Nashan

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nashan (Yemen)
Nashan
Nashan
Nashan in what is now Yemen

Naschān ( also Našān, in Roman historiography : Nestum , todayالسوداء, DMG as-Sāudāʾ 'the black one') was an old South Arabian city ​​in what is now Yemen . The city ruin is located in the northwest of a river oasis in al-Jauf , on the territory of the ancient kingdom of Ma'in .

geography

The ruins of Naschān are located on the Ghail Khārid, formerly a permanent watercourse that flows into the Jauf River. Naschān ("the white one") is understood as the "sister city" of Naschq ("the black one"), which is expressed not only in the color contrast in the naming, but also in the close spatial proximity. Downstream is Kaminahu (cited as CIH 377, Eq. 1000A) and behind the present village al-Ghail, which itself may already inscription is occupied (quoted by Hal. 267-8). Haram is also located on the Dschauf River (cited as CIH 588 ff). The accumulation of slag in the extensive ruins of Naschan shows that the city was once the center of the metal industry.

history

In the early days, Naschān, like Haram and Kaminahu, was a separate city-state (city-kingdom). Around 715 BC Yitha'amar annexed Watar I of Saba Naschān. In the war of Saba against Naschān and probably also against Ausan waged by Karib'il Watar I (around 685 BC), Yadhmurmalik of Haram destroyed the city at the command of the warlord (cited as Hal. 154). Karib'il Watar I. included Nashan and Nashq for three years and subjugated Nashq; On the other hand, he humiliated Naschan by imposing the local population to build a temple of the Sabaean imperial god Almaqah in the middle of the city . He also had Sabaeans settle there. He had previously confiscated the region and softened the wall, but shrank from setting fire to the city (cited as equation 1000 A). As a reward, Kaminahu received a conquered irrigation canal from Naschān as a fief. Another part was assigned to Yadhmurmalik.

Presumably Naschān was created by the campaign of Aelius Gallus in the year 24 BC. Chr. Destroyed. With a few new identifications of place names, this assumption follows Pliny’s report that the neighboring Naschq was also destroyed. Eduard Glaser found erect face stelae bearing the names of the deceased in the city's ancient cemeteries . He could see that the most beautiful face masks had been carved from a special stone and then inserted into a cavity in the stele. CA Rathjens has created a differentiated series of developments on this.

architecture

The Jauf cities of that time carried out important building programs. Mighty city walls were built; in Naschan it measured 1,175 meters. A complex city gate was integrated. The Farū Castle, located within the city wall, was built with a stone ground floor. The floors consisted of a wooden frame filled with fired bricks.

The Athtar temple of Naschan is significant because it is best preserved in the region . It is located in the irrigation area outside the city and was dedicated to the moon god Wadd . In an inner courtyard is a small building that is entered through a monumental entrance to the west. Pillars form a portico on both sides . Ornaments form snake, ostrich, lance, vase, goat and pomegranate motifs. Ibexes who were crouching, lying or frontal were also popular. Inside the temple there are female figures standing on pedestals . The meaning of other incised decorations is still unclear today. The temple was uncovered in 1988/1989 by a French research team. Numerous roof panels were found in the building rubble in good condition; So the temple could be reconstructed largely satisfactorily.

Some finds from Naschan have also been preserved, such as sacrificial tables, libation accessories, votive vessels and numerous Sabaean and Minae inscriptions.

Remarks

  1. ↑ There were initially different views among scientists about the actual localization of Naschān:
    • Hommel founded the held view who joined von Wissmann.
    • On the other hand, initially: Grohmann , who thought the ruins of Kaʾāb al-Laudh on Jabal al-Laudh for Naschān, later revised himself in his article, Minaioi, however.
    • Hermann von Wissmann explains in this context that the arid, remote location of the ruin suggested by Grohmann can be ruled out. The excellent description of Grohmann in relation to the area of ​​Ma'in and its cities and city kingdoms clearly shows that Naschān is to be found in the same irrigation system as Naschq and Kaminahu and that the equation of Naschān and as-Sāudāʾ is certainly correct .
  2. ↑ after the " Long Chronology " represented by Hermann von Wissmann ; with the "Short Chronology" would be on the 5th century BC. To date.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d Hermann von Wissmann , Maria Höfner : Contributions to the historical geography of pre-Islamic South Arabia (= Academy of Sciences and Literature, treatises of the humanities and social sciences class. Born 1952, No. 4). Franz Steiner, Wiesbaden 1971, pp. 14-16.
  2. ^ Hermann von Wissmann: On the history and regional studies of Old South Arabia (= Eduard Glaser Collection . III). P. 252.
  3. ↑ Norbert Nebes: Itaʾamar the Sabaeans: To date the monumental inscription of Yiṯaʿʾamar Watar from Ṣirwāḥ. In: Arabian archeology and epigraphy. Copenhagen 2007, 18 (2007), pp. 25-33.
  4. ↑ Walter W. Müller (ed.) / Hermann von Wissmann: The story of Sabaʾ II. The great empire of the Sabaeans up to its end in the early 4th century BC. Chr. (See literature )
  5. ^ A b Hermann von Wissmann, Maria Höfner: Contributions to the historical geography of pre-Islamic South Arabia (= Academy of Sciences and Literature, treatises of the humanities and social sciences class. Born 1952, No. 4). Franz Steiner, Wiesbaden 1971, pp. 31 and 102.
  6. ↑ a b c d Jean-François Breton: The first cities of South Arabia: The example of the Jauf in cities and temples - emergence of the South Arab civilization. In: Werner Daum: Yemen. Umschau, Frankfurt / Main, ISBN 3-7016-2251-5 . P. 80
  7. ↑ Horst Kopp, p. 200 (see literature ).
  8. ↑ A series of images from Naschān

literature

  • Horst Kopp (Ed.): Geography of Yemen. Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden 2005, ISBN 3-89500-500-2 .
  • Gerd Simper, Petra Brixel: Yemen. Reise-Know-How, Bielefeld 2002, ISBN 3-921497-09-4 .
  • Hermann von Wissmann : On the history and regional studies of Old South Arabia (= Eduard Glaser Collection . No. III = Austrian Academy of Sciences, philosophical-historical class, meeting reports. Volume 246). Böhlau, Vienna 1964.
  • Hermann von Wissmann: To the archeology and ancient geography of southern Arabia. Subtitles: Ḥaḍramaut, Qatabān and the ʿAden area in antiquity. Istanbul / Leiden 1968.
  • Hermann von Wissmann, Maria Höfner : Contributions to the historical geography of pre-Islamic South Arabia (= treatises of the humanities and social science class of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. Born in 1952, No. 4). Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz, Mainz 1953.
  • Walter W. Müller (ed.) / Hermann von Wissmann: The story of Sabaʾ II. The great empire of the Sabaeans up to its end in the early 4th century BC. Chr. (= Austrian Academy of Sciences, Philosophical-Historical Class. Meeting reports. Volume 402). Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Vienna, Vienna 1982, ISBN 3-7001-0516-9 .

Coordinates: 16 ° 10 ′  N , 44 ° 45 ′  E