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Muge Durusu (Temple University) will join us to speak on “Deconstructing a Corpus: Rethinking Late Bronze Age Rock Monuments in Anatolia". Refreshments will be available from noon to 12:30 p.m.

Lecture abstract:

Rock monuments of Late Bronze Age Anatolia (c. 1600-1180 BCE) are often associated with the Hittite Empire, the dominant political power in Anatolia during this period. This association—coupled with the uniformity of their medium (stone), similarities in their iconography, the location of several monuments along the borders of the empire, and their incorporation of Anatolian hieroglyphs—has often led to their perception and scholarly treatment as a uniform corpus, possibly marking the borders of the empire. This talk is an exercise in deconstructing this corpus of monuments by highlighting the differences between the patronage, content, context, dating, and relationship with the wider landscape. By demonstrating overlaps and thematic connections between rock monuments and the larger realm of artistic production in Late Bronze Age Anatolia, I will argue that rock monuments include many sub-groups that speak to various themes including political power, territoriality, ritual, and place-making, and that these differences formed the basis of how these monuments were designed, executed, and experienced in the landscape.