Orthostat depicting a griffin

During the excavation of Sam'al (Zincirli), particular attention was paid to the building structures. This was, after all, the first excavation in the northern Syrian-Anatolian region to attempt a comprehensive survey of the monuments, which, from an architectural-historical perspective, primarily involved the examination of architectural structures. Naturally, the fortifications were the best preserved, particularly the gates, which were very carefully constructed. Among them was the relief depicted here from the east wall of the outer enclosure. The figure is initially anthropomorphic in body and clad in a short, belted apron adorned with a decorative border. On the upper body, one notices a short-sleeved shirt; on the feet, beak-shaped shoes. The head, however, is that of a bird of prey, yet it possesses mammalian ears as well as a tuft on the forehead and neck. A pair of wings hangs down from the back. The figure thus conveys an image more akin to a griffin. In the act of striding forward, the bird-headed creature appears to express an active defensive posture through its raised arms, which would correspond to the relief’s position at the castle entrance. The stele of Asarhaddon was found inside this gate