Tillya TepeFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crown from Tomb VI (female owner)

Golden belt, with depictions ofDyonisos(or the syncretic Iranian goddessNana/ Nanaia) riding a lion. Tomb IVTillya tepe,Tillia tepeorTill tapa(Persian: ) or (literally "Golden Hill" or "Golden Mound") is anarchaeologicalsite in the northernAfghanistanprovince ofJowzjannearSheberghan, excavated in 1978 by aSoviet-Afghanteam led by theGreek-RussianarchaeologistViktor Sarianidi, a year before theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan. The hoard is often known as theBactrian gold.The hoard is a collection of about 20,600 gold ornaments that were found in six burial mounds (five women and one man) with extremely rich jewelry, dated to around the 1st century BCE. Altogether several thousand pieces of fine jewelry were recovered, usually made ofgold,turquoiseand/orlapis-lazuli. The ornaments includecoins,necklacesset withgems,belts,medallionsandcrowns. After its discovery the hoard went missing during the wars in Afghanistan, until it was "rediscovered" and first brought to public attention again in 2003. A new museum inKabulis being planned where the Bactrian gold will eventually be kept.The heavily fortified town of Yemshi-tepe, just five kilometres to the northeast of modern Sheberghan on the road toAkcha, is only half a kilometre from the now-famous necropolis of Tillia-tepe.Contents[hide] 1Dates and context 2Cultural influences 3Loss and re-discovery 4Exhibitions 5Gallery 6Notes 7References 8External linksDates and context[edit]

Reconstitution of two members of the Tillya Tepe burial, with corresponding artifacts: man (r. tomb IV) and woman (l. tomb II).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 localYuezhiroyal dynasty after the conquests of all the otherxihouor 'princes' inDaxiabyKujula Kadphises. (SeePre-Islamic period of Afghanistan.)A silver coin was found in one of the tombs from the reigns of theParthiankingMithridates 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 KingGotarzes 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 EmperorTiberius. On the reverse is an enthroned, sumptuously draped female figure holding a spray and scepter. Coins of this type were minted in the city ofLugdunuminGaul, between 16 and 21 CE.[1]

Tillya Tepe is located in the Western portion of the region of ancientBactriaA Buddhist gold coin from India was also found in tomb IV (the male warrior). On the reverse, it depicts a lion with anandipada, with theKharoshthilegend "Sih[o] vigatabhay[o]" ("The lion who dispelled fear"). On the obverse, an almost naked man only wearing an Hellenisticchlamysand apetasushat (an iconography similar to that ofHermes/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 ofZoroaster.[2]Finally, a very worn coin has been identified as belonging to the Yuezhi chieftainHeraios.It is thought that the site belonged toSakas(AsianScythians, who were later to migrate to India, where they are known asIndo-Scythians), although some suggest theYuezhi(futureKushans) or easternParthiansas 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.Cultural influences[edit]

Hellenistic tritons with dolphins (Tomb I.).These pieces have much in common with the famousScythiangold artifacts recovered thousands of kilometers west on the banks of theBosphorusand theChersonese.A high culturalsyncretismpervades the findings, however.Hellenisticcultural and artistic influences can be found in many of the forms and human depictions (fromamorinito rings with the depiction ofAthenaand her name inscribed inGreek), attributable to the existence of theSeleucid empireandGreco-Bactrian Kingdomin the same area until around 140 BCE, and the continued existence of theIndo-Greek Kingdomin 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 fewChineseartifacts (especially Chinese bronze mirrors) as well as a fewIndianones (decorated ivory plates). This seems to be a testimony to the richness of cultural influences in the area ofBactriaat that time.Loss and re-discovery[edit]

A ram figurine found in the hoard.

Goldstaterof the Greco-Bactrian kingEucratides, the largest gold coin of the Ancient World.The hoard was thought to have been lost at some point in the 1990s, theNational Museum of Afghanistanhaving been looted numerous times resulting in a loss of 70% of the 100,000 objects on display.[3]In 2003, however, it was found in secret vaults under the central bank building in Kabul.In 1989 following a committee decision, the last Communist president of Afghanistan,Mohammad Najibullahhad ordered the hoard moved from the museum to an underground vault at theCentral Bank of Afghanistanin Kabul. The doors of the vault were locked with keys which were distributed to five trusted individuals.[3]In 2003, after the Taliban was deposed, the new government wanted to open the vault, but the keyholders (called "tawadars") could not be summoned because their names were purposefully unknown.Hamid Karzaihad to issue a decree authorizing the attorney general to go ahead with safecracking. But in time, the five key-holders were successfully assembled and the vault opened. Since then, the National Geographic Society has catalogued the collection, which appears to be complete 22,000 objects. Also witnessing the re-opening were National Geographic Explorer and Archaeology FellowFredrik Hiebertand the archaeologist who originally found the hoard,Viktor Sarianidi.Following an agreement between the Afghan government andFrance, the collection was evaluated and displayed internationally in an exhibition through the cooperation of several prominent museums and the National Geographic Society. Objects were on display from 2007-2009 variously at theMuse GuimetinParis, theNational Gallery of ArtinWashington DC, theAsian Art MuseumofSan Francisco, theMuseum of Fine ArtsinHouston, and theMetropolitan Museum of ArtinNew York.[4]Exhibitions[edit]Some of the most spectacular finds were a part of the traveling exhibition titled "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul" or "Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World" which were first on displayed in December 2006 in FrancesMusee Guimetin Paris. The exhibition supported by The National Geographic has also been to theNational Gallery of Artin Washington, D.C. from May 25th to Sept. 7th, 2008; from Oct. 24th, 2008 to Jan. 25th, 2009 the collection was at theAsian Art Museum of San Francisco; from February 22 to May 17, 2009 it traveled toThe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston then to theMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York from June 23 to Sept. 20th, 2009;Canadian Museum of Civilizationin Gatineau-Ottawa held the exhibition from October 23, 2009, to March 28, 2010;Bonn Museumin Germany from June 11, 2010 to January 2, 2011 and from March 3, 2011 to July 3, 2011 theBritish Museumin London. From July 26th to November 26th 2014 the exhibition shows at theWestern Australian Museumin Perth. TheMuseum of Oriental ArtinTurin, Italy, andNieuwe KerkinAmsterdamalso saw displays.[5]Gallery[edit] Clothe decorations. Bracelets. Decorative stars. Tomb I. AphroditeandEros. Tomb II, Tillia tepe. Amoriniriding on fish, Tillia tepe. Tomb II. Rings from Tillia tepe; the left one represents a seatedAthena. Tomb II. Necklace. Tomb II. "Kings with dragons". Tomb II. Men in armor, in Greek fighting gear. Tomb III. "Akinakes" polylobed decorated daggers. Tomb IV. DyonisosandAriadneriding a lion. Tomb VI. Earrings. Tomb VI.