Un equipo de arqueólogos ha descubierto una pequeña gema con un meticuloso grabado de Alejandro Magno en una de sus caras, en excavaciones realizadas en la antigua ciudad de Dor, en la costa del actual Israel.

“A pesar de su tamaño diminuto -la piedra es de menos de un centímetro de alto y la mitad de ancho- el tallador fue capaz de imprimir el rostro de Alejandro sin omitir casi ningún rasgo”, explicó la arqueóloga Ayelet Gilboa, de la Universidad de Haifa.

Vía: Elías L. Benarroch, Jerusalén. EFE | Diario de Yucatán.com.mx, 15 de septiembre de 2009

“El rey -agregó la experta en un comunicado- aparece con un talante joven y fuerte, con una marcada barbilla, una nariz recta y un largo y rizado pelo sujetado por una diadema".

El hallazgo, obra de un equipo conjunto de arqueólogos israelíes y estadounidenses, ha sorprendido a los especialistas, que se preguntan si la presencia cultural griega en la Judea de la época, en principio considerada una zona periférica de la civilización helenista, era más extensa y culta de lo que se creía hasta ahora.

“Los artistas eran generalmente empleados por conocidas familias griegas en capitales como Alejandría en Egipto y Seleucia en Siria”, explica Gilboa, para quien “este descubrimiento prueba que la elite local en centros de segunda importancia también apreciaba objetos de arte y podía incluso pagarlos".

El yacimiento, unos 50 kilómetros al norte de Tel Aviv, se halla en la antigua ciudad portuaria de Tel Dor y es excavado desde hace treinta años.

Fundada alrededor del año 2000 a.C. y sometida a lo largo de su historia al control de cananeos, pueblos del mar, israelitas, fenicios, persas, asirios, griegos y romanos, Tel Dor existió hasta casi las cruzadas, tres mil años después de su creación.

Fue el epicentro de las actividades portuarias en la región hasta la fundación de la vecina Cesarea por Herodes en el siglo I, y se convirtió en corazón de la dominación helenística desde que Alejandro Magno pasó por ella en el 332 a.C. cuando tras haber ocupado Tiro se encaminaba con sus tropas a Egipto.

La ciudad, conocida por griegos y romanos como Dora, volvería al control de los israelitas en la época del monarca asmoneo Alejandro Janeo, alrededor del 100 a.C.

Un factor importante es que la gema ha sido extraída en excavaciones científicas que ayudan a determinar su origen y antigüedad, porque la mayoría de los retratos de Alejandro Magno descubiertos hasta ahora tienen un origen desconocido.

Algunos de los retratos y bustos del considerado como el mejor estratega de todos los tiempos fueron desenterrados antes de que la arqueología existiera como ciencia, algunos fueron adquiridos en el mercado negro y es probable que otros sean falsos.

Alejandro Magno fue probablemente el primer griego que ordenó representar su imagen en obras de arte, como parte de un culto a la persona que más adelante se transformaría en un eficaz instrumento de propaganda política.

Desde entonces, casi todos los gobernantes y dictadores de la historia han seguido sus pasos, pero el del joven Alejandro pasó a simbolizar elementos de masculinidad, heroísmo y divinidad. Por tanto, supuso un ejemplo a emular.

Los artistas solían combinar elementos realistas de la imagen del gobernante con las concepciones clásicas de lo que era la belleza en el período helenista, así como atributos divinos y reales, en el caso de Dora representados por la diadema que rodea la cabeza del soberano macedonio.

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Contact: Rachel Feldman
rfeldman@univ.haifa.ac.il
972-482-88722
University of Haifa

A rare discovery: An engraved gemstone carrying a portrait of Alexander the Great

Vía: EurekAlert.org, 15-Sep-2009

A rare and surprising archaeological discovery at Tel Dor: A gemstone engraved with the portrait of Alexander the Great was uncovered during the 2009 season of excavations

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."

Photo: Caption: This is an engraved gemstone carrying a portrait of Alexander the Great. The gemstone was found in the course of recent excavations at Tel Dor. Credit: No'a Raban-Gerstel, University of Haifa.

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.

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.

Photo: Caption: This is an aerial view of the excavation areas in the southwestern part of Tel Dor. Credit: Sky Balloons Inc.

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.

Amir Gilat, Ph.D.
Communication and Media Relations
University of Haifa
Tel: +972-4-8240092/4
Cell: +972-52-6178200
press@univ.haifa.ac.il