Lare iron age astarte plaques and persian rider figurines of mezraa-teleilat: An archaeological and cultural analysis

This study, deals with the Late Iron Age Astarte Plaques and Persian Rider Figurines recovered at Mezraa-Teleilat, which lies approximately 5 km south of Birecik in Şanlıurfa Province. Astarte Plaques, which are distinctive for the late Iron Age Culture, could be found in lots of archaeological sites located in Northern Syria and its vicinity. 38 Astarte plaques recovered at Mezraa-Teleilat are the largest group revealed in Anatolia. Archaeological analysis of these could be fruitful for the on going discussions about them among the scholars. The other typical find, like Astarte plaques, recovered from the Late Iron Age Sites are the Persian rider figurines. 61 of them have been found during the Mezraa-Teleilat excavations. Analysis of these figurines that are found similar contexts with Astarte plaques will be very useful for the understanding of the Late Iron Age culture of Southeastern Anatolia. Key Words 1. Iron Age 2. Mounds 3. Figurines 4. Persians 5. Terracotta Objects