Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 30(2):361-369 Kiril TEMELKOV DOI: 10.47743/saa-2024-30-2-7 ABSTRACT In my paper, I analyze the fighting styles, tendencies and military tactics of both the infantries of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and the Greek world as its counterpart during the 9th century BC. The structure, which this overview follows by commenting and constructing a commentary contains an introduction, during which the methods of the research are going to be conducted, including the main source of information and how the structure of the paper is going to be laid out. After that, a brief mention of the historical importance will take place. Through the form of a brief expose, I will go over why is this period and its military peculiarities seem deserving of attention. Then for the main body of the paper are the following points of interest. 1) the infantry armaments, through which both armies equipped themselves and operated; 2)(…)

Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 30(2):331-360 Krzysztof ULANOWSKI DOI: 10.47743/saa-2024-30-2-6 ABSTRACT The art of Babylonian divination was adopted by the neighbouring cultures and absorbed. Definitive evidence for direct contact between Assyria and the Ionian is lacking in Homer. However, proceeding step by step, we have confirmed Assyrian-Hittite contacts and Hittite-Lydian contacts, and later Persian-Lydian and Lydian-Greek (Lydian-Ionian) relations. We could suppose that Mesopotamian influence reached the Greek world, and this flow continued for centuries but was subject to many regional modifications. The first independent diviners were probably the itinerant experts, many of whom were non-Greeks originating from the Near East. Interactions related to war are evident in many sources; Greek mercenaries served in the East. The presence of Greek mercenaries in the army of Nebuchadnezzar is known from a poem of Alcaeus. It appears that the Hittites borrowed the methodology from the Babylonians via of the Hurrians (and/or Luwians), as many(…)

Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 30(2):299-330 Andrew SCHUMANN DOI: 10.47743/saa-2024-30-2-5 ABSTRACT The paper delves into several layers of pre-Śaivism in India. The earliest layer traces back to ancient cults worshipping the Mother Goddess, which emerged during the Neolithic period, particularly in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (ca. 10,000–8800 B.C.). These cults flourished within the Indus Valley Civilization (its mature form 2600–1900/1800 B.C.) and other Bronze Age societies. The second layer reveals the worship of Inanna (also known as Nanāya), the goddess of fertility, who was prominent in the Mittani state (ca. 1550–1260 B.C.) alongside revered Indo-Iranian deities such as Indra, the Mitra-gods, the Varuna-gods and the Nasatya-gods. Another layer emerges with a syncretic cult among the Indo-Scythians, combining the Mazdean tradition of Οηϸο (Wēšparkar) and Βορζαοανδο Ιαζαδο (bwrz’wndy yzdty) with the Buddhist figure of Maheśvara, and Νανα (Nana) and Αρδοχϸο (Ardoxšo) with the Buddhist figure Hārītī (or Umā). In addition, Buddhism adopted syncretic(…)

Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 30(2):291-299 J. LAHE , V. SAZONOV DOI: 10.47743/saa-2024-30-2-4  ABSTRACT In current article, we examine the relationship between Iranian god Miθra and the Sun through Iranian religious history and try to show how these two initially different deities became one and how the figure of Miθra changed as a consequence of being equated to the Sun. We will consider the earliest mentions of the name of Miθra in different sources and we will explain his identification with the Sun by a Mesopotamian influence Šamaš – god of Sun and Justice). REZUMAT În articolul de față, examinăm relația dintre zeul iranian Miθra și zeul Soarelui de-a lungul istoriei religioase iraniene și încercăm să arătăm cum aceste două zeități inițial diferite au devenit una și cum figura lui Miθra s-a schimbat ca urmare a echivalării cu zeul Soarelui. Vom lua în considerare cele mai timpurii mențiuni ale numelui lui(…)

Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 30(2):235-242 Andrew SCHUMANN, Zozan TARHAN ,Vladimir SAZONOV DOI: 10.47743/saa-2024-30-2-1  ABSTRACT In the article introducing this special issue, we consider the prospects of cultural diffusionism. We show that diffusion is not a uniform phenomenon since it includes direct, partial, multi-layered, and reverse forms. The complex approach to diverse forms of diffusions is called by us the crossroads concept. It aligns with cultural relativism which examines cultural traits through diffusion and modification. In world-systems analysis, cultural diffusion is analyzed within the world-economy framework, rooted in the classical Marxism view of economic systems as foundational with culture as a superstructure. Neo-Marxism and dependency theory highlight a division between developed and developing countries, positing that cultural influences often flow from the center to the periphery. However, this view oversimplifies cultural diffusion’s complexities, as we demonstrate. Moreover, cultural diffusion often precedes trade route establishment, with religious diffusion frequently facilitating subsequent trade(…)