Haifa, Israel – September 15, 2009 – A rare and
surprising archaeological discovery at Tel Dor: A gemstone engraved
with the portrait of Alexander the Great was uncovered during
excavations by an archaeological team directed by Dr. Ayelet Gilboa
of the University of Haifa and Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. "Despite its miniature dimensions –
the stone is less than a centimeter high and its width is less than
half a centimeter – the engraver was able to depict the bust
of Alexander on the gem without omitting any of the ruler's
characteristics" notes Dr. Gilboa, Chair of the Department of
Archaeology at the University of Haifa. "The emperor is portrayed
as young and forceful, with a strong chin, straight nose and long
curly hair held in place by a diadem."
The Tel Dor researchers have noted that it is surprising that a
work of art such as this would be found in Israel, on the periphery
of the Hellenistic world. "It is generally assumed that the master
artists – such as the one who engraved the image of Alexander
on this particular gemstone – were mainly employed by the
leading Hellenistic courts in the capital cities, such as those in
Alexandria in Egypt and Seleucia in Syria. This new discovery is
evidence that local elites in secondary centers, such as Tel Dor,
appreciated superior objects of art and could afford ownership of
such items" the researchers stated.
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The significance of the discovery at Dor is in the gemstone
being uncovered in an orderly excavation, in a proper context of
the Hellenistic period. The origins of most Alexander portraits,
scattered across numerous museums around the world, are unknown.
Some belonged to collections that existed even prior to the advent
of scientific archaeology, others were acquired on the black
market, and it is likely that some are even forgeries.
This tiny gem was unearthed by a volunteer during excavation of
a public structure from the Hellenistic period in the south of Tel
Dor, excavated by a team from the University of Washington at
Seattle headed by Prof. Sarah Stroup. Dr. Jessica Nitschke,
professor of classical archaeology at Georgetown University in
Washington DC, identified the engraved motif as a bust of Alexander
the Great. This has been confirmed by Prof. Andrew Stewart of the
University of California at Berkeley, an expert on images of
Alexander and author of a book on this topic.
Alexander was probably the first Greek to commission artists to
depict his image – as part of a personality cult that was
transformed into a propaganda tool. Rulers and dictators have
implemented this form of propaganda ever since. The artists
cleverly combined realistic elements of the ruler's image along
with the classical ideal of beauty as determined by Hellenistic
art, royal attributes (the diadem in this case), and divine
elements originating in Hellenistic and Eastern art. These
attributes legitimized Alexander's kingship in the eyes of his
subjects in all the domains he conquered. These portraits were
distributed throughout the empire, were featured on statues and
mosaics in public places and were engraved on small items such as
coins and seals. The image of Alexander remained a popular motif in
the generations that followed his death – both as an
independent theme and as a subject of emulation. The conqueror's
youthful image became a symbol of masculinity, heroism and divine
kingship. Later Hellenist rulers adopted these characteristics and
commissioned self-portraits in the image of Alexander.
Dor was a major port city on the Mediterranean shore from the
Middle Bronze Age (2000-1550 B.C.E) until the establishment of
Caesarea during the Roman period. Alexander the Great passed
through Dor in 332 B.C.E., following the occupation of Tyre and on
his way to Egypt. It seems that the city submitted to Alexander
without resistance. Dor then remained a center of Hellenization in
the land of Israel until it was conquered by Alexander Janneus,
Hasmonean king of Judah (c. 100 B.C.E.).
The team of archaeologists has been excavating at Tel Dor for
close to thirty years and recently completed the 2009 excavation
season. A number of academic institutions in Israel and abroad
participate in the excavations, directed by Dr. Ayelet Gilboa of
the University of Haifa and Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. The project is supported by these two
institutions along with the Israel Exploration Society, the Berman
foundation for Biblical Archaeology, the Zinman Institute of
Archaeology, the Wendy Goldhirsh Foundation, USA, and individual
donors. The gemstone will be on public display at the Dor museum in
Kibbutz Nahsholim.
SOURCE
