Le complexe cultuel de Togolok 21 en Margiane

Abstract

A Bronze Age culture covering an area of 3000 Sq Km in the remote Karakum desert has been discovered during the last decade. It is assumed to be the country of Margush of the Behistun inscription. Over 150 settlements were found and among them the Gonur- 1 site was apparently a capital. Its center is occupied by a citadel of an almost square shape with the remnants of the once monumental complex. It is possible that a smaller citadel was also situated on another settlement of Adji Kui-8. The sites of the Togolok group belong to the Early Iron Age. The cultural level of the capital settlement of Togolok- 1 was 3,5 m thick and has revealed three ceramic complexes. The material from the surface of the Togolok- 1 5 site refers to the Early Iron Age and represents a special interest. On the Togolok-27 site there was found a plastic vessel of an unusual shape. Similar ceramic complexes, though of the mid. I mill. B.C., are found in Bactria on such sites as Kutlug Tepe and Altin-10. On the Togolok-2 1 site there was excavated a monumental complex built in the shape of a square, having strong defensive walls with the central " fortress " inside them. The interior of the " fortress " has a surprisingly regular planning. The Northern part of the building was apparently used for ceremonial occasions. The interior of all of the premises and the floors were plastered. The central section of the building was occupied by " an inner small court " with a by-passing corridor and a vestibule. The Southern section was most likely used for subsidiary premises. The findings of the complex include some cult ritual vessels, among them a vessel made of a big shell, and stone cones with cylinders on their tops. The character of these findings leads us to presume that the temple was most likely used as a place for cult libations of such drinks as haoma or soma. Among the other findings should also be mentioned a bull's head, a two-sides amulet, a three-edged cone with a drawing of a tree on top of a mountain surrounded by snakes standing on their tails, a stone mace decorated with twisted ribbons, a clearly ritual bronze axe. All these findings taken together prove the special character of the central complex. So far until the absolute dates are obtained the period of the complex is referred to the turn of the II-I mill. B.C. or even to the beginning of the I mill. B.C. The Togolok-2 1 plan has no direct parallels among other buildings and is most likely the invention of the people who came from the ancient delta of the Murghab river in the II mill. B.C. It is quite accepted that these were immigrant tribes from eastern Iran. At present the Bactrian archaeological complex finds its most demonstrative parallels in Beluchistan among the materials of Mehrgarh VIII and Sibri which makes it necessary to resolutely revise the archaeological evidence of the Aryan problem.

Agriculture in the Karakum: An archaeobotanical analysis from Togolok 1, southern Turkmenistan (ca. 2300–1700 B.C.)

“…The name 'Togolok, ' Turkmen for 'mound' , is used as a general designation for a cluster of archeological sites (>30) in the region (Cerasetti et al, in press a,b;Sarianidi, 1990c). Togolok 1 consists of two mounds (Sarianidi, 1986(Sarianidi, , 1990aHiebert, 1994): Tepe 1 (9 ha, 4 m high) and Tepe 2 (2.30 ha, 2 m high) (Figure 2), making it larger than other sites in the local vicinity. Tepe 2, a fortified structure comparable to but smaller than Togolok 21, was fully excavated in the late 1980's by Sarianidi (1986Sarianidi ( , 1990a.…”

“…Togolok 1 consists of two mounds (Sarianidi, 1986(Sarianidi, , 1990aHiebert, 1994): Tepe 1 (9 ha, 4 m high) and Tepe 2 (2.30 ha, 2 m high) (Figure 2), making it larger than other sites in the local vicinity. Tepe 2, a fortified structure comparable to but smaller than Togolok 21, was fully excavated in the late 1980's by Sarianidi (1986Sarianidi ( , 1990a. Tepe 2 and Togolok 21 were interpreted as monumental temple complexes (Sarianidi, 1986(Sarianidi, , 1990a.…”

“…Tepe 2, a fortified structure comparable to but smaller than Togolok 21, was fully excavated in the late 1980's by Sarianidi (1986Sarianidi ( , 1990a. Tepe 2 and Togolok 21 were interpreted as monumental temple complexes (Sarianidi, 1986(Sarianidi, , 1990a. Material finds like those found at Dashly, Sapallitepe, and Djarkutan were uncovered at both sites (P'yankova, 1989;Hiebert, 1994).…”

“…in the previously under-exploited Murghab River alluvial fan (Masimov, 1981;Kohl, 1984;Gubaev et al, 1998;Salvatori et al, 2008;Bonora and Vidale, 2013;Lyonnet and Dubova, 2021;cf., Salvatori, 2007cf., Salvatori, , 2008b regarding archaeology visibility). In addition to the increase in urbanism, there is evidence for significant inter-regional trade and wider connectivity between regions, including the Indus Valley, Iranian Plateau, Persian Gulf, and Mesopotamia (Sarianidi, 1986(Sarianidi, , 1998(Sarianidi, , 2005Hiebert and Lamberg-Karlovsky, 1992;Salvatori, 2000;Winckelmann, 2000;Possehl, 2002;Tosi and Lamberg-Karlovsky, 2003;Kohl, 2007;Salvatori et al, 2008;Frachetti, 2012;Lombard, 2021;Lyonnet and Dubova, 2021). Possehl (2002Possehl ( , 2007 calls this connectivity the Middle Asian Interaction Sphere (MAIS).…”

“…Significant research concerning the architecture, climate, settlement patterns, hydrological systems, material culture, and population dynamics in the Murghab River region have been conducted (e.g., Masson and Sarianidi, 1972;Masimov, 1981;Sarianidi, 1986Sarianidi, , 1990aSarianidi, ,b, 1993Lyapin, 1991;Hiebert, 1994, 1 For a more detailed discussion of these transitions among different regions within the proposed GKC geographic range, see Luneau (2018Luneau ( , 2021.…”