A tabula ansata featuring a bilingual inscription, found in front of a burial chamber adorned with the monogram of Jesus Christ, was restored

A bilingual inscription tabula ansata located in front of a burial chamber adorned with the monogram of Jesus Christ, found in the Kızılkoyun necropolis in Şanlıurfa, has been restored and returned to its original position.

Kızılkoyun Necropolis is located in the Balıklıgöl plateau of Şanlıurfa. It bears traces of Hellenistic and Roman-Byzantine periods with tombs dating back to the 2nd and 4th centuries AD.

Notably, the presence of both pagan and early Christian tombs in the necropolis is striking.

Kızılkoyun Necropolis was declared an archaeological site in 2012. Between 2013 and 2017, excavations uncovered 100 tombs, some of which remained undisturbed.

The 2024 excavation season is ongoing, conducted by the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality and the Museum Directorate, with the assistance of archaeologists from the Tourism Promotion Branch Directorate.

During the excavation work at Kızılkoyun Necropolis, archaeologists discovered a tabula ansata featuring inscriptions in Greek and Aramaic in front of a burial chamber adorned with the monogram of Jesus Christ.

The tabula ansata featuring the bilingual inscription was found broken in half.

With the joint efforts of the Metropolitan Municipality and the Şanlıurfa Museum Directorate, restoration of the tabula ansata has begun. After the restoration was completed, it was placed on the façade of the burial chamber to which it belongs.

In a study conducted by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Adak from the Department of Ancient Languages and Cultures at Akdeniz University, the inscription was translated as: “This monument belongs to the children of Kineas, Zooras, Bias, and Boethos, and their children.”

According to Adak, except for Zooras, the other names are of Greek origin, and the inscription dates back to the 3rd century AD. This bilingual inscription is a valuable find that reflects the cosmopolitan nature of Edessa and the intercultural interactions of the time.

Additionally, Zeynep Nida Yıldırım, a specialist archaeologist from KUDEM, conducted research as part of her master’s thesis to examine the ornamental features and plan typology of burial chamber number 24.

Cover Photo: Sanliurfa Metropolitan Municipality