“Importance of Study of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Silk Road: Restoration and Preservation Works and Scientific Analysis” Conference has been held in the Museum of Visual Arts on December 6.
Organized by National Department for Protection, Study and Restoration of historical and cultural monuments together with the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences, the conference has become a platform for discussion of results of archaeological surveys as well as work of national restoration personnel for the past year.
Public presentation of new items handed over the Ak Bugday National Museum of Ahal Velayat and to historical museums of Lebap and Mary Velayats was an original foreword of the meeting of archaeologists, restoration specialists and art history scientists.
As it was informed, the Head of the State has been informed about results of archaeological surveys of the year at the session of the Government on November 22.
At the same time, the decision on hand over of ancient artefacts to museums of the velayats has been made.In Ahal Velayat, the excavations were carried out at such famous medieval settlements as Abiverd, Paryz-depe, Shehrislam as well as at the famous Mausoleum of Abu Said Abul Hayr, who is called by Turkmens as Meane-baba.
Several types of ceramic dishes of Seljuk and Timur periods were among the findings of Abiverd, which ruins are located at the western outskirt of Kaahka.These are restored glazed dish with decorative painting in the form of chess as well as undamaged samples of bowls and cups dated by XIV XV centuries of different shapes and sizes.
Massive of almost one meter height ceramic rings of ellipse cross section, which were used as links of underground water tunnel, are very rare.These details of ancient water well indicate high engineering level of local masters, who have created hydro technological system, which supplied fortified city with water from the Kopetdag foothills in pre-Mongolian period.
Bronze pin with the head in the shape of water bird is very interesting.Such items were widely used in the Bronze Age around 4,000 years ago: numerous samples with different shapes of the heads were found in ancient Margiana.
However, discovery of similar pin in Abiverd was quite of surprise and probably, it could be related to huge ancient settlement of Namazga-depe located nearby.It is older that the monuments of the country of Margush and according to Victor Sarianidi, the discoverer of this place, the tribes, which founded such cities as Gonur-depe, have moved to the delta of Murgab River from Namazga.
Discovered pin serves as another argument in favour of this hypothesis.Spherical cones, which were very popular in medieval time and produced in big quantities almost in all craft centres of Eurasia throughout long historical period, present separate category of findings.
These pottery items of unusual shape, solid like a stone, raised the interest of scientists for long time.They have found out that this type of ceramics appeared in VII VIII centuries in Iran, later in Iraq Egypt and in IX century in Central Asia, Caucasus and Eastern Europe.
Central Asian spherical cones are distinguished by greyish green colour, thick walls and bottom.They are made on potter’s wheel from a clay without any additives and in many cases had ornaments.
The quality of fragment is distinguished by density, durability and ringing metallic sound when hit.Spherical cones were used for storage of mercury, which was widely used in jewellery, in production of paints, as important component of medicine in medieval time.
It is not only written sources, which indicate that spherical cones were used for storage and transportation of mercury.There were some discoveries of spherical cones with mercury inside; in addition, big number of cones were found in the places where the mercury were made out of cinnabar.
The name of spherical cones spread among local population “simab kuzacha” (jug for silver water) points out at the relation between spherical cones and mercury.At the same time, it was convenient and break proof container for storage and transportation of other liquids.
Having universal characteristics, spherical cones were widely used in production, chemistry, medicine, perfumery and as a household item as bottles for medicine, fragrances and expensive oils in X XV centuries.
Another excellent artefact was discovered by personnel of the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Abiverd”.The researches have found some coins during archaeological clean up of the floor in the interior of the famous Meana-baba Mausoleum for study of multi-layer structure of tiling and finding out the date of repair works, which have been carried out at this place throughout the centuries.
Having stayed in humidity for many centuries, the coins were oxidized, stuck together and were hard to identify.After thorough clean-up in laboratory, it was found out that these were silver dirhems of different coinage. 91 silver coins were found all together. 47 of them have sign with the name of Abag Khan, who ruled the State of Ilkhanids in 1265 1282.
The name of Argun is read on other 36 coins.Two major historical characters Argun- Khan, who ruled the State of Ilkhanids in 1284 1291, and Turkmen Argun-Shakh, who ruled Khorasan with the residence in Merv, are known under this name in that period.
Two coins with the name of Argun-Khan raised special attention of coin collectors they have pictures of animals on reverse side: one has a picture of a lion while another has a picture of an animal looking like a bull.
According to specialists, zoomorphic motifs were typical for the mints of big cities of Khorasan of those days.Probably, these pictures marked a year of Oriental Calendar of 12-year cycle (muche) when they were minted.
Other eight dirhems are related to the State of Ilkhanids as well, however, it is impossible to read the name of ruler.It is possible that it could have been Gazan- Khan from Chengizids, who according to Rashid ad-Din, have adopted Islam and made pilgrimage to the tomb of sacred elder Sheik Abu Said Abul Hayr (Meana-Baba) and ordered to restore it.
This was a time when amazing tiled mosaic has appeared on the portal of the mausoleum.Excavations of Dandanakan a small town of Seljuk epoch on the old caravan route from Serakhs to Merv, have been continued in Mary Velayat.
Two field seasons with participation of American colleagues from New York Metropolitan Museum brought many new discoveries.It includes a big pot, ceramic jug with big handle and narrow neck, details of weaving machine, bronze, metal and stone dishware.
Kisser a small metal knife for cutting off a lint while weaving carpets, dated by XI XII centuries, is the most remarkable finding.Ceramic and stone items, samples of glass dishware, beads and household items, which were discovered during works at Timurid ancient settlement of Abdullakhan Kala, located on the outskirt of modern Bayramaly.
Relatively undamaged water bowl with black and yellow ornaments on white engobe is distinguished among numerous fragments of glazed ceramics discovered during excavations of Big Gyz-Kala in Ancient Merv.
The technique and traditional deoration of the bowl in the shape of plant ornament allows dating this item by the second half of IX or X centuries.Wavy stem pattern, which is framed and represented by wavy spring with semi-palmettes adjoining in free symmetric order is known under the name of “islimi”.
It has become popular in the decoration of various art crafts in the period of Abbasid Kalifate and reached the perfection in the epoch of the Great Seljuks.However, the image in the round medallion on the bottom of the bowl is very rare in ceramics of not only Merv but Central Asia in general.
It is represented by woman riding a horse.Both characters are painted in in clear linear graphics by confident hands and convey the expression of the images.The woman holds round shield in one of her raised hand and sword, much probably, in another.
Loss of painting does not let to see this part of the picture but small part of the sword is painted in yellow with black line showing the chute along the sword.
The dish from Kyz Kala is distinguished by transparency and cleanness of glazing, contrasting colour palette aimed at creation of bright visual image.Medieval master created unusual whole and plastically expressed peace of art.
Now, it is an adornment of the Mary Velayat Historical Museum.Results of excavation at ancient settlement of Amul are more modest.Amul is an ancient part of modern Turkmenabaat.
It appeared around 2,000 years ago when fertile valley of the mid-stream of Amudarya was a part of Kushan Kingdom.Mighty cultural layer of Amul is yet to give many surprises to archaeologists but in the meantime, they have discovered ceramic jugs dated by XIX century, buckle of ancient belt and terracotta mascot seal with the picture of argali, much probably from Kushan period.
Rare shape of horns identifies him as an old type of this rare animal.Teacups imitating ancient Chinese porcelain proves high skills of medieval craftsmen of Amul.Ceramic dishware with blue glazing, remains of glazed tiles of the same colour, different metal and glass items have ben founded.
New exhibits shed light on unstudied aspects of history of Turkmenistan and give an opportunity to scientific personnel of velayat museums to concentrate on their study, to determine their place and importance in tangible culture and art of our distant ancestors.
The researchers will have to use not only their knowledge in history and archaeology of Central Asia but also to display an insight in order to trace the succession of development of ceramics, glyptics and metal works as well as to answer the question how these ancient crafts were integrated to art and social structures of those times, what role they played in daily life of such famous cities of the Silk Road as Amul, Merv, Dandanakan, Abiverd, Nisa and many other.