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Nimrod is a legendary Mesopotamian king in the early Bronze Age. A controversial figure, Nimrod has a savage nature and civilized mind, aspects forever at war as he founds empires, defies Yahweh, builds the Tower of Babel and throws Abraham into the fire. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Yahweh: Warrior Origins, Name & Lore Amurru - God of the Amorites Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nimrod is reputed to be the great-grandson of Noah of flood fame, or grandson of Sargon the Great of Akkad, called Naram-Sin. He opposes Hebrew god Yahweh to worship Marduk of Babylon instead. Worship of a cult image or idolatry is condemned in Abrahamic religion. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures It's also said Nimrod is King over a vast realm who worships a fertility goddess, probably Inanna, also called Shaushka or Ishtar. She's perhaps the most widely revered goddess of Mesopotamia and tutelary deity of Uruk. See also: 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Along the lines of polytheism and idolatry Nimrod brings the concept of fire worship into general practice. He association with fire, especially that of the underworld, appears in the name of Mt. Nemrut (Van Province, Turkey), said to be named for Nimrod. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Earliest mention of the god Marduk is from a partial inscription dating to the Early Dynastic II period c. 2750 - 2600 BCE, the early Bronze Age. It's left by an unknown ruler of the city of BAR.KI.BAR (Babylon) who constructs a temple for Marduk. See also: Pistachio: Turpentine, Resin & Nuts Architect Gods & Building in Mesopotamia Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Marduk eventually (1st millennium BCE) becomes one of the most popular deities of the ancient world. As a warrior hero god he defeats the forces of Chaos, only to be equated with them himself. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Nimrod may be called Bel, a term also applied to Marduk, simply meaning lord, similar to Baal. In Hungarian legend King Nimród (Ménrót), is described as "Nimród the Giant" or "the giant Nimród", a descendant of Noah. He's considered forefather of the Hungarians. See also: Mushussu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Geneisis 10:9 King James version: "He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." Legacy Standard Bible: He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh.” International Standard Version: He became a fearless hunter in defiance of the LORD. That is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a fearless hunter in defiance of the LORD." See also: Arzawa: Rebel Kingdom of the Bronze Age Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Although considered a great king and builder of empires, Nimrod is notorious for his conflicts with Abraham. He throws Abraham into a furnace for devotion to Yahweh. Miraculously Abraham survives. Excerpt is below. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The legendary ancestor of Armenians, Hayk, defeats Nimrod in a battle near Lake Van. East of Colchis on the Black Sea coast, Van is a saline soda lake, formed in a prehistoric volcanic crater. Nearby Mount Nemrut, which now has a lake in its crater, is named for Nimrod. See also: Colchis - Bronze Age on the Black Sea Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Salt Lake Mt Nemrut Volcano: Nature & Lore Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Babylon Nimrod orders the building of the Tower of Babel, a structure designed to put all others to shame. Construction begins 201 years after the biblical event of Yahweh's Great Flood. In Mesopotamia the flood is sent by God Enlil, who can't sleep due to noisy mortals. The tower of Babel is never finished, as Yahweh causes language confusion. In this case Yahweh is the chaos element in his own name. The myth of Babel inspires millennia of art, theology and philosophy. See also: Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The myth itself may be inspired by the Tower Tempe in Babylonian to the north of the Marduk temple. In Babylonian it's called Bab-ilu (“Gate of God”) and in Hebrew Babel, or Bavel. Nimrod has a reputation as builder of towns, cities and empires. The prophet Micah calls Assyria, or northern Mesopotamia, the "land of Nimrod." Here Nimrod founds the cities Nineveh, Calah, Resen, and Rehoboth-Ir. See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Visigoths, King Alaric & the Ruin of Rome Byblos, Vibrant Port City - Bronze Age Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Mesopotamian cities Babel (Babylon), Erech (Uruk), Akkad, and Calneh belong of the initial kingdom of Nimrod. Shinar refers to the southern lands of ancient Mesopotamia. "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar." Micah 5:6 READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries See also: Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Ashur - Tutelary God of Assur, Assyria Epic of Erra - Plague God of Babylon Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An early Arabic work, Kitab al-Magall or Book of Rolls, credits Nimrod with building several Mesopotamian towns including Ellasar (Larsa), Seleucia, Ctesiphon and Atropatene. A similar account appears in the Cave of Treasures (c. 350 CE). The epics of Nimrod and Abraham reflect the classic Chaoskampf, the battle of good vs. evil, order vs. chaos or man vs nature. Nimrod appears either as a man who opposes Yahweh, or one who makes himself a god. See also: Chaoskampf: Order & Chaos Battle Out Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle One day, Nimrod is told by his astrologers of a portent in the stars. A child is born, Abraham, who will vanquish idolatry. Nimrod sentences all newborn infants to death. Abraham's mother escapes into the fields and gives birth in secret. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Young Abraham recognizes Yahweh (God) early, and worships him. He confronts Nimrod and tells to cease his idolatry, whereupon Nimrod orders him thrown in a furnace or burned at the stake. Despite the intense heat of the fire, Abraham emerges unscathed. See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From the Midrash Rabba: " ... He [Abraham] was given over to Nimrod. [Nimrod] told him: Worship the Fire! Abraham said to him: Shall I then worship the water, which puts off the fire! Nimrod told him: Worship the water! [Abraham] said to him: If so, shall I worship the cloud, which carries the water? [Nimrod] told him: Worship the cloud! [Abraham] said to him: If so, shall I worship the wind, which scatters the clouds? [Nimrod] said to him: Worship the wind! [Abraham] said to him: And shall we worship the human, who withstands the wind? Said [Nimrod] to him: You pile words upon words, I bow to none but the fire—in it shall I throw you, and let the God to whom you bow come and save you from it!" See also: Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "... Haran [Abraham's brother] was standing there. He said [to himself]: what shall I do? If Abraham wins, I shall say: "I am of Abraham's [followers]", if Nimrod wins I shall say "I am of Nimrod's [followers]". When Abraham went into the furnace and survived, Haran was asked: "Whose [follower] are you?" and he answered: "I am Abraham's!". [Then] they took him and threw him into the furnace, and his belly opened and he died and predeceased Terach, his father." See also: Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As a priest-king, Nimrod is ascribed augury powers. Early in his reign he receives three years of divination instruction from Bouniter, the fourth son of Noah. Credited with inventing astrology, Bouniter is later compared to Roman god Janus, the heavenly gatekeeper. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries There are times, in some versions of Nimrod's life story, when he attempts to divest himself of the trappings of fierce independence and turn to the worship of Yahweh. According to scholars he makes offerings to Yahweh, which the god refuses. See also: Gargari: Men of the Amazon Warriors Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Accounts from ancient historians include a Jewish tradition in which Nimrod leaves Shinar in south Mesopotamia and relocates to Assyria in north Mesopotamia, refusing to take part in building the Tower. Yahweh rewards him with the four cities in Assyria. Nimrod is also compared with Naram-Sin (r. 2254–2218), the grandson of Sargon the Great of Akkad (r. 2334 - 2279 BCE). Naram-Sin is known for empire expansion, defeating several mountain tribes and declaring himself God of Akkad. See also: Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Overall, there is no uncontested evidence for Nimrod's historical presence or deeds. He's part legend, part god, part human, part beast, a mythological foil for Yahweh. As a tyrant who spreads fear, kills babies and promotes urbanization, he continues to rouse debate. See also: Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Back to Top

Mount Nemrut is a dormant volcano in Van province of east Turkey, near Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands. Nemrut is named for the biblical Nimrod. It's a source of Neolithic obsidian. The caldera, lakes, wildlife and mountain are protected. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Megaliths & Building at Gobekli Tepe Yahweh: Warrior Origins, Name & Lore Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nemrut is one of four major volcanoes of east Turkey, including Ararat, Tendürek and Süphan. They're located on a complex fault system along the boundary of the Arabian and Eurasian plates in the Armenian Highlands. Nemrut is westernmost of the four volcanoes. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Nemrut's highest point is 2,948 m (9,672 ft) above sea level. The mountain sits along a volcanic alley of interconnected peaks. The chain includes Mount Ararat, where Noah may have left his ark. Nimrod is a great-grandson of Noah, or grandson of Sargon the Great. See also: Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Pontic Mountains: the Black Sea Alps Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Atop Nemrut volcano is the largest caldera in Turkey, with two permanent crater lakes, Nemrut and Ili, and one seasonal lake fed by hot springs. With a width of 8 - 10 km (5 - 6.2 mi), the volcanic crater is the 4th largest caldera in Europe and 16th largest in the world. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The most powerful eruptions of Nemrut occur in the Pleistocene Era, a wide range of c. 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago. Several small eruptions go off during the Holocene (11,700 years ago - today). The three latest are in 1441, 1597 and 1650 CE in the Middle Ages. See also: Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Volcanic Wipeout - 1600 BCE Eruption of Thera Mythic Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The eruption of 1441 CE: In 1441 a great sign took place, for the mountain called Nemrud, which lies between Kelath and Bitlis, suddenly began to rumble like heavy thunder. This set the whole land into terror and consternation, for one saw that the mountain was rent asunder to the breadth of a city; and from out of this cleft flames arose, shrouded in dense, whirling smoke, of so evil a stench that men fell ill by reason of the deadly smell. Red-hot stones glowed in the terrible flames, and boulders of enormous size were hurled aloft with peals of thunder. Even in other provinces men saw all this distinctly. Armenian chronicle "Haissmavurk", Felix Oswald See also: Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Eruption of 1597 CE: In the northern part of this location there is a canal through which flows a dark water [basaltic magma]. It resembles the dark water which flows off the blacksmith's bellows and its weight is heavier than iron. It spouts upward and quickly flows down to the gorge. According to me, each year this water increases and decreases. It jets more than 30 zira and spreads around longer than 100 zira. And there it spouts out from several points [rift zone]. Whoever has the intention to separate part of this water will face great difficulties [hard basaltic rock]. Şerefhan Bitlisi, Şerefname 1597 CE See also: Tanning Hides - the Ancient Process Sulfur - Treasures of the Underworld Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Crater lakes form through collapse of a peak into a caldera, or volcanic explosions. They're filled with rain water and melt water, and can contain high levels of natural minerals or salt. A volcanic crater lake has a unique ecological biosphere. Crescent-shaped Lake Nemrut covers the west half of the crater and is the biggest of the lakes. Fed by hot springs, it never freezes. Water is freshwater, clear and odorless. Drinking quality is good, but the lake is slowly getting saltier. See also: Giresun (Aretias): Isle of the Amazons Gargari: Men of the Amazon Warriors Colchis - Bronze Age on the Black Sea Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Mount Nemrut is the youngest volcanic cone in Turkey. About 450 plant species are known in and around Nemrut Caldera, with 200 (44%) belonging to the region and 38% endemic. The variety of flora is due to past climate fluctuations. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Tree species are diverse including juniper, willow, oak, aspen and spicy mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb). Mahaleb is thought to be the Huluppu tree of goddess Inanna. Various species of buckthorn are found, as well as European mountain ash. See also: Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ground cover plants include steppe vegetation, vetch, sorrel and clover. Reeds are essential to lake ecology. The upside down tulip, Fritillaria imperialis, a type of lily, grows wild here. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Griffon vultures nest at the caldera. It's also a special protected area as a breeding habitat for velvet scoters (Melanitta deglandi) aka velvet ducks, and golden eagles. The lake is a stopover for migrating birds. Bird species are down in number due to uncontrolled hunting. See also: Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Pistachio: Turpentine, Resin & Nuts Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A group of vultures is called a kettle, committee or wake. The griffon vulture is a symbol of Egyptian Queens (Royal Wives). Other animals of the region include the bird species duck, partridge, bee-eater and Armenian gull. Hares, foxes and brown bears are among the mammals inhabiting the Lake Nemrut region. The chamois, a small agile goat-antelope, is extinct in this area. See also: Syrian Brown Bear - Bronze Age Wild Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Chamois - Alpine Wild Nature & Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nemrut is a polygenic stratovolcano in the collision zone of the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. African and Indian plates push them along. The continual movement of the plates stimulates the seismic and volcanic activity of the Lake Van region. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries At ground level, Lake Van itself is a volcanic caldera. Today it has no inflow or outflow and is fed by melt and rainwater. It's the largest soda (alkaline) lake in the world. Two species of fish live in Lake Van. Nemrut is a young volcano atop a very old one. See also: Obsidian: Ancient Volcanic Black Glass After the Ice Age - Neolithic Builders Ancient Mesopotamian Cities - Uruk Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Volcanic features in the area include hot springs feeding the seasonal and other lakes of Nemrut Caldera; fumaroles, vents and lava domes. Obsidian and olivine are formed in early eruptions. Neolithic occupants specialize in obsidian, creating the earliest trade routes. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The collision of tectonic plates starts in the Middle Eocene (47.8 mya - 38 mya). The waters of the the Paratethys, a shallow sea, covers the region 34 mya. Today's Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Lake Urmia, Namak Lake and others are remnants of the Paratethys Sea. See also: Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Aruna, Hittite God of the Sea Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Geologically youthful Nemrut is thought to be formed in the early Quaternary Period, about a million years ago. It shows greatest activity in the Pleistocene, with regular eruptions occurring in the Holocene up to present. In the middle Pleistocene, about 250,000 years ago, a massive eruption creates a lava flow over 60 km (37 mi) long, which blocks the sole water discharge route from the Van basin to form Lake Van, the world's largest alkali endorheic (ie having not outflow) lake. See also: Tanning Hides - Ancient Techniques Alp or Alps: Elves & Alpine Mountains Victorian Crime - Murder in the Cards Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the same period, the conical top of the volcano collapses inward, forming a caldera of 8.3 × 7 km (5.2 x 4.3 mi) Over time, freshwater Lake Nemrut forms inside the caldera. Further eruptions separate small Lake Ili from larger Nemrut. The name of the volcano is attributed to legendary Nimrod, who is known for the attempted construction of the Tower of Babel. See also: Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Native [people] believe Nemruz used to spend summers on this mountain. For this purpose, he has a palace built at the summit. He lives here much of the time. He incurs the wrath of Yahweh. The god makes the mountain collapse and sink 1500 zira. This sinking creates a lake 5000 zira wide. Şerefhan Bitlisi Şerefname, 1597 One zira is a cubit or 18 in (0.5 m). A natural cubit measurement begins between the thumb and outstretched finger and extends to the elbow. See also: Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) Neolithic Anatolia Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Lahar: Flock & Sheep Pastoral Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Recent studies point to the danger of possible future eruptions. Nemrut is near large centers such as Tatvan, Bitlis and Ahlat, about 135,000 people. The caldera also is at risk of flooding. Below, salt Lake Van is ecologically imperiled. The volcano is currently dormant. See also: Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Destroying Angel: Nature's Deadly Poison Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Back to Top

The Tjeker (Tjekker, Teresh, Taresh) are a seafaring culture in constant conflict with Egypt, and one of the tribal groups named in the Bronze Age collapse. Wars between Tjeker and Egypt go back six hundred years. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation Amurru - God of the Amorites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Despite their long history, information about the Tjeker Sea People is sporadic. They're best known from the disastrous voyage of Wenamun in the Late Bronze Age. The story is once thought to be true but now accepted as historical fiction. It's based on a few facts. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the 12th century BCE Wenamun is a priest of Amun at Karnak, a temple site near Luxor. The High Priest of Amun sends him to the Phoenician city of Byblos for lumber. The great cedar forests yield wood for ship building, though they're said to be guarded by monsters. See also: Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Byblos Vibrant Port City: the Egyptians Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The High Priest of Karnak wants to to build a new ship to carry the cult image of God Amun. Byblos is a major trade and ship building port of the Phoenicians on the Levant coast. For several hundred years it's been a city-state vassal to Egypt. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Wenamun stops at the port of Dor ruled by Beder, a Tjeker prince, where he's robbed. The Tjekker settle the area after the early 12th century after fighting the Egyptians. When Wenamun arrives at Byblos he's treated with contempt. See also: Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Figs - Food of the Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books After some time he gets an audience with King Zakar-Baal. The King refuses to give him credit, as is the norm. Wenamun has to pay up front, forcing him to request funds from the Pharaoh. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Byblos is shaking in the hands of the Egyptian rulers. At this point ebbing power of Egypt is obvious. After waiting almost a year at Byblos, Wenamun tries to leave for home. See also: Pistachio: Turpentine, Resin & Nuts Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books His luck gets no better. He's blown off course to Alashiya (Cyprus). There he's almost killed by a crazed mob before he manages to get protection from the local queen. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures In this account the Tjeker Sea People are united under one ruler at Dor (Tel Dor, Tell el-Burj), which they build into a large port. A number of the Sea Peoples are thought to come from or settle the Levant area. See also: Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Lukka along the east coast, the Shekelesh pirates and the Sherden (Shardana, Sherdanu) are part of waves of sea peoples who take advantage of a worsening situation in Egypt and other lands in the late Bronze Age. Some grudges have been brewing a long time. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries History shows the expansion and influence of the city of Dor by the 12th century BCE. Archaeological finds put the Tjeker on the Sharon Plain in the Israeli Coastal Plain region, along the Levant coast, around that time. See also: Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Extended drought and famine, earthquakes and tremors, migration and internal rebellion weakens Egyptians and causes widespread collapse of the Hittites, Kassites, Mycenaeans and others. The few unscathed gain formidable power after the 12th century BCE. See also: Mt Nemrut Volcano: Nature & Lore Megaliths & Building at Gobekli Tepe Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Back to Top

The Butzemann, witches and Nyx are all Kinderschrecken, literally 'child frights' of German folklore. The purpose of a Kinderschreck is to scare kids into good behavior, and to keep them away from dangers such as getting lost or drowning. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Nature Spirits of German Mythology Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses 1. Nyx or Nixies - Death in the Water Jump to: Witches ~ Butzemann ~ Back to Top Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Daughters of The Rhine appear in the epic opera series by Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen or Ring of the Nibelungs. In the first part, Das Rheingold (the Rhine Gold), the Rhine maidens tease the mountain dwarf Alberich, who comes to woo them. Then a ray of sunshine reveals a golden gleam. The Rhine Gold, placed in their charge, can be made into a ring of great power if the wearer denounces love. Embittered by their mockery, Alberich curses love. He seizes the gold and flees as they scream in dismay. See also: Lora Ley - Book Two - Nibelung Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Dreams Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Freshwater nature spirits, the Nyx or water nixies can be any gender. They live in lakes, rivers, streams, fountains, groundwater, wells and marshes, wherever fresh inland water flows. Nyx have enchanting voices, compelling the listener into the arms of death. Belief in the benevolent powers of the Nyx creates the tradition of the wishing well. A well is as simple as an spring coming up from an underground source, a pond or mountain stream. Such places are sacred to ancient Germans, who often construct well walls around them. See also: The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health The Mystic Victorian - Fortune Telling Easter Bunny, Prussian Blue & Penguins Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books People throw copper or silver coins in the water and ask a favor or luck from the resident spirit. Throwing a coin in a fountain today relates to this practice. Copper and silver are naturally antibacterial. As a result the water remains fresh and clear, which to many proves spirits resides in the area. Water spirits care for the ecology of their environments. They nurture flora and fauna, such as filter-feeding clams who help clean the water, and clam lovers who come tor dinner. See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales Nibelung - Of Heroes and Worms Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The words nixe, Nyx and nixie come from the Old High German nihhus meaning water elf or crocodile, which comes from the Proto-Germanic nikwus. In mythology, Nyx originate with waters of creation. Celtic Nek names the river Neckar in south Germany. Tales of malevolent Nyx and related water spirits, such as the Norwegian brook horse, are intended to keep children away from water or dangerous shorelines. In the 19th century shorelines were less defined then they are today, often swampy; and wells were deep. See also: Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Scandinavian brook horse and Scottish kelpie both appear as lovely white or black horses. If a person mounts, the horse plunges into water, dragging the victim down to a terrible fate. Brook horses can be tricked and caught, and made to labor. Given the chance they'll escape, perhaps pulling the luckless ex-owner to a watery grave and making a snack of his innards. They're especially fond of the liver. See also: Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Loreley (Lorelei) is type of nixie. Nyx can use irresistible beauty or song to lure a person. Sailors who hear the song of the Nyx fall into a trance. They might jump into the water and drown, or the boat is dashed apart on a rocky coast. Survivors try to climb the rocks upon which the pitiless siren sings. Pond or river Nyx might also lurk close to the surface near marshy shorelines, to catch human victims venturing too close. See also: Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Kaolinite: White Pigment with Benefits 2. Wicked Witches - Femmes Fatales of the Forest Jump to: Nixies ~ Butzemann ~ Back to Top Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Witches are popular characters in stories, folklore and fairy tales, most famous being the witch of Hansel & Gretel fame. Originally, Druden are malevolent spirits or entities of the night, connected to Elfin or Kobold magic. In the 16th century they're equated with witches. Their assault brings nightmares, insomnia or other sleep disorders. A person is always tired and may be weak or physically ill due to bad dreams or sleep deprivation. Drude may be any gender. As nighttime spirits they rarely show themselves but their presence can be felt. See also: Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Another creature associated with nightmares is the Mare, a malevolent spirit about the size of a Schnauzer who oppresses a sleeper by sitting on the person's chest, making it hard to breathe. The Mare appears in the Lora Ley novel Poltergeist. See also: German Myth & Folklore: Moss People Chicken Soup: Chickens in German Folklore Wiedergänger - One Who Walks Again The Drudenfuß, or "drude's foot" is a pentagram symbol used to ward off evil magic. It's also another name for mistletoe, a toxic plant. In sixeenth century Europe, the word Drude becomes synonymous with witch. About this time witch hunts start in earnest. See also: Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Lora Ley - Book Three - The Swan Maidens Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Malleus Maleficarum, (Latin for 'Hammer of The Witches') is a witch-hunting manual written in 1486 by two German monks. Throughout Europe it becomes a handbook for the persecution and execution of suspected witches and warlocks. In folklore, fear of witches lives on long after witch hunt fever fades away. Up to the 20th century, as German children play among the trees and learn to forage mushrooms or berries in the forest, tales of child-eating witches keep kids from getting lost or going with a stranger. See also: German Myth - the Lutzelfrau Goats in German Myth: Erntebock & Habergeiß Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Witches are accorded such powers as flight, casting spells or curses with potions, spoken charms or the evil eye; or shape-shifting. Witches were said to cause sickness or blight (abilities also given Elves and Kobolds) and see the future. Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) on April 30 - May 1 is also known as Hexennacht or Witches' Night in Germany. On the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, legend says the witches gather to revel and feast. See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Witches may also take part in the Wild Hunt, a cross-European supernatural phenomenon. It may be led by a goddess, god or heroic figure. To fly, witches apply jimson weed (Datura stramonium) ointment on a spindle or broom. As these are common household items, they're convenient evil accessories when accusing a person of witchcraft. Spinning and weaving, the craft of every woman in the Middle Ages, are also linked to witchcraft, as in weaving a spell; while a liar 'spins a yarn.' See also: Wiedergänger - One Who Walks Again German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Winter Tales - 4 Novellas 3. Butzemann - Creature of Darkness Jump to: Witches ~ Nixies ~ Back to Top Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Butzemann is also known as Mummelmann, or hooded man, because he often appears in a cloak. His face is only blackness for a face, or may have burning eyes to mesmerize his victims. He preys on children who aren't in bed on time. He waits in dark hallways, closets and deep shadow. He can snatch someone on way to the toilet. He clutches children in his evil embrace and muffles their screams with his heinous laughter as he spirits them into his dark demesne to be killed and eaten. See also: Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Buzemann is also a blanket term for any scary creature of the dark in human or semi-humanoid form, such as the demonic Hafermann of the harvest. He peers in windows after sundown. If anyone sees him, that person will die within a year and a day. Read: Lora Ley - Book Five - The Corn Spirits - Fantasy Fiction Adventure Part of the Butzemann Kinderschreck is to get kids to bed and give beleaguered parents a break. In the late 1800s families have an average of five children. Farm families often have over a dozen. See also: Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Broad Beans (Fava) - Bronze Age Crops Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Fearmongering also helps keep children out of unlit areas at home. They might fall down stairs, hurt themselves, unintentionally see mom and dad doing weird things, or sneak into the pantry to snack on cake. For some kids, the nighttime urinary ritual is a terror. Outside, where danger might lurk in the shadows, the Hafermann merges into the Butzmann's role as a child fright. He's also known to drag children into his dark demesne and eat them. See also: Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Today's Butzemann has lost his fearmongering magic. In a modern version of the children's song Es tanzt ein Bi-Ba-Butzemann (Here Dances a Bi-Ba-Butzemann), the Butzemann is a dancing dwarf with a little bag, who gives apples to good children. See also: 3 Great German Artists for Art Lovers German Harvest Spirits - Dragons Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Back to Top

Mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb) or St. Lucie cherry is a species of fruit tree cultivated for a spice in the cherry stones. The fruit itself isn't edible. The seeds inside the stones are fragrant, with a bitter almond taste. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Pistachio: Turpentine, Resin & Nuts Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Native to central and southern Europe, Iran and parts of central Asia, it's naturalized in other parts of the world. A tree or large shrub, mahaleb cherry is deciduous, shedding leaves in a seasonal cycle. It's recorded as tall as 12 m (40 ft) but rarely grows that high. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The hard heavy wood is among those used to make pipes, due to its density. It holds a good polish and is often made into ornamental items. The spice mahleb (mahlab), abundant in coumarin, is added to some pipe tobacco and liqueurs. See also: Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Apples: Myth, Nature & German Folklore Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In spring P. mahaleb displays abundant white flowers. Bees are the primary pollinators. The fruit is a small cherry-like drupe with thin flesh. Fruit is green at first, turning red then dark purple to black when mature. It ripens mid-late summer and tastes extremely bitter. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In a type of self-cultivation, Prunus mahaleb practices selective fruit abortion, producing excess flowers to be pollinated. The plant then puts all its energy into the flowers with the most pollen, and "aborts" those who are deficient. This increases the overall seed yield. See also: Mt Nemrut Volcano: Nature & Lore Sulfur - Treasures of the Underworld Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Prunus mahaleb grows in thickets and open woodland on dry slopes. It's found abundantly in central Europe at alpine heights and volcanic zones. It's naturalized in Sweden and the UK, and in scattered regions of Australia and the US. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures When the fruit is ripe, blackbirds and warblers come to dine. Although the inherent bitterness is meant to dissuade predators, these birds have no problem. As the fruit ripens they switch diet almost completely to the cherries, and leave deposits wherever they fly. See also: Tooth Worms of Ancient Mesopotamia Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The plant is cultivated for the mahleb spice (mahlab, coumarin) in the seeds. Aromatic, with a taste of bitter almonds, mahleb is used to sharpen sweet foods, such as Turkish, Greek and Armenian sweet-breads. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The mahleb spice is made from seeds by grinding and powdering seed kernels, or as a component of cold-pressed oil extracted from the seeds. Bark, wood, and seeds all contain coumarin. Recipes calling for the fruit or seed of the "ḫalub" date back to ancient Sumer, See also: Irrwurz or Mad Root: German Folklore Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Coumarin is thought to have anti-inflammatory and sedative effects. It may aid in widening the arteries or vasodilation, increasing blood flow to nutrient deprived parts of the body. It's first derived from tonka beans in 1820 CE. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures In Middle Eastern cultures, addition of mahlab to certain recipes symbolizes blessings and good fortune. Mahlab is often associated with special events, celebrations and festivals. See also: Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Coumarin has been an integral part of the fougère (fern) genre of perfume since first used in Houbigant's Fougère Royale in 1882. Created by Master Perfumer Paul Parquet, Fougère Royale is instrumental in the development of modern perfumery. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries It's still sold today today, with the odd tweak from 1882. Prunus mahaleb is also valued as an ornamental shrub due to its strong fragrance and bountiful blooms. See also: Linen, Hemp & Cotton - Fabrics of Ancient Egypt Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle P. mahaleb may be the tree in the story of goddess Inanna and the Huluppu Tree. Different versions exist but they're similar. Inanna, deity of love, sexual love, fertility and war, rescues a tree from the Euphraties flood. She takes it home to plant in her garden. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Inanna is an ancient goddess, first mentioned in the Uruk period c. 4000 BCE. The city of Uruk builds her a temple with all the luxuries, priests, servants and a beautiful garden, as the people desire her for a tutelary goddess. See also: Giresun (Aretias): Isle of the Amazons Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Plant Lore: Stinking Nightshade, Henbane Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Inanna is greatly pleased, and moves in. This is where she plants her Huluppu Tree. She cares for it and watches it grow. For five years she waits, and then another five years. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure As a fertility goddess she uses her nurturing magic and the tree is strong. She wants to fashion a bed and throne from the fragrant mystical wood. The tree will soon be big enough. See also: Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Pazuzu - Demon God of Mesopotamia Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Then, terrible things begin to happen. " ... a serpent who would not be charmed Made its nest in the roots of the huluppu-tree. The Anzu-bird set his young in the branches of the tree And the dark maid Lilith built her home in the tree." Her tree thus seized, Inanna weeps, but in vain for these demonic creatures refuse to leave. She asks her brother Shamash (Utu) the Sun for help, but he has other things to do. Finally Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, comes to her rescue. See also: Tanning Hides - Ancient Techniques Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle He slays the serpent who would not be charmed, drives away the young of the Anzu bird, and terrifies the dark maid Lilith, who may be an earlier manifestation of the female Mesopotamian demon of the same name, considered the first wife of first man Adam. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Gilgamesh creates the bed and throne for Inanna from the Huluppu wood. Inanna reciprocates by giving him two unidentified objects she makes from the tree, a mikku and a pikku. They may be a drum and drumsticks or a ball and mallet. He promptly loses them. See also: Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Perchta, Bright One: German Goddess Chamois - Alpine Wild Nature & Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The myth of Inanna and the Huluppa Tree is meant to entertain. As well it explains the origin of the sacred bed and throne in rituals of the 12 Days of Zagmuk, involving a male ruler and a priestess of Inanna re-enacting the nuptials of Inanna and Dumuzi (Dumuzid). See also: Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Baltic Amber - Gold of the North White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Back to Top

Amazons are warrior women first attested in the Bronze Age. They participate in the legendary Trojan War and colonize regions of the Black Sea. Myths arise around these fierce female legions, known as man-eaters and forces of chaos. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Gargari: Men of the Amazon Warriors Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Female warriors and hunters, the Amazons are feared and revered for their agility, strength, archery and riding skills, and diverse arts of combat. Men aren't allowed in their society. They interact with men to make babies, and keep only the girls. According to Strabo (1st century BCE), the Amazons meet with an all-male culture, the Gargarians of the north Caucasus hills. The two groups meet for sex once a year. Female children are kept by the Amazons, and the male children go to their fathers. See also: Pontic Mountains: the Black Sea Alps Colchis - Bronze Age on the Black Sea Alp or Alps: Elves & Alpine Mountains Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Numerous settlements bear the names of Amazon queens. Origin of the Amazons is suggested as the prehistoric lands of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, later called Scythia. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Pontic-Caspian steppe is home to the early originators of the Indo-European language. A great migration happens, beginning c. 4000. Some migrants travel from the northwest coast of the Black Sea to the Aegean, where the Amazons are first described. See also: Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Fact and fiction entwine as deeds and tales of the Amazons spread throughout the ancient world. Amazon warriors are involved in the labors of Hercules as well as the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts. The homeland of the Amazons is thought to be at the end of the earth, which the Greeks place at the Black Sea. It's about as far from the balmy Mediterranean as one can get. See also: Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Chamois - Alpine Wild Nature & Lore Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Early Greeks call it the Póntos Áxeinos or "inhospitable sea". The only way in by ship is through the Bosporus Strait, which the legendary Jason and the Argonauts open up for Greek colonization and trade. The cliffs and rocks of the Pontic Mountains range the coast READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure By the late Bronze Age the Amazons are already making history. Described by Homer in the Iliad, written in the 8th century BCE and set several centuries earlier, the Amazons are among the fighters of the legendary Trojan War. See also: Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Figs - Food of the Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the ninth labor of Heracles, the mythical hero must obtain the war belt or zoster of Amazon queen Hippolyta (Hippolyte). The belt or girdle is a gift to Hippolyta from her father Ares, Greek god of war. Ares is also the creator of the infamous Stymphalian Birds. In one version of the story, Heracles slays the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. In another version she's not slain. She gives Heracles the war belt of Ares, in exchange for the release of her captured sister Melanippe. See also: Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Debate arises whether she's the same Hippolyta abducted by Theseus of ancient Athens. The Theseus adventures take place later than the Herculean tasks. In some versions Theseus abducts Melanippe. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Hippolyta is the second Queen of the Amazons, daughter of Ares and Otrera, the first Amazon Queen. Otrera is considered daughter of the East Wind. She's credited with founding the shrine of Artemis in Ephesus, a former Arzawan capital on the Aegean coast. See also: Arzawa: Rebel Kingdom of the Bronze Age Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The temple of Artemis is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Historically it's dedicated to Artemis Ephesia (Artemis of Ephesus) and finished in 550 BCE. In later Rome Artemis equates to Diana the Huntress. From Antipater of Sidon's list of the Seven Wonders: "I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labor of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, "Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand". See also: Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Attic War of Greek myth occurs because of the abduction of the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta, or one of her sisters, Minelanippe or Antiope. Amazon queen Penthesilea attacks the Athenians, who are led by Theseus or Heracles. The war lasts 4 months, ending with a peace treaty. Depending on the version, the Amazons fight to rescue Hippolyta, Minelanippe or Antiope after her abduction, or as vengeance because she betrays them to wed Theseus. See also: Great Women Artists - Käthe Kollwitz Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books According to Apollonius of Rhodes, author of the epic Argonautica, three cities of the Amazons are in the plain of Doias. Also known as the Thriasio plain in west Attica, it's now part of Athens. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He further mentions a temple of Ares, built by Amazons Otrera and Antiope on an island full of ravening birds. It's identified as Giresun Island in the Black Sea. Ruins of early building and use as a ritual center date as far back as c. 2000 BCE. See also: Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Erinyes - Vengeful Women of Ancient Greece Elp: Bronze Age Militant Cattle Culture Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The temple is described as roofless, made of local rock. Outside the temple an altar is built of pebbles. A sacred black stone is said to have been in the temple. The Amazons are also part of the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts, the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes. In the 3rd century BCE Apollonius Rhodius or Apollonius of Rhodes is librarian of the Musaeum (University) at Alexandria, Egypt. See also: Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Women of Alchemy - Mary the Jewess Wolpertinger - German Myths & Folklore Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The library is famous for its wealth of knowledge and scholarly writings. Apollonius uses historic and contemporary sources in his work. In the Argonautica, Jason gets advice from a blind prophet, who tells him, " .... ye must beach your ship upon a smooth island, when ye have driven away with all manner of skill the ravening birds, which in countless numbers haunt the desert island. In it the Queens of the Amazons, Otrere and Antiope, built a stone temple of Ares ... " See also: Pagan Solstice Fests: Mithras & the Sun Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books And later in the epic: "Then all together they went to the temple of Ares to offer sacrifice of sheep; and in haste they stood round the altar, which was outside the roofless temple, an altar built of pebbles; within a black stone stood fixed, a sacred thing, to which of yore the Amazons all used to pray. Nor was it lawful for them, when they came from the opposite coast, to burn on this altar offerings of sheep and oxen, but they used to slay horses which they kept in great herds." See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Today the island is a bird sanctuary especially for native cormorants. Ruins of buildings include those of a Byzantine monastery. It's said the island is still a fertility ritual site. In May, women gather from the mainland to partake in spring celebrations. By the 9th century BCE, the Amazons are documented as living in the later region of Pontus at the southern Black Sea coast. The site of Terme is the seat of Amazon power, located on a river of the same name flowing into the sea. See also: Mushussu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Suppiluliuma II: the Last Hittite King Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Palaephatus (possibly a pseudonym) of the 4th century BCE tries to rationalize Greek myths in his work On Unbelievable Tales. He suspects the Amazons are men mistaken for women, because they wear garments to their feet, tie up their hair and shave their beards. Archaeological discoveries of burial sites of female warriors, including royalty, are found in the Eurasian Steppes. Some scholars suggest the horse cultures of the Scythian, Sarmatian and Hittite peoples inspired the Amazon legends. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Terramare Culture - Bronze Age Italy Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In 2019, graves of several generations of female Scythian warriors, armed and in golden headdresses, are found at Voronezh, Russia. The bodies are in looted burial mounds. Grave goods include iron arrowheads, horse harness, iron hooks, knives, and horse bones. See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Back to Top

Obsidian is translucent volcanic glass, an igneous stone created from quickly cooled lava. It fractures with clean sharp edges. For thousands of years it's valued for arrowheads, knives, ritual implements and spirituality. Refracted light in obsidian gives it an inner glow. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An important trade item of the ancient world, obsidian is usually black or dark colored. It appears as white-lace snowflake obsidian, rarely in other colors. Obsidian is in use by c. 6800 BCE. It's the most familiar of the natural glass elements. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Others natural glass includes pebble-sized tektites, formed when a meteorite smashes into Earth. Moldavite is green tektite found in southern Bohemia. See also: Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Tektites form as the force causes fusion of elements which become particles of dense black, grey, brown or green glass between a micro-millimeter to several millimeters long. They're scattered outward by the impact. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Natural glass also includes Libyan desert glass, also an impactite. Its origin is uncertain but meteorites are suspected. It's formed c. 29 million years ago. Like obsidian, Libyan desert glass is made into weapons, tools and beads by Pleistocene and later humans. See also: Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Zircon - the Primordial Gemstone Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Another type of volcanic glass, fulgurite, forms when lightning strikes sand and fuses the grains. It's often called fossilized lightning. Fulgurites happen in dry clean sand. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Obsidian is found in volcanic areas where the magma is rich in silica and lava has quickly cooled, without forming crystals. The black glass can be sharpened to a thin cutting edge. With no crystalline structure, obsidian is considered a mineraloid. See also: Cassiterite - Tin Source of Ancients Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients What is the Philosopher's Stone? Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Anatolia (Turkey) is using obsidian by c. 4000 BCE. The rock cleaves to a sharp edge and can be shaped with hand tools. In history it's used for weapons, tools, beads, mirrors, jewelry, ritual objects, statue decor and ancient versions of sunglasses. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Obsidian relief-cut cylinder seals are found in Mesopotamia c. 2700 BCE. Carving obsidian is tricky due to its brittle random layers. Obsidian dust is hazardous to lungs, eyes and skin. Even tiny particles have razor edges. It's ideal for sharp objects. See also: Sulfur - Treasures of the Underworld Mercury (Quicksilver): Miracle Metal of Alchemy Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Greek Aegean, ancient sources of obsidian include Milos, a volcanic island near Crete, and Gyal. Obsidian forms in volcanic zones throughout the world. It can appear as scattered surface stones, outcroppings or deposits on slopes of volcanoes. Obsidian is created in rhyolitic lava streams or aptly named obsidian flows. Due to abundant silica content the flows are very viscous. Rhyolitic lavas typically form thick blocky flows and/or lava domes. See also: Volcanic Wipeout - 1600 BCE Eruption of Thera Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Rhyolitic lava flows are extrusive and tend to be thick and short. The stream descends steep slopes and quickly cools to create obsidian. Obsidian has a vitreous sheen, smooth surface and contains only 1% water, giving it a dense structure. It has a conchoidal fracture and Mohs hardness of 5 - 6, about the same as window glass. See also: Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Usually black, obsidian also forms in less common colors including green or brown. It's rarely found in red, yellow or blue tones. Colors and patterns in obsidian are created by inclusions of quartz or iron oxides such as hematite and limonite. Microscopic crystals of minerals like magnetite, hornblende, pyroxene, plagioclase and biotite, together with tiny rock fragments are most likely to produce the deep black varieties of obsidian. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A Neolithic center of obsidian processing and trade is found at Lake Van, east Turkey, along one of the world's earliest trade routes. It's a major volcanic region, where Eurasian and Arabian tectonic plates continue to collide, causing eruptions and earthquakes. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The benefit of volcanic soil is a multitude of minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Volcanic ash is a natural fertilizer. Before the eruption of Pompeii, Italy, the people grow grapes, olives and abundant crops. The nutritious soil is the basis for Pompeii's wealth. See also: Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books By the late Neolithic obsidian is traded in both the near East and Greece. Early people like the keen cutting edge of obsidian and can work it like flint with skill and precision. In some childbirth rituals it's used to cut the umbilical cord when the baby is born. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries In the Americas obsidian is prized by ancient cultures. In Aztec lore the Goddess of Death, Ītzpāpālōtl, is known as Obsidian Butterfly. Trade prospers in North, Central and S. America, with colored or well-crafted pieces at a premium. Obsidian blades are often used in rituals. See also: Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala Blood Sacrifice, Twin Brothers & Creation Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A Mesoamerican weapon, macuahuitl is a type of war club made of obsidian blades mounted in wood. Combining the sharp edge of obsidian, the ragged cut of a serrated blade and the brute force of a club, the weapon can cause terrible wounds. See also: Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Obsidian Cliff, a national monument in Yellowstone Park, USA, is a major source and sightseeing attraction. Obsidian Cliff has an exposed vertical thickness of about 98 feet (30 m). Obsidian is first quarried from this cliff by Neolithic people c. 8800 BCE. Obsidian Spirituality Spiritually, obsidian is a stone of clarity. It helps a person overcome emotional, physical, and spiritual blockages. Obsidian leaches stress and nervous tension from the body. It guides personal growth and relates to the resolution of old traumas, in this or previous lives. See also: Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Animals relating to obsidian include ravens, considered among the most prophetic of birds in ornithomancy (divination by avian behavior). Obsidian can give a glimpse into future or past lives. It detoxifies the spirit and purifies the mind of negative thoughts or memories. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures One can meditate on obsidian to find solutions for difficult problems, or place obsidian under the pillow to release prophetic or revealing dreams. Obsidian relates to the root chakra. If the root chakra is blocked it interferes with the ability to trust self or others. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Ancient Mesopotamian Cities - Uruk Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The root chakra is at the base of the spine. It helps a person feel grounded and is a vital element of security and stability. The color of the root chakra is red. Red corresponds to fire, essential to creation of obsidian. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Meditation or jewelry of this rock can help find a sense of balance. A strong elemental combination is black obsidian, clear quartz and red jasper. Spiritual work is best done with black obsidian rather than patterned varieties such as snowflake obsidian. See also: Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Ancient Cultures: Yamnaya Steppe People Asteria - Starry Gems of Myth & Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The snowflake pattern is a reaction of quartz. Fancy obsidians are ideal for jewelry and decoration, associated with spiritual protection and repulsion of unwanted energies. Dark or black obsidian speaks to the powers within a person. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures It absorbs negative energies in a space or individual, like charcoal absorbs smells. Rubbing it with cloth builds up heat by friction, activating the purgatory powers of the gem. Boost the positive powers of obsidian by keeping the stone polished and fingerprint-free. See also: Mythical Pagan German Gods & Spirits Women of Alchemy - Mary the Jewess Der Türst: Dread Huntsman & the Wild Hunt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Obsidian is a stone of change. It was created by the formation of elements exposed to intense heat and sudden temperature flux, which cause its glassy quality by preventing crystallization. Brought to high heat again, it transforms to a light, puffy, grey substance. By its nature obsidian is conducive to transformation. It can open channels to higher levels of awareness or depths of consciousness without losing contact to elemental grounding. See also: Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Of the zodiac signs, Sagittarius and Scorpio both associate with obsidian. It's a stone of fire (Sagittarius) and water (Scorpio). Obsidian absorbs water as it gets older. The age of obsidian can be determined by percent of water within it. See also: Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Back to Top

In the Enuma Elish Babylonian Creation Myth, Tiamat is furious by the betrayal of her offspring. Her children the Old Gods goad her to make war on the Young Gods, who killed her partner Abzu. The young gods have taken over the world and give the elders no respect. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Ugallu - Lion Headed Storm Demon Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Grief-stricken by the death of Abzu at the hands of the Young Gods she unfurls her vengeance. From her body spring monsters and dragons of poison. She raises a terrible army and sends her monsters to tear her offspring to pieces. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Only the great Marduk can stand up to the terrible creatures born from the poisonous wrath of Tiamat. Marduk tells the Young Gods he'll destroy the forces of Chaos, embodied by Tiamat and her hateful army, if they make him their King. They agree. See also: 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Anubis: Jackal-Headed God of Egypt Shulpae (Šulpae): Demon Warrior God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Marduk is believed by some to originally be Igigi, and raised by the Gods to an elevated status. Igigi are the servants of the Gods before humans. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure By the time of the Creation Myth Marduk is a young, bold and handsome hero on his way up the stairway of fame. He becomes a God of creation, water, agriculture, justice, medicine, and magic. See also: Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Tiamat - Queen of Chaos & the Sea German Harvest Spirits - Dragons Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Girding his loins he battles his way through demon armies and one by one locates the creatures of evil. Tiamat's eleven monsters are Musmahhu - a horned snake: Furious Ushumgallu - a horned snake: Exalted Basmu - a horned snake: Venomous Umu-dabrutu - a raging storm The mushussu - a snake-dragon Lahamu - a hairy beast-man Ugallu - a lion-demon Uridimmu - a lion-human hybrid Girtablullu - a scorpion-man Kulullu - a fish-man (merman) Kusarikku - a bull-man See also: Ugallu - Lion Headed Storm Demon Demons - Evil Udug of Mesopotamia Lelwani - Hittite Underworld Goddess Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Marduk subdues the lot of them. He binds them, and makes them recreate the world which has been destroyed. The work of Creation purges them of evil. It takes Marduk twelve days to vanquish Tiamat and her monsters, which is the origin of the 12 Days of Zagmuk. Some, like Ugallu, Girtablullu and Kusarikku, become powerful benevolent protection dieties. Marduk is often seen with his loyal snake-dragon animal mushussu, also the symbolic animal of Marduk's son Nabu, the scribe god. See also: Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Steppe Trade Routes: Before the Silk Road Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Marduk defeats the mushussu while the animal is under control of the god Tishpak. The mushussu is much older than the Enuma Elish Creation Myth and first appears in early Sumer. Wisdom is one of its attributes. Below is the image of Marduk most commonly referenced in Babylon and Mesopotamian religion. Adorned with symbols, stars and headdress, an older, bearded Marduk in long robes stands with the mushussu. See also: Pistachio: Turpentine, Resin & Nuts Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon Marduk is a controversial figure in biblical lore, associated with the rebellious king Nimrod. As time passes Marduk often finds himself in conflict with Yahweh, and his deific reputation goes up in smoke. See also: Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Back to Top

Cyprus enters the Neolithic age armed with hundreds of years of history. Humans arrive on the island in the Paleolithic period, which spans 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BCE, the end of the Ice Age. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) Neolithic Anatolia Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Before the Paleolithic, Cyprus is home to pygmy hippos (Hippopotamus minor), dwarf elephants (Elephas cypriotes) and other small animals. Like unique Madagascar species they're thought have been swept out to sea, and develop independently on the island. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Associations are found between the Cyprus animals and artifacts of those from the era on the southern coast of Cyprus. The extinction of pygmy hippos and dwarf elephants is linked to the arrival of Homo sapiens on Cyprus. See also: Oldest Cult Megaliths - Gobekli Tepe Red Madder: Organic Ancient Colors After the Ice Age - Neolithic Builders Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Piles of burned bones are discovered in the sites occupied by the early humans. They inhabit the caves of the southernmost point on the Island, and consume every last pygmy hippopotamus. In this period the use of flint for tools, axes, arrowheads and knife blades is popular. Flint has excellent cleavage and can be hammered to a sharp edge. Ax heads are hand held at first, and further develop when attached to handles with bitumen or resin. See also: Neolithic Europe - Danube Valley Culture Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Epipaleolithic period c. 22,000 - 9600 BCE is a time of human transformation. Many people move from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles in the Upper Paleolithic to sedentary agrarian villagers in the Neolithic. Early agricultural efforts are supplemented by fishing and hunting. Development of grains and livestock into modern versions takes hundreds of years. A type of flax, Linum strictum, grown on Cyprus is primarily used for its fibers to make linen, edible seeds and pressed oil. See also: Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops Figs - Food of the Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Aceramic Neolithic (non-pottery producers) The earliest sign of Neolithic settlement on Cyprus dates to 8800 - 8600 BCE. The first settlers are agriculturalists who don't yet produce pottery. They introduce the dog as well as livestock such as sheep, goats, cattle and pigs. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Neolithic inhabitants also bring wild animals like foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) into the environment. In the Neolithic attempts are made to domesticate foxes, as worked well for dogs, but the fox proves too independent. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Settlers build round houses with floors made of burned lime terrazzo, and cultivate einkorn and emmer wheat. Pig, sheep, goat and cattle are kept. Evidence for cattle is rare. They die out c. 7000 BCE, to be reintroduced in the early Bronze Age. In the c. 5000s BCE, the aceramic Choirokoitia (Khirokitia) culture features round houses (tholoi) and stone vessels. Life is agrarian and pastoral or herding, based economically on sheep, goats and pigs, with no sign of cattle. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Great Women Artists - Käthe Kollwitz Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Daily life is spent farming and hunting. Animal husbandry and the lithic industry (making of stone tools) develops. Homesteaders spindle and weave fibers and fabrics, sew, cook, grind grain, care for children. In early cultures it's women who keep the oil lamps burning. Lithic industry is the most specific trait of the culture. Artifacts of grey andesite, an igneous rock, are discovered during excavations. The houses have foundations of river pebbles. Neolithic terrazzo floors, predecessors to Italian style, use crushed stone, ocher and lime. See also: Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The round buildings are mudbrick using local clays. Sometimes several houses join together to form a cluster or compound. Some houses have diameters up to 10 m (33 ft). Inhumation burials are typical of Neolithic sites, with bodies stashed inside the houses. In western Cyprus, water wells discovered by archaeologists are thought to be among the oldest in the world, dated to 8200 - 6800 BCE in the Stone Age. Plant remains indicate cultivation of cereals, lentils, beans, peas and Bullace, a kind of plum. See also: Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth Kanesh (Kultepe): Kārum City of Trade Amber Trade - Bronze Age on the Baltic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Remains of animal species found during excavations include those of Persian fallow deer, goat, sheep, mouflon (a wild sheep) and pig. More remains indicate red deer (Cervus elaphu) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). A type of horse and dog remains appear. Life expectancy is short. The average age at death is c. 34 years. Rate of infant mortality is high. The earliest pet burial to date are the remains of an 8-month-old cat with its human owner at a Neolithic archeological site in Cyprus, in a grave from c. 7200 BCE. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Amazons - Warrior Women History & Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Around 6000 BCE the aceramic Neolithic civilization ends. Almost 1,500 years pass, until c. 4500 BCE heralds the emergence of Neolithic II (Ceramic Neolithic) culture. Newcomers to Cyprus introduce a neo Neolithic era. The main settlement of this time is Sotira near the south coast of Cyprus. The ceramic Sotira phase (Neolithic II) has monochrome vessels with combed decoration. The settlement consists of almost fifty houses. Most are a single room with its own fireplace or hearth. See also: Suppiluliuma II: the Last Hittite King Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The houses are furnished with benches, platforms and partitions creating places of work or sleeping. Free-standing houses are typically square with rounded corners. Sub-rectangular houses have two or three rooms. In Khirokitia, the remains of the Sotira phase overlay the aceramic remains. There are Sotira-ceramics in the earliest levels of Erimi as well. In the North of the island, the ceramic levels of Troulli equate with those of Sotira in the South. See also: Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Architect Gods & Building in Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Sotira Neolithic settlement in Limassol, Cypurs stands on a hill 5 km (3.1 mi) from the coast. It dates back to the ceramic Neolithic period, when an estimated 150 people live there. As later settlements come in, population grows until the hill is covered in houses. See also: Ammurapi - The Last King of Ugarit Architect Gods & Building in Mesopotamia Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Back to Top

Giresun Island is off the southeast Black Sea coast and the city of Giresun. The island is inhabited by birds, small animals and unique flora. For early Greeks it's Aretias, or the Island of Ares, war god. A ritual temple is erected on Giresun by the legendary Amazons. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Amazons - Warrior Women History & Myth Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Colchis - Bronze Age on the Black Sea Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books At 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from the coast, Giresun Island has an area of 4 ha (almost 10 acres). It's the largest island on the Turkish Black Sea coast with a maximum length of 320 m (1050 ft). Its coast is mostly rocky and steep. It's the only habitable island in the Eastern Black Sea. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure There are two natural bays found to the north-east and south-east, the latter being an adequate harbor for small boats. Archaeological excavations halted several years ago are restarting, as Giresun makes a request for World Heritage Site status. See also: Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Scientists confirm the island has 71 species of natural herbaceous and woody plant species. Dominant plants are bay laurels (Laurus nobilis) and black locust or false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), Cormorants and gulls breed on the island. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Giresun shows signs of human use or occupation by the 2nd millennium BCE. Ruins include a roofless stone temple, an altar of pebbles, fortifications and two wine or oil presses. In the ancient world the temple is ascribed to the Amazons who are said to hold rituals there. See also: Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Herbology & Lore: Stinging Nettle Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A black round stone of c. 4 m (13 ft) diameter, called Hamza Taşı in Turkish, is on the island. Archaeologists suggest the stone is sacred to a Roman cult. It's used as a wishing stone for health, fertility and abundance. Spring women's rituals take place even today. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The rock is also the starting point for a walk as part of the annual Aksu celebrations. An arts and culture event, Aksu Şenliği (Aksu Festival) occurs between 20 - 23 May. Until 1977 it's celebrated on a provincial and local level as Mayıs Yedisi (May 7). See also: Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Potnia: Mystery Goddess of Ancient Greece Pontic Mountains: the Black Sea Alps Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle May 7, based on the Arabic Hegire Calendar, is equated with 20 May in the Julian calendar. In Turkish tradition it's an ancient fest day of shamanistic rituals. The name of Mayıs Yedisi is replaced with Aksu Festivali (Festival of Aksu) in 1992. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Today it's celebrated as Uluslararası Karadeniz Giresun Aksu Festivali (International Giresun-Aksu Festival of Black Sea). The cultural event attracts participants from Black Sea countries such as Azerbaizhan, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia. See also: Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Through history the island is known by various names including Aretias, Nesos and Areos. races of life since ancient times. Many legends, stories, folklore and myths are built around Giresun Island. In 2021 the Governor says "The ruins of the city walls, churches, chapels, water wells and many tomb structures surrounding the island reveal the life and historical richness on the island." New excavations start on the island September / October 2024. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ancient Greek tales say the island is used by Amazons, fierce warrior women of legend, for fertility ceremonies centering on the now-ruined temple. Due to this association, Giresun Island is also called Amazon Adası ("Amazon Island" or "Island of the Amazons"). Giresun Island, under the alternative name Aretias Island, is part of The Argonautica, the epic poem by scholar Apollonius Rhodius set in c. 1300 BCE. In the tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts have strange adventures on this island. See also: Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Jason is told by a blind prophet: " .... ye must beach your ship upon a smooth island, when ye have driven away with all manner of skill the ravening birds, which in countless numbers haunt the desert island. In it the Queens of the Amazons, Otrere and Antiope, built a stone temple of Ares ... " See also: Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Via the Bosporus Strait, the Argonauts come to Aretias Island early in their quest for the Golden Fleece. Fierce birds with sharp beaks appear, shooting bronze and copper feathers. They're the Stymphalian Birds created by Ares. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Unable to kill the birds, the Argonauts frighten them away by banging on shields and shouting. On the island, the Argonauts find four shipwrecked sailors. The sailors warn the adventurers of perils in the Caucasus which will endanger their quest. See also: Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From the Argonautica: "Then all together they went to the temple of Ares to offer sacrifice of sheep; and in haste they stood round the altar, which was outside the roofless temple, an altar built of pebbles; within a black stone stood fixed, a sacred thing, to which of yore the Amazons all used to pray. Nor was it lawful for them, when they came from the opposite coast, to burn on this altar offerings of sheep and oxen, but they used to slay horses which they kept in great herds." See also: Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A legend of King Mithridates VI of Pontus takes place on Giresun Island. The King is angry with the princess his daughter. because she falls in love with a poor shepherd. He imprisons her on the island and hangs the shepherd from a cherry tree in front of the prison tower. In grief, the princess commits suicide by hanging herself from the tower the next day. See also: Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Prussian Blue - Delight of Artists & Poisoners Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Giresun Island archaeological excavations of 2015-2017 uncover early ceramics, frescoes, and mosaics, Byzantine period coins, and many skeletons. In a release: “Numerous remains and traces of life belonging to the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods have been found. The wall ruins surrounding the island and the ruins of the temple dated to the 2nd century AD, the church, chapel, water well, and many tomb structures ... reveal the cultural richness of the island.” See also: Gargari: Men of the Amazon Warriors Ancient Cultures: Yamnaya Steppe People Women of Alchemy - Mary the Jewess Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle According to the Governor, many discoveries have been unearthed on Amazon Island. He says, "We will transform the island into an important tourism area by restoring the civil architecture with its walls, cisterns, chapels and living spaces to its former glory." Early archaeological surveys reveal historical clues about its use. For the past few years the island has been closed due to adverse natural conditions. See also: Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Epic poet Apollonius of Rhodes describes a temple of Ares, built by Amazons Otrera and Antiope on an island full of ravening birds. Today the Island of Giresun is a sanctuary for nesting and migrating birds. See also: Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Victorian Trends - Stripes to Taxidermy Hotel of Horror - The Lady Detective Back to Top

Blacksmiths appear c. 1500 BCE. Metallurgy and metal workers date back to c. 7000 BCE, working metals such as native copper and gold. The blacksmith is an iron and steel specialist. The name blacksmith comes from the soot of the forge. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Blacksmiths know how to heat metals to high temperatures and change their forms and properties, a feat otherwise accomplished only by the Earth herself, or the gods. Smiths are associated both with both creation and the occult. Metallurgy is the ancestor of alchemy. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In early northern mythology, Dwarfs are metallurgists and smiths of the earth. Prominent in Germanic lore (pre-Disney) they're cryptic people emerging from the caverns of the earth, womb of the Mother Goddess with gems and metals, metal-working wisdom and technology. See also: Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Iron Age - Metallurgy & Metal Magic Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The blacksmith works with primal elements and secrets of transmutation. Smiths of myth include Hephaestus of the Greek gods, and later Germanic Wayland the Smith. The Iron Age and advent of steel create a demand for skilled metal workers. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Blacksmithing begins in the empire of the Hittites, who are among the first people to forge and temper iron. At first, smiths have no specialized tools, and work iron and other metals with all-purpose equipment. An advantage to smithing is the ability to make one's own tools. See also: Tanning Hides - Ancient Techniques Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Iron has been worked since prehistory. Before humans gain the ability to extract iron ore, a common iron source is meteorites. Iron is more fragile than earlier bronze, an alloy of copper (88%) and tin (12%). Non-copper metals in bronze can also include arsenic. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Iron ore is the 4th most common element in the Earth's crust, making up 5% of mass. It's typically found as an iron oxide such as magnetite or hematite. These stones are often magnetic, suggestive of their iron content. See also: Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure Cassiterite - Tin Source of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Metals can be smelted in crucibles. A ceramic, stone or metal container, a crucible is used for melting or high-temperature heating of metals and other substances. Crucibles can be used to create ingots, or specific measurements of metal. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The first crucibles are made of clay. Earliest crucibles date to c. 6th millennium BCE in Eastern Europe and Iran. During the Chalcolithic Age blowpipes are used to heat crucibles from the top. In the Middle Ages large crucibles are made into bells. See also: Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Mythic Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Metals such as tin, lead and copper can be separated from ores by heating the rocks with carbon in an early type of smelter, a bloomery. Made of stone, clay, earth or a combination, the bloomery may be set up on the farmstead. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Iron ore is usually a mixture of iron and large amounts of impurities including sand and clay, called gangue. Iron found in ores is extracted by mixing ore with limestone and coal at high heat. The process develops as mankind experiments with low melt point metals such as tin. See also: Mercury (Quicksilver): Miracle Metal of Alchemy Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology Lead White & Minium Red: Colors to Die For Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ancient blacksmiths increase the strength of metals by creating alloys. Early iron and steel workers forge such objects as weapons, shields, armor, chisels, knives, saws, pots, or nails, and reinforce ships and buildings. Cauldrons are important Iron Age inventions. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries On farmsteads the farmer might learn the skills necessary for smelting and molding metals. In history, blacksmiths are usually men. A few women also practice the skills. The first farrier, a specialist in blacksmithing combined with horse hoof and leg care, appears c. 400 BCE. See also: Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Iron is known as the 'black metal'. It's a soft gray color when shined. Exposed to air it's quickly covered with a black oxide, a kind of rust. A blacksmith's fire can cause fast formation of the black oxide. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures In myth, gods Hephaestus of the Greek, Vulcan of the Romans and Vulkan of the German tribes are patrons of the craft. These gods are attuned to Earth and Fire, and dwell in the subterranean realm of humans. They connect to primeval elements and magic of creation. See also: Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Egyptian Ptah, creator god of artists and craftspeople, is patron of ancient Egyptian Memphis (Giza) and also the god of blacksmiths. Other gods and goddesses of the fiery forge include: Africa: Ikenga, Alusi (spirit) of time, success, achievement, farming, blacksmiths, and industry Ogun, patron god of warriors, soldiers, blacksmiths, metal workers, and craftsmen Arabia Qaynan, Sabean patron god of smiths Celtic Brigid, goddess of spring, blacksmiths, fertility, healing, and poetry Gobannus, Gallo-Roman deity whose name means 'the smith' Gofannon, Welsh god of blacksmithing, ale, architecture and building Goibniu, Irish god of blacksmithing, one of the Trí Dée Dána Lugh, god of craftsmen, games, arts, oaths, truth, and law Circassian Tlepsh, god of fire, smithing, metal, weapons and virility Finnish Ilmarinen, god of blacksmithing and archetypal artificer. Greek Athena, goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare Hephaestus, god of metalworking and the forge Germanic Vulkan, god of metalworking Greco-Roman Vulcan, god of metalworking and the forge Hindu Ribhus, originally a sun deity, personified by three male artisans Vishvakarman, architect of the gods Hittite Ḫašamili (Hashamili) god of metal working Hungarian Hadúr, god of metalworking and war Japanese Ame-no-Mahitotsu, god of metal-working and blacksmiths Kagu-tsuchi, patron god of blacksmiths, ceramic workers, and fire Meite Pisatao, god of architecture and crafts Mesopotamian Gibil, fire god Nordic Thor, god of lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength Ossetian Kurdalægon, god of blacksmiths Ugaritic Kothar-wa-Khasis, patron god of metalworking Vietnam Bà Kim, goddess of metal and blacksmithing Tổ nghề Khổng Lồ, god of bronze casting See also: Alum: Ancient Tanning & Dyeing Salts Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Women of Alchemy - Mary the Jewess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Steel objects are found as early as 1800 BCE, the middle Bronze Age. Steel is hardened or tempered through heat treatment. The earliest industrial level steel production is in 13th century BCE in Hittite Anatolia, and c. 900 BCE in Egypt. See also: Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Back to Top

The Pontic Mountains curve around the southeast coast of the Black Sea in Turkey and the country of Georgia. For millennia they provide food and refuge for nomadic people, farmers and tribal societies such as the notorious Bronze Age Kashka. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Colchis - Bronze Age on the Black Sea Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Also called the Pontic Alps they're Kuzey Anadolu Dağları in Turkish, or "North Anatolian Mountains". Pontic Alps translates as "alpine mountains of the Black Sea". Alps are created by the upward thrust of tectonic plates, compared to volcanic mountains. Turkey has both. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Around Lake Van, where tectonic plates clash, volcanic eruptions last occur in 1855 CE. Turkey is one of the most tectonically active regions in the world, with a long history of major earthquakes. The Pontic region is once underwater. See also: Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Alp in German is an archaic term for Elf, and also refers to high craggy mountains with fertile pasture land. The term alpine comes from the German Alp and pl Alpen. Alps are the youngest type of mountains. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The Pontic Alps are called Parhar in local Turkish. Creation of the Caucasus, Taurus and Pontic Alps dates to the Cretaceous period, 100 million to 66 million years ago. Below, the Sea of Marmara is named Propontis by the Greeks, meaning "before the Pontus". See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Alp or Alps: Elves & Alpine Mountains Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Formed by collision of tectonic plates such as Eurasian, African, Arabian and Indian the Pontic alpine range extends northeast into today's Georgia, and west to the Sea of Marmara. The highest peak in the range is Kaçkar Dağı, at 3,937 m (12,917 ft). The North Anatolian Fault and the Northeast Anatolian Fault are strike-slip faults or vertical fractures caused by tectonic pressure along the length of the range. Earthquakes and seismic activity are frequent as the Anatolian block is pushed westward. See also: Amber Trade - Bronze Age on the Baltic Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In 2022, the Turkish Disaster & Emergency Management Authority documents over 20,000 earth tremors through the country. In the late Bronze Age (c. 1300 BCE) earthquakes and seismic events are considered among the catalysts of the Bronze Age Collapse. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The Pontic range has dense coniferous forests especially on south slopes. Species include black pine (Pinus negra), Calabrian pine (P. brutia), Scotch pine (P. sylvestris) and Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis). The rare Turkish fir (Abies bornmuelleriana) grows in the north. See also: Tannenbaum - About the Balsam Fir Tree Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Deciduous forests also cover most of the range, with trees such as oak (Quercus cerris) and massive oriental beech (Fagus orientalis). Mixed forests extend over the east end of the range. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Pontus, a narrow strip of coastline between the mountains and the Black Sea, is home to Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests and rare temperate rainforests. Other trees include Greek juniper and cedar of Lebanon. Pontus is also a legendary home of the Amazon warriors. See also: Chamois - Alpine Wild Nature & Lore Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Wildlife of the forests and mountains include chamois, gray wolf, golden jackal, red deer, and brown bears. Lofty peaks attract the cinereous vulture. Other bird species include Eurasian sparrowhawk, golden eagle, eastern imperial eagle and Caucasian black grouse. In the Bronze Age, the Pontic Mountains are home to mountain warriors such as the Kashka and Tumanna tribes. They dominate the Black Sea Coasts, serve as mercenaries and habitually terrorize attempts at northern settlement by the fierce Hittites. See also: Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Tumanna: Ancient Black Sea Kingdom Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Several freshwater mountain streams feed into the Black Sea. Beginning from the alpine heights they pool in the highlands or can be channeled to irrigate crops or adapted as animal drinking or crossing sites. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Bosporus, extending from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, is named for legendary Io, who is turned into a cow by Goddess Hera. Bosporus comes from the Greek meaning cattle crossing or ox-ford. See also: Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Pontic Mountains live farmers and raiders, not aways the same people. The Kashka weave, hunt chamois and breed pigs when mercenary business is slow. Livestock animals on the rugged slopes and gentle valleys also include cows, goats and sheep. Crops can be cultivated in the lowlands and highland meadows. Even the mountain warrior tribes are known to grow wheat and potatoes. Emmer wheat is one of the ancient grains and among the few crops to be grown successfully in alpine conditions. See also: Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Some farmers come from the region of Colchis and other Bronze Age settlements on the Black Sea. Colchian merchants and landowners prosper. By the time the early Greeks arrive through the Bosporus, Colchis is already wealthy through trade and ambition. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Colchis has an advanced metalworking culture and copper resources. Merchants trade with the coastal groups and later the Greeks, who immediately colonize the shores. See also: Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Greek mythology, the first King of Colchis has the Golden Fleece apprehended by Jason and the Argonauts. Written in the first millennium BCE, Jason's adventures are thought to take place c. 1300 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Kaƈkar Daǧ (Kackar Dag) is the highest peak of the Pontic Mountains. Rivers descend the north slopes of the mountain into the Büyükdere watershed, then into the Black Sea. The Büyükdere is important to the spawning of sea trout and sturgeon. See also: Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Volcanism appears primarily in Lake Van province of the Armenian Highlands. Here the Pontic Range meets the Caucasus Mountains. See also: Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) Neolithic Anatolia Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Back to Top