Mysterious ancient lion-head bronze discs

THERIOMORPHIC ICONOGRAPHIC ARTIFACTS: Unique and Mysterious Lions-Head Bronze Discs Found in Roman Tomb in Israel (Unattributed, Ancient Origins).

In 2018, a salvage excavation at the ancient Roman-period site of Khirbat Ibreika in southern Israel resulted in the recovery of a true archaeological enigma. This was four striking bronze discs that featured reliefs of lion heads, each of which was adorned with a heavy ring. Found inside a sealed tomb—designated Tomb T6—these striking artifacts were neatly stacked together in one corner, separated from other grave goods that included twelve glass vessels and an iron nail.

The context and craftsmanship of the lion-head discs quickly attracted scholarly attention. Dating to the first or second century AD, the artifacts were considered quite puzzling: were they only decorative pieces or once-functional handles for a wooden coffin, or did they hold a deeper spiritual or symbolic meaning that made perfect sense within the cultural context of the time?

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This is the first I've heard of this discovery. The underlying article is in the open-access, peer-review journal ‘Atiqot:

Haddad, Elie and Zwiebel, Elisheva (2025) "Unique Lion-Headed Handles from a Roman-Period Cist Tomb
South of Khirbat Ibreika," 'Atiqot : Vol. 117, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2257
Available at: https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol117/iss1/9

Unique Lion-Headed Handles from a Roman-Period
Cist Tomb South of Khirbat Ibreika

Elie Haddad (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Elisheva Zwiebel (Israel Antiquities Authority)

A salvage excavation at Khirbat Ibreika unearthed eight cist graves, one of which contained a group of four unique, bronze lion-head discs and ring-handles dated to the Roman period (first–second centuries CE). The restoration demonstrates that the ring-handles were connected to the top of the lion’s head, rather than through its mouth. This article discusses the function of the lion-headed handles, as decorative elements or as handles used for carrying a wooden coffin or lowering it into a grave. Similar lion-headed handles are presented from various contexts to reconstruct their function in funerary contexts and decipher the symbolism of the lion and its cultural affinities.

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