpus, although partial, contributes significantly to the study of the diffusion and production of stone vessels in SouthEast Arabia.
Building 1500 at Beth-Shean represents the best example of an Egyptian ‘Residence’ in the Souther... more Building 1500 at Beth-Shean represents the best example of an Egyptian ‘Residence’ in the Southern Levant. This was identified as the headquarters of the governor in service at Beth-Shean, although its
practical and symbolic functions are still partially unclear. The most indicative feature of the building, ascribable to direct Egyptian activity, is the presence of inscribed doorjambs and lintels, some of which were originally painted with a blue color. Despite the fragmentary nature of the remains, an attempt can be made to trace a link between the inscriptions, the symbolic value of the color applied, the iconography, the entrance, and the inner circulation. The aim of this essay is to provide a new interpretation of the evidence from Building 1500, together with the adjacent Building 1700, by analyzing them both from a typological and symbolic point of view, in a given chronological and cultural context. Accordingly, related concepts expressed in contemporary textual evidence will be scrutinized. It will be shown that the ultimate function of the residence, considering the employment of the blue pigment and its
aesthetic value, provides us with useful insights for elucidating the last efforts of Ramesses III’s foreign policy, before the final collapse of Egyptian control in the Levant.
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Papers by Giampiero Tursi
practical and symbolic functions are still partially unclear. The most indicative feature of the building, ascribable to direct Egyptian activity, is the presence of inscribed doorjambs and lintels, some of which were originally painted with a blue color. Despite the fragmentary nature of the remains, an attempt can be made to trace a link between the inscriptions, the symbolic value of the color applied, the iconography, the entrance, and the inner circulation. The aim of this essay is to provide a new interpretation of the evidence from Building 1500, together with the adjacent Building 1700, by analyzing them both from a typological and symbolic point of view, in a given chronological and cultural context. Accordingly, related concepts expressed in contemporary textual evidence will be scrutinized. It will be shown that the ultimate function of the residence, considering the employment of the blue pigment and its
aesthetic value, provides us with useful insights for elucidating the last efforts of Ramesses III’s foreign policy, before the final collapse of Egyptian control in the Levant.
practical and symbolic functions are still partially unclear. The most indicative feature of the building, ascribable to direct Egyptian activity, is the presence of inscribed doorjambs and lintels, some of which were originally painted with a blue color. Despite the fragmentary nature of the remains, an attempt can be made to trace a link between the inscriptions, the symbolic value of the color applied, the iconography, the entrance, and the inner circulation. The aim of this essay is to provide a new interpretation of the evidence from Building 1500, together with the adjacent Building 1700, by analyzing them both from a typological and symbolic point of view, in a given chronological and cultural context. Accordingly, related concepts expressed in contemporary textual evidence will be scrutinized. It will be shown that the ultimate function of the residence, considering the employment of the blue pigment and its
aesthetic value, provides us with useful insights for elucidating the last efforts of Ramesses III’s foreign policy, before the final collapse of Egyptian control in the Levant.