The spring archaeological field season on the monument of medieval architecture Big Gyzgala in the Ancient Merv State Historical and Cultural Reserve was crowned with the new outstanding finds.
Archaeologists found the contours of the walls hidden under the rubble of fallen parts of the centuries-old building which allowed identifying the upper structure of Big Gyzgala. An area of the floor on the upper storey of the monument discovered at a depth of more than a metre from the present-day surface was cleared. Scientists explored four rooms and a courtyard where the stratigraphy of the section up to adobe pavement of the floor was identified. Three construction periods of the functioning of the building, during which its parts were redesigned slightly, were identified.
The surveys and excavations conducted in the site brought a lot of finds, most of which were the fragments of glazed and unglazed ceramic dishware, glass and stone articles. The small bronze items, including a miniature pendant in the form of the wolf’s head, are noteworthy.
Two fragments of ceramic dishes with underglaze painting on engobe and painting in the of ‘minayi’ style are of particular interest among the remarkable artefacts from Gyzgala. Both shards are the bottoms of dishes or bowls. A geometric pattern with the original design in the form of a square lattice formed by intersecting lines is depicted on one fragment. It is one of the earliest examples of the decorative and ornamental style of the 9th-10th-centuries. It demonstrates the aesthetic views of that epoch when the works of applied art were laconic and individual.
A stylized image of a man is depicted on another fragment, using the typical technique of the ‘minayi’ style known as luster pottery of the Kashan type. A moon-faced character of this scene seems to be painted by a swift and easy movement of the brush. Interestingly, “gupba” – a silver cupola-shaped decoration, a kind of roof-shaped cover of the girl’s headdress can be easily recognized in the headwear of this character. The rich head decoration is typical of the Turkmen people, it is the most important element of the costume, especially women’s costume, in which a great number of jewellery pieces that have the specific semantic meaning and utility functions plays an important role.
A new find, which was added to the collection of the similar rarities, supports the assumption that an independent centre for the production of painted ceramics of the Kashan type existed in ancient Merv and the pre-Mongol period.
The classic “kufic” coins (22 items) discovered on the monument are of particular interest. These are mainly copper “fels” dating to the 8th-9th centuries, a gold-plated copper dirham and one “pul” of Muhammad Shah II (1200-1220) with the image of a lion in profile on the obverse. Numismatic analysis of the coins to be conducted in the coming months will allow making more accurate conclusions about this important period in the history of Turkmenistan.
It is known that the coins were minted in Merv during the reign of Caliph Abd al-Malik (the end of the 7th century), which contributed to creating a local calligraphic tradition. The gold-plated dirham found on Gyzgala is an illustrative example of a kufic coin writing of the second half of the 8th century. A saying from the Koran – a symbol of faith is printed on the obverse. The other part of this saying which is referred to the Messenger of Allah –Muhammad and followed by the name of the Caliph is printed on the reverse. The name of the governor of Merv is printed below. The circular legend contains the name of the coin, the year and the city where it was minted.
In the near future, all these finds will have their rightful place in the museum collections of Turkmenistan.
Archaeological excavations on Big Gyzgala will continue in autumn. Scientists will clear the rooms on the lower floor of the building which is now completely covered in sand, explore the structure of the foundations of the external, corrugated walls and begin to restore them.
Archaeologists found the contours of the walls hidden under the rubble of fallen parts of the centuries-old building which allowed identifying the upper structure of Big Gyzgala. An area of the floor on the upper storey of the monument discovered at a depth of more than a metre from the present-day surface was cleared. Scientists explored four rooms and a courtyard where the stratigraphy of the section up to adobe pavement of the floor was identified. Three construction periods of the functioning of the building, during which its parts were redesigned slightly, were identified.
The surveys and excavations conducted in the site brought a lot of finds, most of which were the fragments of glazed and unglazed ceramic dishware, glass and stone articles. The small bronze items, including a miniature pendant in the form of the wolf’s head, are noteworthy.
Two fragments of ceramic dishes with underglaze painting on engobe and painting in the of ‘minayi’ style are of particular interest among the remarkable artefacts from Gyzgala. Both shards are the bottoms of dishes or bowls. A geometric pattern with the original design in the form of a square lattice formed by intersecting lines is depicted on one fragment. It is one of the earliest examples of the decorative and ornamental style of the 9th-10th-centuries. It demonstrates the aesthetic views of that epoch when the works of applied art were laconic and individual.
A stylized image of a man is depicted on another fragment, using the typical technique of the ‘minayi’ style known as luster pottery of the Kashan type. A moon-faced character of this scene seems to be painted by a swift and easy movement of the brush. Interestingly, “gupba” – a silver cupola-shaped decoration, a kind of roof-shaped cover of the girl’s headdress can be easily recognized in the headwear of this character. The rich head decoration is typical of the Turkmen people, it is the most important element of the costume, especially women’s costume, in which a great number of jewellery pieces that have the specific semantic meaning and utility functions plays an important role.
A new find, which was added to the collection of the similar rarities, supports the assumption that an independent centre for the production of painted ceramics of the Kashan type existed in ancient Merv and the pre-Mongol period.
The classic “kufic” coins (22 items) discovered on the monument are of particular interest. These are mainly copper “fels” dating to the 8th-9th centuries, a gold-plated copper dirham and one “pul” of Muhammad Shah II (1200-1220) with the image of a lion in profile on the obverse. Numismatic analysis of the coins to be conducted in the coming months will allow making more accurate conclusions about this important period in the history of Turkmenistan.
It is known that the coins were minted in Merv during the reign of Caliph Abd al-Malik (the end of the 7th century), which contributed to creating a local calligraphic tradition. The gold-plated dirham found on Gyzgala is an illustrative example of a kufic coin writing of the second half of the 8th century. A saying from the Koran – a symbol of faith is printed on the obverse. The other part of this saying which is referred to the Messenger of Allah –Muhammad and followed by the name of the Caliph is printed on the reverse. The name of the governor of Merv is printed below. The circular legend contains the name of the coin, the year and the city where it was minted.
In the near future, all these finds will have their rightful place in the museum collections of Turkmenistan.
Archaeological excavations on Big Gyzgala will continue in autumn. Scientists will clear the rooms on the lower floor of the building which is now completely covered in sand, explore the structure of the foundations of the external, corrugated walls and begin to restore them.
