In the 1973in the north-west of theIranduring the excavations of the site of Hasanluan ancient settlement destroyed around to the 800 BC. C.a discovery was made that arose a lot of interest. Two skeletons they were found one next to the other, apparently linked in a hug in death. The position in which the human remains were found and the subsequent identification of the sex of the two “lovers“He gave rise to a tight archaeological debate. But what happened to Hasanlu, and who were the two “lovers”?
What happened in Hasanlu
Hasanlu It is an important archaeological site today in theIran North Western. Like many sites of the ancient Near East, Hasanlu is multi -artistcomposed of one Succession of several overlapping life phases. The one that has aroused the greatest interest is the so -called phase “Hasanlu IV“, datable At the beginning of the first millenniums. C. It was a fortified inhabited center, Destroyed and fire from some invader around the 800 BC. C., perhaps the Assyrians or the Urartiiinhabitants of an ancient kingdom between Mesopotamia and Caucaso. The destructive event was a lot traumatic and violentsince archaeologists who dealt with Hasanlu’s excavation found among the ruins of the city The remains of hundreds of people brutally killed on the street. The fire of the settlement and the layer of destruction contributed to “seal“For eternity the moment following the fall of the city, giving way to scholars to have a very precise picture of how Hasanlu was at that tragic moment of his life.
Hasanlu lovers
Among the hundreds of victims caused by invaders, archaeologists, during the US excavations performed in the 1973they found two who immediately aroused a detail interest. Inside a pit covered in bricks, they lay Two skeletons in excellent condition, one very close to the other, apparently united in a hugwho almost seemed to exchange a kiss. The two individuals do not report apparent signs of trauma on the bones that may have caused death, and probably died of asphyxiationdue to the burial of the area where they were caused by the collapse of a building. In the pit There was no object of objectexcept for a stone slab below the individual’s head on the left.
The individual on the left, who lies on his side, was appointed SK336while the one on the right, which is instead lying on the back, took the name of SK335. Because of the particular position of the two skeletons, immediately the archaeologists they speculated on their identity and their relationship. The two individuals were immediately baptized “Lovers of Hasanlu“, contributing to a certain bias about them. Initially the individual on the left was recognized preliminarily as a female, while the one on the right of male. A more precise subsequent analysis of the bones immediately eviced this interpretation. SK 335 he was an individual of male sex, of estimable age between 19 and 22 years old. SK 336 was also recognized as male, with an age to death between 30 and 35 years. The estimate of biological sex was later confirmed also by modern analysis of the DNA.
At the time, the discovery aroused very sensation, because in the 70s western society was still very heteronormative. Recognize the two “lovers” as two male people in such an intimate attitude just before death brought to light different considerations of affective nature that the US company was still unripe to face. Later the “lovers” of Hasanlu became a celebrity in the world of archeology, precisely because of their peculiarity and of having given the opportunity to speak of LGBTQ+ themes also in the context of the ancient history of the Near East. However, just like the US archaeologists of the 70s had been influenced by theirs bias heteronormative, we too We risk expressing a priori judgments.
What do we really know?
Unquestionably recognizing “lovers” as two people in an intimate attitude before their death means do not take into account some archaeological problems. First of all, unlike the other victims of the massacre, whose bodies were left on the streetthe remains of the “lovers” were found inside a pit. It is not possible to establish whether they have been thrown into there or they looked for you before dying. With them then there was no No kind of kitwhen many of the victims found on the street wore bracelets and other jewels.
There position in which the two skeletons were found could be attributed to several factors. If the two individuals had previously been killed (by bleeding or strangulation, given the absence of conspicuous trauma on the bones), their bodies could have been hurriedly thrown in the pit e Their position could be completely random. It is also necessary to consider i Tafonomic phenomena post deposit. There Tabonomy It is the science that studies what happens to a body after death. The decomposition of corpses involves a series of movementsmainly due to the escape of gas, which can also move a body from its initial position. When the decomposition takes place in one empty spacehuman remains can also be move from water infiltrations, soil movements, and animal actions.
One could also take into account thecultural and human aspect from the relation between the two individuals, not necessarily involved in a romantic bond. The two individuals may have been family members, friendsor even strangers. Exactly as the archaeologists who dug Hasanlu in the 70sinterpret SK335 and SK336 as lovers may be due to a our prejudice who does not take into account the different ways in which affection, fear and love are expressed in cultural contexts very distant from ours in time and space. Just think of the still rather common use today in Central Asia of two men who are publicly held by the hand as a sign of friendshipor the habit of exchange kisses On the mouth spread in the Eastern Orthodox churches. Often, interpretation which we give to the archaeological contexts says more about our culture than on that of ancient civilizations we study.
