Excavations in Nisa: no sensations, but the season was successful
June 27, 2018 | 00:11 |517
A fundamental scientific monograph of the famous Russian archaeologist, winner of the International Prize named after Magtymguly, doctor of historical sciences Victor Pilipko, dedicated to the culture of the southern part of Turkmenistan, which two thousand years ago was part of the Parthian Empire, was recently published in Sankt-Petersburg. Readers get a fundamental research of the scientist who for over half a century, has been active in our country, almost every year spending his field seasons in the various monuments of the ancient period - since the time, when the Parthian expedition of the Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan's history was created in 1967. Now it functions under the leadership of VN Pilipko in a different capacity, as a joint Turkmen-Russian project. This spring, Viktor Nikolaevich Pilipko spent another season of excavations on the Old and New Nisa - objects of his scientific interest in the last quarter of a century.Ruslan MURADOV
Two of these famous sites, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, occupy a special place in his new book, "Formation and Development of Parthian Culture in the Territory of Southern Turkmenistan." This is understandable, because it was Nisa that held the cradle of the great power of the Ancient East, it was there that the most outstanding works of art were found, which have now become the property of the museums of Turkmenistan. Their rooms were decorated with priceless collection of rhytons ivory, clay and marble sculptures, silver and bronze artifacts from the royal treasury of Old Nisa, as well as rare examples of Parthian wall paintings and stone architectural ornaments from Nisa sanctuaries.
Among the most important finds of Victor Pilipko that were made in the Old Nisa in the past is the head painted clay statues of Parthian in combat helmet, fragments of wall paintings with battle scenes and more.
Relying on a huge array of archaeological data and written sources, VN Pilipko in his new book comprehensively examines the cultural and historical process taking place in this region of the world for approximately 1700 years. "Within the framework of the history of Turkmenistan," the author writes, "the Parthian epoch should be referred to as the period from the second half of the second millennium BC to the 4th century AD. The material culture of this period is the main object of this study." This significant period of time does not coincide with the era of the Parthian state, which emerged in the second half of the III century BC and died in the first third of the 3rd century AD.
However, these four hundred years have been marked by the highest rise of Parthian culture and are fanned by the world glory of the ancestors of the Turkmen people, who entered into a long confrontation with a powerful opponent in the West - Ancient Rome. The scientist shows how on the land of the first farmers in the foothill valley of Ahal, supposedly in the 13th century BC, the formation of the Parthians began - a new historical and cultural community that existed for seventeen centuries and played an important role in the ethnogenesis of the Turkmen.
The historical memory of the distant Parthian era also lives in the Turkmen language, in the folklore, rituals and customs of the Turkmen, who are the direct heirs of this largely mysterious culture of the ancient East. So the new book by VN Pilipko allows you to better know what unique phenomenon in the life and art of our ancestors was the Parthian period and gives visual material about the inextricable link between the past and the present. Of particular interest are the colored reconstructions of the facades and interiors of the monumental structures of Old Nisa, presented by the author in computer graphics with the help of the 3D program. Based on strictly scientific data, they recreate a reliable picture of the majestic architecture of Parthia, which combines the traditions of the East and the West.
What was remarkable in the spring season of fieldwork in 2018? This Viktor Nikolaevich Pilipko told in an exclusive interview for the site ORIENT:
- Archaeological excavations are a long and painstaking task, and it is often very difficult to objectively evaluate their results immediately after completion. As my teacher, Academician Mikhail E. Masson liked to repeat, the expedition is the long-term processing of the material extracted in the field. The definition is very correct. Received in the course materials must undergo cameral processing, laboratory studies, which themselves are sometimes delayed for many years. The results of the excavations must be discussed with colleagues - narrow specialists, and only then be presented to the public. But I also understand journalists, whose task is to get the freshest, preferably sensational information first-hand. At once I will say that in this season sensations did not happen - almost everything was familiar and predictable.
On Old Nisa, we unearthed one small section of the so-called Northeastern structure, which in Parthian time supposedly served for collective ritual meals. Three of its corners were excavated earlier, and we already imagined how it should look like. All turned out well: along the exposed walls we discovered clay decorative pilasters, and on the adjacent site found a large number of fragments of terracotta tiles and decorative panels. I was pleased with the good safety of two completely whole slabs with the image of a round rosette and palmette - a vegetative ornament in the form of a fan-shaped leaf of palm tree.
The scientific value of the work carried out is that we now know the exact parameters of the yard of the North-Eastern building and have better understood its internal structure. It became clear that three of its walls were originally decorated with walled half-columns and surrounded by a portico with a tiled roof. Finally, cleaning of this corner of the former building allows you to complete the restoration of another architectural object - the so-called Lower portico that preceded one of the entrances to the North-East structure. When it is restored, the ancient architecture of Old Nisa will become more understandable not only to scientists, but also to tourists.
On New Nisa the situation is much more complicated. Here scientists for many years can not get an answer to their questions. Excavations are carried out within a stratigraphic excavation located at the northeast extremity of this multi-layered site of ancient settlement. The excavation there is quite large, the stratigraphy is very confusing. For seven years, we dropped about 10 meters, and in terms of the time scale - from the XVIII century AD moved about two thousand years and now "walk" among the architectural structures of Parthian time. We came there, where we were striving - to the necropolis of the Parthian time.
But further victorious reports about our achievements on this site come to an end. This necropolis is known to specialists since 1936, but different archaeological excerpts and the results of the excavations are poorly documented. There are several versions of who they are and how they were buried here. In order to understand this issue, it is necessary to find at least one whole burial, but we have not succeeded in this yet. Our main attention this season was focused on the object, which has been conventionally called "excavation 3", however, it is too early to talk about it. The previous history of his study well explains my cautious attitude towards the promulgation of working hypotheses. Originally this object was characterized as the remains of a medieval tower. Then the view prevailed that it was a fragment of the outer wall of Parthian time. But our work showed that both of these definitions are wrong.
If you evaluate the results of the season in general, then it should be considered successful. Slowly, but inexorably, we descend and approach the "mainland" (geological strata, not disturbed by human activity). Found indirect traces the development of the hill on which the town was built by the Parthians, in the earlier epochs of history: in the early Iron Age, the Bronze Age, there are even fragments of pottery of "jeytunians" - ancient settled agricultural population of Turkmenistan.
With the help of modern geodetic techniques this year we have a detailed plan of our very complex excavation and the entire settlement as a whole, which would be a reliable documentary basis for future archaeological work and monitoring the condition of the settlement, which is essential for the preservation of World Heritage Sites.
Another important positive result of the season is successful cooperation with the Turkmen colleagues from the State historical and cultural reserve "Nisa" and the National Office for the Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments. The students of the Department of Restoration of the Turkmen State Institute of Culture learn the basics of their future profession not only theoretically but also practically - they take an active part in the cameral processing of ceramic materials from Nisa.
Employees of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan took part in the study of slags related to metallurgical production. The continuation of this cooperation will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening our ties and to a more successful study of the antiquities of Nisa, through which, since antiquity, the routes of trade caravans have traveled along this stretch of the Great Silk Road.
