Chorasmia-Parthia connections:

Chorasmia-Parthia connections: 

Figurative evidence from Kazakly-yatkan 

Fiona Kidd 

Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow 

Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney

The Karakalpak-Australian Expedition to central Asia 

Satellite image showing the location of central and western Asia (USGS) 

Archaeo-history| Chorasmia | Kazakly-yaytkan | KY10 complex | Portraits | Realia | Profile | Images and motifs | Ivory | The conundrum

Chorasmia and Parthia: archaeo-historical background 

Ancient textual sources linking Chorasmia with Parthia 

Achaemenid reliefs 

Archaeological evidence (pottery; numismatics) 

Trade routes (ancient and modern) 

The beginning of the ‘Chorasmian eras’, early decades of the 1 st century CE 

Conundrum: is there a link? What is the nature of the link? 


Chorasmia 

Chorasmia and Parthia: archaeo-historical background 

Margiana 

Historically ‘isolated’ region – border fortresses; 

nomadic ties 

Achaemenid heritage 

Historiography – ‘ecological bias’ of scholars: 

David Christian; Gunder Frank 

‘Big picture’ research issues: indigenous art; 

relations with Iran (Achaemenid and Parthian), and 

with the steppe 

Sogdiana 

Bactria 

Satellite image from www.---- showing central Asia and Iran 


Kazakly-yatkan in ancient Chorasmia 


A regional centre of power 

Kazakly-yatkan 

Elite status – an important arena for long distance political relations 

Kazakly-yatkan 


Kazakly-yatkan: a ruling centre of ancient Chorasmia? 

KY10 monumental building complex 


Schematic reconstruction of the KY10 complex 


Schematic reconstruction of the KY10 complex 

Function of the building complex? 

Monumental programme of display 

Wall paintings – images, motifs, and realia 

Carved ivory and bone objects 


The ‘portrait’ gallery 

Area 10 09 

The KY10 complex: a programme of display 

The central building 



The KY10 complex: portraits and realia 


The spiral torque with zoomorphic terminals 


The spiral torque: a steppe and/or Parthian origin? 

Artabanus II (Wroth 1903: pl. 8, 12) 

Spiral torque, Soboleva Mohyla, 

350 – 325 BCE (Scythian Gold cat. 159) 


The spiral torque: a steppe and/or Parthian origin? 

Detail of the zoomorphic terminal 

Parthian coin (Wroth 1903: pl.8, 12) 

Archaeo-history| Chorasmia | Kazakly-yaytkan | KY10 complex | Portraits | Realia | Profile | Images A spiral and motifs torque | (Scythian Ivory | Gold The cat. conundrum 

159)

The spiral torque: evidence of a stylistic convention at Kazakly-yatkan? 

A stone statue from Bayte (Ustyurt Plateau) 

(afer Olkhovskiy and Galkin: fig. 6) 

Statue from Bayte 

(Olkhovski 1994: fig. 3) 


The spiral torque: a stylistic convention? 

A spiral torque (Sokrovishcha Sarmatov, cat. 6) From Siberia, unprovenanced; 4 th — 

3 rd century BCE. D=33cm 

A spiral torque (Scythian Gold cat. 159) 


The spiral torque: a stylistic convention? 



The bird headdress 



King Sanatruq from 

Hatra (Herrmann 1977) 

Choramian coins: bird 

with outstretched 

wings, 1 st c. BCE; 

Vazmar, 3 rd c. CE 

(after Vaynberg 1977: pl. 22, AII and pl. 

23, B2 V) 



The bird headdress: local, Parthian, steppe? 


Pazyryk culture 

Not highest status (cf. Pazyryk costume) 

Male and female 

Warrior identity 

No diadem 

Reconstruction of a female headdress 

from Ak Alacha (Polosmak and Steinert 1996, fig. 25) 


The question of the left/right profile 

Significance of the profile direction? 

All Chorasmian coin portraits face to their left 

Parthian coin portraits face both left and right 

The two largest ‘portrait’ fragments showing left and right profiles 


Chorasmian coins 

( Vaynberg 1977: pl. 22, AII and pl. 23, B2 V) 


Vadfradad, Persis, c. 80 BCE 

(http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/persis/persis.html) 

Darius II, Persis, c. 70 BCE 



Chorasmian coins (after 

Vaynberg 1977: pl. 22, AII and pl. 23, B2 V) 


Headdress wearers typically face right/north 

Changeable profile in Parthia: region, hierarchy, period 

Chorasmian coins show ruler in left profile 

Symbolism of the profile? 

Darius II, Persis, c. 70 BCE 




The KY10 complex: images and motifs 

Area 10 09 

The central building 


Ornamental motifs: vine leaves, grapes and tendrils 

Face in three quarter profile with vine leaf and grapes 



Face in three quarter profile with vine leaf and grapes 

Tendrils 



Nisa rhyton fragment (Masson and Pugachenkova 1982, fig. 16) 

Nisa rhyton fragment (Masson and Pugachenkova 1982, pl. 45) 


The question of Hellenistic influences 

Face in three-quarter profile 

General mixture of Iranian 

and Hellenistic motifs 


The ‘crowd scene’: links with Kuh-i Khwaja? 

Field photo showing the ‘crowd’ scene 



Digitised tracing of the ‘crowd’ scene showing three profile faces 



Detail of the marching profile heads 

Faccenna 1981, fig. 14 

Kuh-i Khwaja – ‘late’ Parthian, 

1 st century CE (Faccenna 1981) 

Provenance of the motif? 

Questions of the movement/ 

training of craftspeople 


The carved ivory furniture fragment 

composite piece comprising various symbolic elements 


? 


Wing elements 

Vegetal elements 

Lion’s paw 

‘Commas’? 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: the Iranian heritage 

Throne leg, Naqsh-i Rustam © The Oriental Institute 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: Parthian links 

Reconstruction of the ‘throne of Mithradates’ and 

illustrations of Nisa ‘throne’ legs (after Pugachenkova 1969, figs. 3 and 8) 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: wing elements 

Rhytons from Nisa (after Masson and Pugachenkova 1982) 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: vegetal elements 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: vegetal elements 

A rhyton from Nisa (Masson and Pugachenkova 1982, pl. 70, 2) 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: ‘comma’ (?) shaped elements 

Susa, gryphon (© The Louvre Museum) Pazyryk, kurgan 2 (Rudenko 1953, pl. CIX) 



Susa, bronze lion (Sarre 1922, fig. 44) 


The carved ivory furniture fragment: combination of elements? 

Strong Parthian/Iranian world parallels 

Mobility: provenance? Hierloom? 

Ivory carving ‘schools’ – Nisa, Ai Khanum 

Reconstruction of a parade 

shield, Nisa (after Invernizzi 2007, fig. 5) 


Chorasmia-Parthia: a conundrum 

Chorasmia clearly fits into the surrounding Iranian world 

Provenance and direction of the links – local, Parthia or the steppe? 

torques - steppe 

stylistic conventions - Parthia 

headdresses - steppe 

profile - ? 

vine leaves, grapes and tendrils - Parthia 

Hellenistic traits(?) - ? 

‘crowd scene’ - Parthia 

ivory - Parthia 

Elite nature of the evidence – monumental mural art and carved ivory furniture 

Not blanket copying from the Iranian world; a Chorasmian filter – active role of 

the Chorasmians in the broader cultural context; emulation? 

Conundrum: is there a link between Parthia and Chorasmia? What is the nature of 

the link? 


The excavation of Kazakly-yatkan/Akchakhan-kala 

is undertaken by members of the 

Karakalpak-Australian Expedition to Chorasmia: 

Vadim N. Yagodin 

Ghairatdin Khozhaniyazov 

Cathy Daly 

Aysulu Iskanderova 

Natalya Kovaleva 

Alison Betts 

Shamil Amirov 

Vadim V. Yagodin 

Gulnara Akhadova 

Vanessa Terrapon 

Svend Helms 

Fiona Kidd 

Michelle Negus-Cleary 

Geraldine Fray 

Gallina Veresotzkaya

The carved ivory furniture fragment: combination of elements? 

Coins of Ardashir I (224-241 CE) showing a fire altar (after Goebl 1971, pl. 1) 

continuity of ideas – pre- 

Islamic Iranian 

Chorasmia’s role in the 

broader Iranian world; 

connected; not isolated 


Torque fragments (?) from Area 10 09 


Torque fragments (?) from Area 10 09 


The diadem – local or Parthian? 

The ‘crouching gryphon’ headdress 



The diadem and tiara 

The ‘crouching gryphon’ headdress 

8 personages wearing 

headdresses 

Paikuli inscription: diadem = 

kingship 

1 st century BCE coin from 

Chorasmia showing a bird with 

outstretched wings 

(after Vaynberg 1977: pl. 22, AII) 


The Kazakly-yatkan bone pins 

The bone pins from Kazakly-yatkan 

Introduction | Historical introduction | Wall painting traditions | Kazakly-yatkan | The paintings | Connections | Summary

Chorasmia-Parthia connections:

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