BIKE CLASSICAL: Sesonk Tumulus: Hierothesion of Isias?

Photos by Jack A. Waldron

In the top center of the photo above, you can see the Sesonk Tumulus and its columns piercing the cloudy sky atop the mountain. Zormagara Village (pictured above and below), is the closest village to Sesonk Tumulus, and as you see in the photo above, the hike looks easy from here, however, there are some false peaks and landscapes separating the village and the tumulus. It's much better to approach the summit from the other side of the mountain.

Village turkeys and chickens pluck and hunt the soil at the edge of the deep rock walled chasms of this ancient settlement. I didn't take the time to explore these protective enclaves, but there are antiquities within them. You can see the large mouth of a cave on the opposing wall of the chasm pictured above, no doubt a prehistoric shelter, home, and fortification.

Sesonk (Kurdish), along with its other known name Dikilitas (Turkish), are directly related to the tumulus located here, as they mean, 'upright stone'. The Sesonk Tumulus sits at the top of Kizildag, or, Kizil Mountain, which is located about 30 kilometers from Besni, Adiyaman.

The mighty Euphrates is only 4 kilometers away, but here it's tamed by the Ataturk Dam, whose elevated waters covered numerous important ancient sites, most notably, ancient Samosata. On a clear day, the most famous Commagene burial tumulus can be seen 90 kilometers to the northeast on top of Nemrut Mountain.

Circling around the mountain to approach the summit with a more manageable climb, meaning, no deep valleys, chasms, or cliffs to block a straight course, the hike took about an hour to reach the hierothesion (Ancient Greek, meaning, 'holy seat') mound. However, as you can see in the photo above, the weather was too bad upon arrival, so, we waited.

Pictured above, the Sesonk Tumulus can be seen in the distance. As you hike up the back side of the mountain, there at times seems to be some sort of ancient path, which become too apparent to ignore. Pictured below, a look back along the path as I continue my climb.

I suspect that this path, which in places still bears a resemblance to a constructed road, was used to haul up materials during the building of the tomb, and was well travelled.

I also found these glyphs notched or beat (rock-on-rock) into a large buried rock face along the same beaten path up the summit (pictured above). As you get closer to the top, the path begins to zigzag back and forth up the steep incline, as I can image was necessary for carts or sleds hauling heavy stone.

Continuing the climb toward the tumulus, it begins more and more to show similarities to the Karakus Tumulus, with its giant columnar coming into view.

There can be no doubt that the Sesonk Tumulus was built for an important person, and that its construction dates falls somewhere between the 1C BC and the 1C CE. The wide range of its build date will be explained further down. Pictured below, in the left of the photo sits the northwest columnar, with missing drums. In the right of the photo, the south columnar, with one of its Doric capitals in situ. All of the columns were designed to stand approximately ten meters in height.

As you can see in the illustration below, there are three columnar locations situated are the tumulus, all in pairs that once supported statuary that sat atop an architrave.

There are some missing column drums from the columns, but all stood approximately 10 meters in height, and are in the Doric style. There are a number of Doric capital fragments laying around the tumulus (pictured above).

On the north side of the tumulus there is a tomb entrance, or dromos, that has a long staircase leading down about six meters to the burial chamber. The burial chamber itself has been covered with crushed rock, which rises to a height of about six meters above ground level.

The tumulus is approximately 35 meters in diameter. Also, there is what is thought to be a cistern, but may also be another burial chamber.

This magnificent site was visited by travelers Otto Puchstein and Charles Sester on April 27, 1882, and again by Puchstein and Carl Humann on July 1 of the same year, after which they wrote about the tumulus in Journeys In Asia Minor and Northern Syria, a travelogue they published.

As stated above, for whom the tumulus was built for is not clear, as there are no known inscriptions to be found, however, Michael Blomer has made a keen observation with regard to the statuary found at the site, and which were once perched atop the columnar. Below, is my interpretation of Blomers' analysis.

According to Blomer, the figure seated on the left side of the duo seated figures is male, and this is based on the size of the figure. The figure on the right (Blomer argues) is female, and is holding an object in her hand, which cannot be a barsom, because only males can grow to the height of ruler, thus, the object must signify a leading role of some type, such as a household, etc.

Similarities between the Karakus Tumulus and the Sesonk Tumulus are quite striking, as is the analysis of Blomer, because as I understand, he is arguing that both tumului were dedicated to women. In the case of the Karakus Tumulus, we have the Greek inscription, that reads as follows:

This is the hierothesion of Isias, whom the great King Mithridates deemed worthy of this final hour. And . . . Antiochis lies herein, the king's sister by the same mother, the most beautiful of women, whose life was short but her honours long-enduring. Both of these, as you see, preside here, and with them a daughter's daughter, the daughter of Antiochis, Aka. A memorial of life with each other and of the king's honour.

Though there are plenty of fragments of the figures scattered around the Sesonk Tumulus, they are extremely difficult to recognize. Pictured below are some photos I took of what I believe to be fragments of the figures, and there are still some fragments attached to one of the standing column capitals, pictured directly below.

Though the sketch below was drawn during the late 1800s, I believe this fragment is at the site, though it may have been broken or partially buried over this time.

This sketch depicts two figures sitting side-by-side, and sat atop two stone beams (architraves) that connected the capitals of the columnar groups. Birds of pray, probably eagles, were perched on both sides of the figures, it is believed.

Here we have just such a fragment, and as you can see, it sports a flat edge that might have been where the figure attached to the capital? I picture a crouched lion or bull, but then again, the flat section may be the back of a perched bird of pray? Notice the fragment on top of the column capital, which has a similar shape to the fragment pictured above on the ground.

However, the fragment on top of the column is stretching out in the direction of the opposing column, suggesting this may have been part of the figurine base, beam, or architrave connecting the two columns. That said, who knows if the capital has been turned or not?

I don't always get a selfie at the sites I visit, though I intend to and should, because one of my goals is to visit and explore more ancient sites than anyone else, and by doing so, set a Guinness Book record!

It is presumed that the top of the tumulus has been flattened by grave robbers. They would have had a pretty tough time of it though, digging six meters down to ground level, and another six meters just to reach the roof of the chamber.

I can say from experience, that climbing to the top of the tumulus looks easier than it in fact is. The crushed stone looks small from a distance, but they are actually small boulders masquerading as crushed stone.

As a whole, the Sesonk Tumulus is a fraction of the size of the Karakus Tumulus, that is, above ground, and there may be a simple explanation for this.

As understand it, here the Sesonk Tumulus, the burial chamber rooms are cut out of the bedrock deep below the surface, with a substructure build over it to create covered chambers.

To continue, there is a covered entrance leading down to these chambers, of which you can see pictures of me standing at the outside entrance further down. Finally, these chambers were then covered with heaps of small boulders, that once rose to six meters above ground level, creating a hypogeum.

The Karakus Tumulus is different, and the difference should explain why its much taller height plays a part. Its chambers were built at ground level, and then covered with materials, which means, it required a larger mound diameter, and greater height.

Still, the view from the top of the Sesonk Tumulus is something to behold! All of the Commagene Kingdom at your feet, with the Karakus Tumulus in site, and Mount Nemrut, with probably the most famous tumulus in the world within view.

Circling around to the northwest, we find a more partial standing columnar, with fragments of the upper sections laying about (pictured below). We will look more closely at the various fragments scattered around the tumulus a little further down.

All three columnar sit on top of square stone block plinths, are of the Doric order. The columns are unfluted, cut from limestone, and it is believed they were quarried from a location within a stones throw of the tumulus.

Bypassing the tomb entrance for the moment, we move around to the northeast side of the tumulus, where we find a collapsed columnar, and numerous large fragments believed to be figurine fragments (pictured below).

I'm sure you can see the column drums in the photo above, as well as some odd rough shaped stone blocks that have obviously had a human hand in their shaping.

In particular, is the fragment pictured below, which has been weathered and broken to a point of being unrecognizable, however, I see some possible shapes. I see the legs of a bird standing in a square three-sided box, or, the legs of a seated figure in a seat or throne.

Pictured below, a different angle of the same fragment, and here it is a bit easier to see the fresh break in the top of the stone, as it sits. Of course, I am still unsure of what exactly the fragment depicts.

Yet another angle of the same stone is pictured below. I tried to roll these stone over a bit in order to get photos of the ground side, but they are simply too heavy.

Pictured below is a different fragment, and of course it was way too heavy to turn, but, I have no doubt that it belongs to the figurine set that once sat atop the columnar.

From a closer photo of the same fragment pictured above, you can now see what appears to be an 'X' shape, which I think is in the center of the figures chest, and two arms or wings, that drop on either side.

Pictured below, the back of the figurine pictured above. I cannot make out any image from this angle, but again, am confident it is a stone fragment from the figurine set.

Pictured below, this is one of my favorite shots of the Sesonk Tumulus, with a Doric capital from the northeast columnar in the foreground, a column drums next to the tree, and the tumulus rising into a bright sunny sky!

Heading back to the north side of the tumulus, we see in the photo below the passage opening that leads down to the burial chamber. Also, in the distance you can see the northwest columnar.

The entrance to the underground chamber was severely overgrown, and the tunnel was so dark there was no way to investigate the burial chamber, since I didn't bring a light. Some may ask, why didn't I use my phone light? Well, to be honest, snakes were a larger concern than light.

No, it's not a meter and a half long black snake like the one I saw at ancient Cremna, that moved so fast I was worried I couldn't outrun it. Nor is it a nearly two meter long green snake, like the one that lunged at me near ancient Halala Fausinopolis Loulon. It's my arm holding the camera high above the tomb entrance. Turn the photo 90 degrees counterclockwise to see the passage correctly.

So, I took the plunge into the opening, but I can tell you, I didn't stay there long! Pictured below, the tomb entrance with the northwest columnar in the right of the photo, and the tumulus at the left.

Though it was impossible to see into the depths of the opening, there is an approximately ten meter deep shaft that bottoms at the dromos. This is very similar to the Sofraz Tumulus A.

The burial chamber is reported to have a central room that you enter through the dromos. The chamber is cut from the bedrock, and is reported to be fairly large.

There are three deathbeds with pillows cut into three of the walls. There is also a passage cut into one of the beds, perhaps by robbers who suspected a hidden treasure beyond a false wall?

Finally, the day was waining, and an hour long descent was in the cards. So many of the tumuli of the Commagene Kingdom were usually placed in these types of settings, overlooking the land from high promontories. Many, such as those near ancient Comana Cappadocia, which sit so high up on the mountains, are only visited by local sheep and goat herders, or hunters.

A few last photos, then time to depart. There are probably more tumuli in Turkey than days in the year. If you ever take the bus from Ankara airport to the main bus station (otogar, in Turkish), there is a giant tumulus next to the build.

About 8 kilometers west of Zormagara and the Sesonk Tumulus is a town called Comac, and if you continue on about another kilometer or so, you will see the giant mound pictured below.

There is no signage for the mound, and I am not certain that it is an ancient tumulus. That said, the surrounding area is completely flat, and this anomaly, with its round base, height, and shape, sticks out like a sore thumb. These tumuli pop up everywhere throughout the country, and are so numerous, that they are completely ignored.

Camps, such as the one pictured below, could be seen along many farmers' fields in southwest Turkey, not far from the Syrian boarder. Refugees from the war work the fields, and in return, are allowed to setup there camps at the edges of farmers' land.