A Spectacle Idol from Tell Abu Hafur (North Syria) and Its Possible Function

The spectacle idol from Polish excavations in northeastern Syria belongs to the class of artifacts that are known from different regions of the Ancient Near East – Syria, Mesopotamia and Elam – and that have been dated to the Uruk period (broadly speaking, the fourth millennium bc). The name derives from a characteristic shape that resembles the eye idols from Tell Brak. Indeed, the largest assemblage of spectacle idols was discovered at Tell Brak, in an older cultural level within the Eye Temple sector, leading a number of scholars to the conclusion that eye idols evolved from their spectacle predecessors. The ritual function of the eye idols has never been put into doubt, unlike that of spectacle idols, which has been heavily debated. The spectacle idol from Tell Abu Hafur affords the opportunity to discuss the different ideas put forward regarding the function of the objects and to return to the original interpretation of these as associated with worship based on an analysis of the iconography of contemporary glyptic art and a comparative review of finds from diverse archaeological sites.