The permanent head of the expedition, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Viktor Sarianidi informed on completion of the next field season of excavations International Margiana expedition of the National Department for Protection, Study and Restoration of Monuments of History and Culture which was set up jointly with the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences:
- I often say that Gonur exhausted itself and something new and interesting can be found just outside of this unique city. It was populated by the governor and possibly priests. But every time I'm forced to admit that he was wrong. And now I was able to establish that contrary to previous findings, the aristocrats of the Bronze Age occasionally staged their homes in the immediate vicinity of the "holy city". This finding confirmed the spring in the north-west of the complex as well as the work begun in the north-east. And within two days we dug up a few areas with ritual dual chamber seals.
In the West all private collections, alas, replenished from the "black excavations", that is practically the destruction, looting of archaeological sites in the countries of the East. There is no proper control of the state. Therefore even the United States has adopted a special resolution on the fact that their country will not be accepted for publication scientific articles on the findings of unknown origin. This private collection consisting of such items are to be outside the law and their scientific value is negligible but such bans are unlikely to stop the "gentlemen of fortune".
The question was what attitude to our expedition has this problem? But the fact is that Turkmenistan can be proud that all of the old seals and amulets (and not only them!) in contrast to many other countries. This comes from scientific excavations. About every item in the Turkmen museums we know everything: where he is, in what cultural layer, when and who discovered it. For science, this information is invaluable. This helps to understand and use of the goods and the role of the image on it. For example, by analyzing those stories that are on the seals and Bactrian Margiana, I was able to establish that their main idea was a struggle between good and evil, which corresponds exactly to the dualism in the religion of the ancient East, most fully expressed in Zoroastrianism.
Media has already reported there are two rare pieces of miniature sculptures that among the findings attracted attention in the last season of excavations at Gonur Depe. One of them is a marble once belonged to the so-called "composite statue", and the other one of baked clay. If you put them side by side there will be seen the difference. Marble is clearly a man's portrait. How wonderful ancient master in such a tiny product (height of the head just over 2 centimeters) gave individual traits known to it man! Second one is the terracotta head. It is very different. On another wet clay on the enormous eyes occupies almost half of the face, and a huge eyebrow are on face, just a few solid and confident movements sharp properly sharpened tool. Such a generalized figure is likely to say that it was an image of a deity. It is worth paying attention to what unites these findings. Both of them: marble and clay is the transferor with large, sharply protruding noses. In addition both the head is round instead of elongated. According N.A.Dubovoy anthropological expedition in the study for the first time Gonur cemetery monuments of Turkmenistan met with the remains of the Bronze Age brahikefalov. These people had length of the head not much greater than its width while the most common were in that era dolihokefaly (people with a long head). Other anthropologists agree with her opinion that the variety of appearance which is characteristic of modern Turkmenistan has already developed in the Bronze Age. Two new findings once again confirm this conclusion.
Saying goodbye V.I.Sarianidi said that he finished a new book called “Treasures of Margiana” in collaboration with N.A.Dubovoy. It will be a colorful album which absorbed all the most valuable found on Gonur 40 years. Illustrations especially for this edition made famous Russian photographer Cyril Samur. Of course the study will continue and there will be much more books and articles about this phenomenon of the Bronze Age as Gonur Depe. But they will rely on the scientific foundation that was laid during these years.
- I often say that Gonur exhausted itself and something new and interesting can be found just outside of this unique city. It was populated by the governor and possibly priests. But every time I'm forced to admit that he was wrong. And now I was able to establish that contrary to previous findings, the aristocrats of the Bronze Age occasionally staged their homes in the immediate vicinity of the "holy city". This finding confirmed the spring in the north-west of the complex as well as the work begun in the north-east. And within two days we dug up a few areas with ritual dual chamber seals.
In the West all private collections, alas, replenished from the "black excavations", that is practically the destruction, looting of archaeological sites in the countries of the East. There is no proper control of the state. Therefore even the United States has adopted a special resolution on the fact that their country will not be accepted for publication scientific articles on the findings of unknown origin. This private collection consisting of such items are to be outside the law and their scientific value is negligible but such bans are unlikely to stop the "gentlemen of fortune".
The question was what attitude to our expedition has this problem? But the fact is that Turkmenistan can be proud that all of the old seals and amulets (and not only them!) in contrast to many other countries. This comes from scientific excavations. About every item in the Turkmen museums we know everything: where he is, in what cultural layer, when and who discovered it. For science, this information is invaluable. This helps to understand and use of the goods and the role of the image on it. For example, by analyzing those stories that are on the seals and Bactrian Margiana, I was able to establish that their main idea was a struggle between good and evil, which corresponds exactly to the dualism in the religion of the ancient East, most fully expressed in Zoroastrianism.
Media has already reported there are two rare pieces of miniature sculptures that among the findings attracted attention in the last season of excavations at Gonur Depe. One of them is a marble once belonged to the so-called "composite statue", and the other one of baked clay. If you put them side by side there will be seen the difference. Marble is clearly a man's portrait. How wonderful ancient master in such a tiny product (height of the head just over 2 centimeters) gave individual traits known to it man! Second one is the terracotta head. It is very different. On another wet clay on the enormous eyes occupies almost half of the face, and a huge eyebrow are on face, just a few solid and confident movements sharp properly sharpened tool. Such a generalized figure is likely to say that it was an image of a deity. It is worth paying attention to what unites these findings. Both of them: marble and clay is the transferor with large, sharply protruding noses. In addition both the head is round instead of elongated. According N.A.Dubovoy anthropological expedition in the study for the first time Gonur cemetery monuments of Turkmenistan met with the remains of the Bronze Age brahikefalov. These people had length of the head not much greater than its width while the most common were in that era dolihokefaly (people with a long head). Other anthropologists agree with her opinion that the variety of appearance which is characteristic of modern Turkmenistan has already developed in the Bronze Age. Two new findings once again confirm this conclusion.
Saying goodbye V.I.Sarianidi said that he finished a new book called “Treasures of Margiana” in collaboration with N.A.Dubovoy. It will be a colorful album which absorbed all the most valuable found on Gonur 40 years. Illustrations especially for this edition made famous Russian photographer Cyril Samur. Of course the study will continue and there will be much more books and articles about this phenomenon of the Bronze Age as Gonur Depe. But they will rely on the scientific foundation that was laid during these years.
