Reliefs from Tell Halaf - Mounted Soldier

myminifactory

The cuneiform inscription etched on the reliefs tells a story of 'Palace of Kapara, son of Hadianu'. Mounted Soldier WA 117102 Tell Halaf Located at the headwaters of the river Habur in north-eastern Syria, Tell Halaf was unearthed by a German expedition led by Baron Max von Oppenheim between 1911 and 1921. Extensive areas of the early Iron Age city (c. 1200-900 BC) were uncovered. Ruled by an Aramaean family, the city, known as Guzana (Old Testament, Gozan), reached its peak of prosperity around the middle of the tenth century BC under King Kapara's reign. The foundation of the south wall of Kapara's palace features a series of 187 reliefs carved in black basalt alternating with red-ochre tinted limestone. Although Tell Halaf was inhabited during later periods, it ceased to be a major city after the downfall of Kapara's dynasty.