The Van Tušpa excavations 2015-2016

The Tušpa/Van Fortress, the capital of Urartu, is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. In 2015 and 2016, our excavations focused mainly on three different areas: The Mound, the old City of Van, and Sardur’s Burg. The Mound in its north, extending in the same direction as the old city of Van to the south, covers an area roughly of 46 hectares and has a settlement history sprawling from the Early Bronze Age up to the beginning of 20th century (Fig. 1). The Mound excavations were conducted ..

Excavations at the Old City, Fortress, and Mound of Van: Work in 2017

Fig. 1: The citadel of Tushpa The citadel of Tushpa, the mound of Van Fortress with its lower settlement, and the walled Old City of Van to the south of the citadel have been the sites of various cultures from the Early Bronze Age to the early 20th century (Fig. 1). In the 2017 excavation season, excavations and documentation work continued at the Tushpa citadel, on the Van Fortress mound, and at the Old City of Van, and research proceeded with the goal of understanding and solving the probl..

Atherosclerosis in geriatric patients known to be healthy

Background: The aim of the present study is to determine the presence of atherosclerosis in geriatric patients who are known to be healthy and examine sociodemographic and laboratory parameters affecting the presence of atherosclerosis.Method: 90 healthy volunteers including 66(73.3%) non-geriatric ones and 24(26.7%) geriatric ones were included in the study. It was analyzed whether there was a correlation between the two groups in terms of the parameters of gender, age average, alcohol consumption, smoking, carotid intima-media thickness (CA-IMT), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Sociodemographic and laboratory parameters of the volunteers with and without atherosclerosis in the geriatric group were examined. Results: Among geriatric volunteers (Group 1), 13(54.2%) were male; whereas, among non-geriatric volunteers (Group 2), 41(62.1%) were male. CA-IMT was determined to be higher in Group 1 (averagely 0.80±0.12 mm) than Group 2 (averagely 0.62±0.14 mm) (p:<0.001). PWV was significantly higher in Group 1 (averagely 10.32±1.44 m/s) than Group 2 (6.26±1.09 m/s) (p:<0.001). After PWV or CA-IMT examination, atherosclerosis findings were determined in 12 healthy geriatric volunteers (50%) in Group 1.Conclusion: It should be remembered that even though atherosclerosis can be frequently observed in geriatric individuals who are known to be healthy, it may also go unnoticed. Determination of atherosclerosis with noninvasive methods will be helpful in preventing complications that might be caused by atherosclerosis.

Diagnosis of comorbid migraine without aura in patients with idiopathic/genetic epilepsy based on the gray zone approach to the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 criteria

BackgroundMigraine without aura (MwoA) is a very frequent and remarkable comorbidity in patients with idiopathic/genetic epilepsy (I/GE). Frequently in clinical practice, diagnosis of MwoA may be challenging despite the guidance of current diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 (ICHD-3). In this study, we aimed to disclose the diagnostic gaps in the diagnosis of comorbid MwoA, using a zone concept, in patients with I/GEs with headaches who were diagnosed by an experienced headache expert.MethodsIn this multicenter study including 809 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of I/GE with or without headache, 163 patients who were diagnosed by an experienced headache expert as having a comorbid MwoA were reevaluated. Eligible patients were divided into three subgroups, namely, full diagnosis, zone I, and zone II according to their status of fulfilling the ICHD-3 criteria. A Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was performed to bring out the meaningful predictors when evaluating patients with I/GEs for MwoA comorbidity, using the variables that were significant in the univariate analysis.ResultsLonger headache duration (&lt;4 h) followed by throbbing pain, higher visual analog scale (VAS) scores, increase of pain by physical activity, nausea/vomiting, and photophobia and/or phonophobia are the main distinguishing clinical characteristics of comorbid MwoA in patients with I/GE, for being classified in the full diagnosis group. Despite being not a part of the main ICHD-3 criteria, the presence of associated symptoms mainly osmophobia and also vertigo/dizziness had the distinguishing capability of being classified into zone subgroups. The most common epilepsy syndromes fulfilling full diagnosis criteria (n = 62) in the CART analysis were 48.39% Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy followed by 25.81% epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone.ConclusionLonger headache duration, throbbing pain, increase of pain by physical activity, photophobia and/or phonophobia, presence of vertigo/dizziness, osmophobia, and higher VAS scores are the main supportive associated factors when applying the ICHD-3 criteria for the comorbid MwoA diagnosis in patients with I/GEs. Evaluating these characteristics could be helpful to close the diagnostic gaps in everyday clinical practice and fasten the diagnostic process of comorbid MwoA in patients with I/GEs

Memory of destroyed Khorsabad, Victor Place, and the story of a shipwreck

Victor Place was appointed as a consul to Mosul in 1851, where having arrived in 1852 he started excavations at Khorsabad. Financial problems forced him to stop this activity towards the end of 1853. As the Interior Ministry appointed him to another post in 1854, he wanted to transport the Khorsabad finds before he left Mosul. However, the roads were extremely unsafe because of the Muntafiq Arab tribes' revolt. The local authorities repeatedly warned Place about this problem, stressing that he should wait until after the revolt was over before leaving. But despite these warnings, Place transported the Khorsabad finds from Mosul to Baghdad by keleks (rafts). The plan was then to transport them to Basra from Baghdad. Place set off on the river with a fleet made up of four keleks and a ship. Smuggled goods loaded on the ship made it heavier and attracted the attention of looters. On 21 May 1855, the fleet was attacked by bandits in the region of Kurna, located between Baghdad and Basra. The ship and two keleks sank at the spot, while the remaining two keleks arrived at Basra with some of the rescued goods. Various attempts to retrieve the sunken finds then followed. This article accordingly considers new data on the Kurna accident, drawing on Ottoman archival sources, particularly reports written at the time that discussed the possible causes of the accident and the negligent actions linked to it. As the destroyed memory of Khorsabad makes clear, archaeology cannot be rushed

Why Was Waldemar Belck Shot?

From the beginning of the 19th century onwards, researchers and travellers from various fields and occupations visited the eastern and southern provinces of the Ottoman State to carry out work related to their fields. Recognition of various archaeological remains and sites dating from different periods, along with the discovery of the East, the region of Mesopotamia and a deep-rooted past resulted in an increased interest by these people in these regions. With the rivalry among some museums in Europe to improve their displays and collections focusing on these regions, the eastern and southern provinces of the Ottoman State became the target of various excavations and surveys. However, these research and investigations that went on throughout the 19th century did not always end in a positive way in terms of the safety of the researchers. Vital problems that could potentially even result in death arose during the work of various researchers at various times in these regions. To give an example, Friedrich Eduard Schulz, a researcher in the region, was killed around Hakkari during his work (Potts, 2017, pp. 249-270; Ainsworth, 1842, p. 294). Waldemar Belck (Fig. 1) also encountered such a situation while he was carrying out research on the Kingdom of Urartu in the region of Van. Belck got injured and could survive only by chance. In this article, I will discuss this incident involving Belck and its consequences

“From Khazane Kapoussi/Hazine Kapısı to Analıkız: Rethinking a Place at Tušpa Citadel”

Abstract: There are two monumental niches carved onto the bedrock in the area called Hazine Kapısı/Analıkız at Tušpa Citadel. This area was formed by setting up stelae within monumental niches and represents a significant architectural practice that is unparalleled in the Kingdom of Urartu. The niche to the west features the annals of Sarduri II. The annals relate various activities of the king, and do not make any references that would identify the area. However the area is generally identified today as an open-air sanctuary or a temple. Hazine Kapısı/Analıkız has been completely unearthed down to the bedrock by the excavations carried out by Layard, Orbeli and Lake at various times. This article attempts to redefine this area through an evaluation of the excavations and their results. It discusses in particular the reasons for its identification as an open-air sanctuary, and explains its significance for the kingdom and its relationship with the citadel through concrete evidence

The Khorsabad/Dūr-Šarrukin Excavation and Its Impact on the Asar-ı Atika Nizamname’s

Musul’a Fransa konsolosu olarak atanan Paolo Emilio Botta ile 19. yüzyılın son çeyreğinde Mezopotamya Arkeolojisi’nde önemli değişimler yaşanmaya başlar. Botta’nın Musul çevresinde yaptığı araştırmalar sırasında Khorsabad köyünden gelen bir kişi, bir tepenin üzerine inşa edilmiş kabartmalarla bezeli taşlar ve yazıtlardan bahseder. Kuyunjik’teki üç ay süren yorucu çalışmalardan sonra Botta, 20 Mart 1843’te bir grup işçisini Khorsabad’a göndererek kazıya başlatır. Ancak Botta’nın Musul’daki çalışmalarında bir süre sonra bazı problemler baş göstermeye başlar. Özellikle vilayetteki Mehmed Paşa’nın çeşitli engeller oluşturduğu görülmektedir. Bu bağlamda Botta’nın kazı izin ve belgelerini, Musul Paşası’nın engellerini ve Botta’nın Khorsabad’ta yaşadığı hikâyenin ayrıntılarını, arka planını ve konu ile ilgili yazışmalarını öğrenmek için Osmanlı Arşivi’nde araştırmalarda bulunduk. Botta’nın Khorsabad’da yaşadığı problemler, kazı iznine ve kazı evi inşasına dair şartlar, Botta’nın bahsettiği ve köy evlerinin yanında bir kale gibi çizilerek İstanbul’a gönderilen kazı evinin planı ve köylülerin Botta’nın çalışmalarına ve kazı evine karşı sunduğu dilekçeler gibi belgelerle karşılaştık. Bu makalede söz konusu belgeler üzerinden Botta’nın kazı dönemlerini, izin belgelerini ve karşılaştığı problemleri yeniden okumaya çalışarak bu dönemin nasıl ele alındığını ve nasıl değerlendirildiğini anlamaya çalıştık. Özellikle Khorsabad bağlamında Botta’ya verilen kazı iznini ve maddelerini gözden geçirerek sonraki Asar-ı Atika Nizamnameleri’ne katkısını irdeledik.When Paolo Emilio Botta was appointed to Mosul as the French consul in the last quarter of the 19th century, significant developments in Mesopotamian archeology occurred. During Botta's studies in the Mosul area, a resident of the village of Khorsabad mentioned reliefs and inscriptions on top of a hill. Botta dispatched a group of workmen to Khorsabad on March 20, 1843, after three months of arduous work in Kuyunjik. However, problems began to arise shortly after his work in Mosul. Particularly Mehmed Pasha in the province creates various obstacles. In this context, we searched the Ottoman Archives to learn more about Botta's excavation permits and documents, the obstacles created by the Pasha of Mosul, and the details, background, and correspondence of Botta's story in Khorsabad. We came across many documents, which included details as to the problems Botta experienced in Khorsabad, the conditions about the excavation permit and the construction of the excavation house, the plan of the excavation house mentioned by Botta, which was shown to be like a castle next to the village houses and sent to Istanbul, and the petitions of the villagers against Botta's research and the excavation house. In this article, we tried to understand how this period was understood and handled by re-reading Botta's excavation periods, permit documents, and the problems he encountered through the available documents. In particular, in the context of Khorsabad, we reviewed the excavation permission and articles given to Botta and examined its contribution to the Asar-ı Atika Regulations. © 2021 Istanbul Universitesi. All Rights Reserved

Urartu ve Assur arasındaki kültürel ilişkiler ve Urartu’nun dönüşümünde Assur etkisi

“Urartu ve Assur Arasındaki Kültürel İlişkiler ve Urartu’nun Dönüşümünde Assur Etkisi” başlığı altında ele alınan bu çalışmada MÖ I. bin yılda Yeni Assur İmparatorluğu ve MÖ 9. yüzyılın ikinci yarısından sonra krallık olarak ortaya çıkan Urartular belirli arkeolojik veriler üzerinden değerlendirilmektedir. Bu amaçla çalışma kapsamına alınan kentler, yıllıklar, mezarlar ve steller bölümler halinde incelenerek her iki kültürdeki gelişimi kronolojik bir çerçevede aktarılmaktadır. Temel olgulara dayanan söz konusu bölümler karşılaştırılarak Urartu Krallığı’nın gelişim süreci ve bu dönüşümdeki Assur etkisi anlaşılmaya çalışılmaktadır. I. Bölüm’de çalışmanın amacı, ana hatları ve kültürel ilişkinin coğrafya üzerinden yürütülmüş olabileceği bölgeler değerlendirilmektedir. II. Bölüm’de Urartu ve Assur kentleri ve bu kentleri oluşturan birimler seçilen yerleşimler üzerinden analiz edilmektedir. Urartu’da krallığın güçlenmesiyle beraber kentlerin ortaya çıkışı ve Urartu ölçeğinde bir kent tanımının nasıl yapılacağına odaklanılmaktadır. Özellikle örnek aldığı kültür olarak Assur’la paralellikler kurularak her iki kültürdeki kentleşme anlayışı ve gelişimi takip edilmektedir. III. Bölüm’de Urartu krallarının faaliyetlerini yıllıklar halinde anlatma biçiminin hangi dönemden itibaren başladığı ve yıllık yazma geleneğinin Assur yıllıklarından nasıl uyarlandığı anlatılmaktadır. IV. Bölüm’de Urartu ve Assur başkentlerinde ve sitadel içinde yer alan krali mezarlar değerlendirilmektedir. V. Bölüm’de ise Urartu ve Assur’da stel dikme geleneği ve dönemleri incelenmektedir. Assur İmparatorluğu’nda Orta Assur döneminden itibaren kullanılan stellerin Urartular tarafından, biçim, içerik ve işlevsel açıdan nasıl örnek alındığı ve kullanıldığı tartışılmaktadır. Bu tartışmalar sonucunda Assur İmparatorluğu’nun Urartu Krallığı’nı kültürel anlamda hangi noktalarda etkilediği veya Urartuların Assur’u örnek aldığı alanlar tespit edilmeye çalışılmaktadır. ABSTRACT This study, entitled "Cultural Relations between Urartu and Assyria and Assyrian Influence on the Transformation of Urartu," evaluates the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the first millennium BC and Urartians that emerged as a kingdom after the second half of the ninth century BC on the basis of archaeological data. With this purpose, cities, annals, graves and stelae within the scope of this study are investigated in separate chapters and the developments in both cultures are presented in a chronological framework. Based on basic phenomena, these chapters are compared to understand the development process of the Kingdom of Urartu and the Assyrian influence on this transformation. In Chapter I, the purpose of the study, its outline, and the regions over which cultural relations may have operated are discussed. In Chapter II, Urartian and Assyrian cities and their units are analyzed on the basis of selected settlements. The focus is on the emergence of cities with the strengthening of the kingdom in Urartu and how to define a city in the Urartian scale. In particular, parallels with Assyria as the model are drawn, and urbanization and its development is followed. In Chapter III, the period in which Urartian kings started recording their activities in the form of annals, and how tradition of annal writing was adopted from Assyrian annals are presented. In Chapter IV, royal tombs in Urartian and Assyrian capitals and within the citadels are discussed. In Chapter V, the tradition of setting up stelae in Urartu and Assyria and its periodization is investigated. How stelae, used in the Assyrian Empire since the Middle Assyrian period, was taken by the Urartians as a model in terms of shape, contents and function and used is discussed. As a result of these discussions, the points on which the Assyrian Empire culturally influenced the Kingdom of Urartu or the areas in which Urartians took Assyria as a model are identified based on archaeological data

Waldemar Belck ve Carl Friedrich Lehmann’ın Araştırmaları

Towards the end of the 19th century, Waldemar Belck and Carl Friedrich Lehmann-Haupt were granted a permit by the Ottoman state and conducted surface surveys in the areas that roughly correspond to the territory of the Urartu Kingdom centered around the Lake Van basin. In this article, the surveys of Belck and Lehmann-Haupt and their results are evaluated through their own publications and the way these surveys were reflected in the Ottoman archival documents are discussed. In particular, reports sent to the center about their work and purpose, including the problems caused by their attempts to excavate although excavations were not within the scope of the permits they obtained, the excavations they reported to have conducted at Toprakkale and their results, and illicit excavations carried out at Nimrud are discussed in detail. Whether or not Belck and Lehmann-Haupt carried out excavations at Toprakkale along with surveys they conducted at various areas is discussed by comparing their publications and archival data.19. yüzyılın sonlarına doğru başta Van Gölü havzası olmak üzere kabaca Urartu Krallığı’nın yayıldığı coğrafyada Waldemar Belck ve Carl Friedrich Lehmann-Haupt Osmanlı Devleti’nden aldıkları izin çerçevesinde yüzey araştırmaları yaparlar. Bu makalede Belck ve Lehmann-Haupt’un gerçekleştirdiği araştırmalar ve bu araştırmaların sonuçları her iki araştırmacının kendi yayınları üzerinden değerlendirilmekte ve bu araştırmaların Osmanlı arşiv belgelerine nasıl yansıdığı üzerinde durulmaktadır3 . Özellikle kendilerine verilen izin kapsamında olmadığı halde kazı teşebbüsünün yarattığı sıkıntılar, Toprakkale’de yaptıklarını belirttikleri kazılar ve sonuçları, Nimrud’da yapılan kaçak bir kazı gibi araştırmacıların çalışmaları ve amaçlarıyla ilgili merkeze gönderilen raporlar ayrıntılı olarak ele alınmaktadır. Böylece Belck ve Lehmann-Haupt’un çeşitli bölgelerde yürüttükleri yüzey araştırmalarıyla birlikte Toprakkale’de bir kazı yapıp yapmadıkları, yazarların yayınları ve arşiv verileriyle karşılaştırılarak tartışılmaktadır