Chinese Asiatique Art

Tillya Tepe

Dates and context

Several coins dated up to the early 1st century CE, with none dated later, suggest a 1st century CE date for the burial. The burial could correspond to Scythian or Parthian tribes dwelling in the area, or may correspond to the extinction of the local Yuezhi royal dynasty after the conquests of all the other xihou or 'princes' in Daxia by Kujula Kadphises. (See Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan.)

Crown. Tomb VI (female owner).

A silver coin was found from the reigns of the Parthian king Mithridates II, who ruled c. 12388 BCE. The coin was found in tomb III, and was apparently held in the hand of the defunct woman.

An imitation gold coin of Parthian King Gotarzes I (95-90 BCE) was found in the left hand of the defunct woman in tomb 6. The fact that this coin is in gold, and not silver or bronze as is usually the case for Parthian coinage, suggest that this imitation was made for prestige purposes. The coin is counterstamped with the frontal depiction of what might have been a local chieftain. The counterstamp was added so as to not damage the portrait of the Parthian king, perhaps indicating some degree of dependency on the Parthians.

A gold coin was also found in tomb III showing the bust in profile of the wreath-crowned Roman Emperor Tiberius. On the reverse is an enthroned, sumptuously draped female figure holding a spray and scepter. Coins of this type were minted in the city of Lugdunum in Gaul, between 16 and 21 CE.

The Buddhist gold coin found in Tillia tepe. Tomb IV.

History of Afghanistan

Timeline

Pre-Islamic Period

Achaemenids (550-330 BC)

Seleucids (330-150 BC)

Greco-Bactrians (256-125 BC)

Sakas (145 BC - )

Kushans (30 CE - 248 CE)

Indo-Sassanid (248 - 410)

Kidarites (320-465)

Hephthalites (410-557)

Sassanids (224-579)

Kabul Shahi (565-670)

Islamic Conquest

Umayyads (661-750)

Abbasids (750-821)

Tahirids (821-873)

Saffarids (863-900)

Samanids (875-999)

Ghaznavids (963-1187)

Seljukids (1037-1194)

Khwarezmids (1077-1231)

Ghurids (1149-1212)

Ilkhanate (1258-1353)

Timurids (1370-1506)

Mughals (1501-1738)

Safavids (1510-1709)

Hotaki dynasty (1709-1738)

Afsharids (1738-1747)

Durrani Empire (1747-1823)

Emirate (1823-1926)

Kingdom (1926-1973)

Republic (1973-1978)

Democratic Republic (1978-1992)

Islamic State (1992-1996)

Islamic Emirate (1996-2001)

Islamic Republic (2001-)

Afghan Civil War

19791989

19891992

19921996

19962001

2001resent

Afghanistan Portal

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A Buddhist gold coin from India was also found in tomb IV (the male warrior). On the reverse, it depicts a lion with a nandipada, with the Kharoshthi legend "Sih[o] vigatabhay[o]" ("The lion who dispelled fear"). On the obverse, an almost naked man only wearing an Hellenistic chlamys and a petasus hat (an iconography similar to that of Hermes/ Mercury) rolls a wheel. The legend in Kharoshthi reads "Dharmacakrapravata[ko]" ("The one who turned the Wheel of the Law"). It has been suggested that this may be an early representation of the Zoroaster.

Finally, a very worn coin has been identified as belonging to the Yuezhi chieftain Heraios.

Reconstitution of two members of the Tillya Tepe burial, with corresponding artifacts: man (tomb IV, left), and woman (tomb II, right).

It is thought that the site belonged to Sakas (Asian Scythians, who were later to migrate to India, where they are known as Indo-Scythians), although some suggest the Yuezhi (future Kushans) or eastern Parthians as an alternative. Several of the artifacts are highly consistent with a Scythian origin, such as the royal crown or the polylobed decorated daggers discovered in the tombs. Several of the defuncts exhibited ritual deformation of the skull, a practice which is well documented among Central Asian nomads of the period.

Necklace. Tomb II.

"Kings with dragons". Tomb II.

"Akinakes" polylobed decorated daggers. Tomb IV.

Clothe decorations.

Decorative stars. Tomb I.

Earings. Tomb VI.

Bracelets.

Cultural influences

Hellenistic tritons with dolphins. Tomb I.

These pieces have much in common with the famous Scythian gold artifacts recovered thousands of kilometers west on the banks of the Bosphorus and the Chersonese.

Aphrodite and Eros. Tomb II, Tillia tepe.

A high cultural syncretism pervades the findings, however. Hellenistic cultural and artistic influences can be found in many of the forms and human depictions (from amorini to rings with the depiction of Athena and her name inscribed in Greek), attributable to the existence of the Seleucid empire and Greco-Bactrian Kingdom in the same area until around 140 BCE, and the continued existence of the Indo-Greek Kingdom in the northwestern Indian sub-continent until the beginning of our era.

The artifacts were also intermixed with items coming from much farther, such as a few Chinese artifacts (especially Chinese bronze mirrors) as well as a few Indian ones (decorated ivory plates). This seems to be a testimony to the richness of cultural influences in the area of Bactria at that time.

Men in armor, in Greek fighting gear. Tomb III.

Golden belt, with depictions of Dyonisos riding a lion. Tomb IV.

Amorini riding on fish, Tillia tepe. Tomb II.

Rings from Tillia tepe; the left one represents a seated Athena. Tomb II.

Dyonisos and Ariadne riding a lion. Tomb VI.

Loss and re-discovery

It was thought that the treasure, which had been placed in the Kabul Museum, was destroyed during the looting of the museum by the Taliban in 2000. Apparently the treasure was hidden away by some employees of the museum, and was recently re-discovered by chance at the bottom of commodity crates. Following an agreement between the Afghan government and France, the collection was on display at the Muse Guimet in Paris (from December 2006 to April 2007).

See also

Bactrian Gold

External links

Website dedicated to Afghanistan's Treasures by Muse Guimet (Paris, France): Afghanistan, les trsors retrouvs

"Afghanistan: Nation Protects Storied Bactrian Treasure", from Radio Free Europe, June 9, 2006 provides an overview.

"Afghan golden treasure on display", from BBC News South Asia, December 6, 2006

Notes

^ Sarianidi, Victor. 1985. The Golden Hoard of Bactria: From the Tillya-tepe Excavations in Northern Afghanistan. Harry N. Abrams, New York.

^ Encyclopaedia Britannica

^ "Il semble qu'on ait l la plus ancienne reprsentation du Zoroaster, selon une modalit qui n'est pas encore celle de l'iconograhie boudhique traditionnelle" (French): "It seems this might be the earliest representation of the Buddha, in a style which is not yet that of traditional Zoroastrian iconography", in Afghanistan, les trsors retouvs, p. 280.

References

Sarianidi, V. I. "The Treasure of Golden Hill." American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 84, No. 2 (Apr., 1980), pp. 125131.

Sarianidi, Victor. 19901992. "Tilya Tepe: The Burial of a Noble Warrior." PERSICA XIV, 19901992, pp. 103130.

"Afghanistan, les trsors retrouvs", Muse des arts asiatiques Guimet, ISBN 2711852938

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul (2008). Eds., Friedrik Hiebert and Pierre Cambon. National Geographic, Washington, D.C. ISBN 978-1-4262-0374-9.

Coordinates: 36420 654713.2 / 36.7N 65.787E / 36.7; 65.787

Categories: Archaeological sites in Afghanistan | Asian archaeology | Archaeological artefacts | Former settlements in AfghanistanHidden categories: Articles containing Persian language text
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