Ai-Khanoum [PDF]

have been found in Ai-Khanoum. • On a Herôon (funerary monument), identified in. Greek as the tomb of Kineas (also de

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Idea Transcript


Ai-Khanoum Ai-Khanoum or Ay Khanum (lit. “Lady Moon” in Uzbek,[1] possibly the historical Alexandria on the Oxus, also possibly later named ‫ اروکرتیه‬or Eucratidia) was one of the primary cities of the GrecoBactrian kingdom. Previous scholars have argued that Ai Khanoum was founded in the late 4th century BC, following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Recent analysis now strongly suggests that the city was founded c. 280 BC by the Seleucid king Antiochus I.[2][3] The city is located in Takhar Province, northern Afghanistan, at the confluence of the Oxus river (today’s Amu Darya) and the Kokcha river, and at the doorstep of the Indian subcontinent. Ai-Khanoum was one of the focal points of Hellenism in the East for nearly two centuries, until its annihilation by nomadic invaders around 145 BC about the time of the death of Eucratides.[4]

tion at the junction between Bactrian territory and nomad territories to the north, ultimately allowed access to commerce with the Chinese empire.

2 A Greek city in Bactria

Numerous artifacts and structures were found, pointing to a high Hellenistic culture, combined with Eastern influences. “It has all the hallmarks of a Hellenistic city, with a Greek theatre, gymnasium and some Greek houses with colonnaded courtyards” (Boardman). Overall, AïKhanoum was an extremely important Greek city (1.5 sq kilometer), characteristic of the Seleucid Empire and then the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. It seems the city was destroyed, never to be rebuilt, about the time of the death The site was excavated through archaeological searches of the Greco-Bactrian king Eucratides around 145 BC. by a French DAFA mission under Paul Bernard beAi-Khanoum may have been the city in which Eucratides tween 1964 and 1978, as well as Russian scientists. The was besieged by Demetrius, before he successfully mansearches had to be abandoned with the onset of the Soviet aged to escape to ultimately conquer India (Justin). war in Afghanistan, during which the site was looted and used as a battleground, leaving very little of the original material. 2.1 Architecture

1

Strategic location

Corinthian capital, found at Ai-Khanoum in the citadel by the troops of Commander Massoud, 2nd century BC.

Ai-Khanoum was located at the extreme east of Bactria.

The choice of this site for the foundation of a city was probably guided by several factors. The region, irrigated The mission unearthed various structures, some of them by the Oxus, had a rich agricultural potential. Mineral perfectly Hellenistic, some other integrating elements of resources were abundant in the back country towards the Persian architecture: Hindu Kush, especially the famous so-called "rubies" (actually, spinel) from Badakshan, and gold. Lastly, its loca• Two-miles long ramparts, circling the city 1

2

2 A GREEK CITY IN BACTRIA • A citadel with powerful towers (20 × 11 metres at the base, 10 meters in height) and ramparts, established on top of the 60 meters-high hill in the middle of the city • A Classical theater, 84 meters in diameter with 35 rows of seats, that could sit 4,000-6,000 people, equipped with three loges for the rulers of the city. Its size was considerable by Classical standards, larger than the theater at Babylon, but slightly smaller than the theater at Epidaurus. • A huge palace in Greco-Bactrian architecture, somehow reminiscent of formal Persian palatial architecture • A gymnasium (100 × 100m), one of the largest of Antiquity. A dedication in Greek to Hermes and Herakles was found engraved on one of the pillars. The dedication was made by two men with Greek names (Triballos and Strato, son of Strato). • Various temples, in and outside the city. The largest temple in the city apparently contained a monumental statue of a seated Zeus, but was built of the Zoroastrian model (massive, closed walls instead of Stucco face, Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC the open column-circled structure of Greek temples). • An unfinished statue of a young naked man with • A mosaic representing the Macedonian sun, wreath acanthus leaves and various animals (crabs, dolphins etc...) • A gargoyle head representing the Greek cook-slave • Numerous remains of Classical Corinthian columns • Architectural antefixae, Ai-Khanoum. • Sun dial within two sculpted lion feet.

2.2

Sculptural remains

• A frieze of a naked man, possibly the god Hermes, wearing a chlamys • A hermaic sculpture of an old man thought to be a master of the gymnasium, where it was found. He used to hold a long stick in his left hand, symbol of his function.

Various sculptural fragments were also found, in a rather conventional, classical style, rather impervious to the Hellenizing innovations occurring at the same time in the Mediterranean world.

Due to the lack of proper stones for sculptural work in the area of Ai-Khanoum, unbaked clay and stucco modeled on a wooden frame were often used, a technique which would become widespread in Central Asia and the East, Of special notice, a huge foot fragment in excellent Hel- especially in Buddhist art. In some cases, only the hands lenistic style was recovered, which is estimated to have and feet would be made in marble. belonged to a 5-6 meter tall statue (which had to be seated to fit within the height of the columns supporting the • Sculpture of an old man. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century Temple). Since the sandal of the foot fragment bears BC. the symbolic depiction of Zeus' thunderbolt, the statue is thought to have been a smaller version of the Statue of • Bust of the same man. Zeus at Olympia. Also found among the sculptural remains were:

• Frieze of a naked man wearing a chlamys. AiKhanoum, 2nd century BC.

• A statue of a standing female in a rather archaic chiton

• Same frieze, seen from the side.

• The face of a man, sculpted in stucco

• Hellenistic gargoyle. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC.

2.4

2.3

Artifacts

Epigraphic remains

Various inscriptions in Classical, non-barbarized, Greek have been found in Ai-Khanoum. • On a Herôon (funerary monument), identified in Greek as the tomb of Kineas (also described as the oikistes (founder) of the Greek settlement) and dated to 300-250 BC, an inscription has been found describing Delphic precepts: “Païs ôn kosmios ginou (As children, learn good manners) hèbôn enkratès, (as young men, learn to control the passions)

3 • Various Greek inscriptions were also found in the Treasury of the palace, indicating the contents (money, imported olive oil...) of various vases, and names of the administrators in charge of them. The hierarchy of these administrators appears to be nearly identical to that in the Mediterranean Greek areas. From the names mentioned in these inscriptions, it appears that the directors of the Treasury were Greek, but that lower administrators had Bactrian names.[5] Three signatories had Greek names (Kosmos, Isidora, Nikeratos), one a Macedonian or Thracian name (Lysanias), and two Bactrian names (Oxuboakes, Oxubazes). One of these economic inscriptions relates in Greek the deposit of olive oil jars in the treasury:

mesos dikaios (in middle age, be just) presbutès euboulos (in old age, give good advice)

“In the year 24, on ....;

teleutôn alupos. (then die, without regret.)"

an olive oil (content);

The precepts were placed by a Greek named Clearchos, possibly Clearchus of Soli the disciple of Aristotle, who, according to the same inscription, had copied them from Delphi: “These wise commandments of men of old - Words of well-known thinkers - stand dedicated In the most holy Pythian shrine From there Klearchos, having copied them carefully, set them up, shining from afar, in the sanctuary of Kineas”

the partially empty (vase) A (contains) oil transferred from two jars by Hippias the hemiolios; and did seal: Molossos (?) for jar A, and Strato (?) for jar B (?)" [5] The last of the dates on these jars has been computed to 147 BC, suggesting that Ai-Khanoum was destroyed soon after that date.

2.4 Artifacts

Stone block with the inscriptions of Kineas. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC.

• Remains of some papyrus manuscripts, the imprint of which were left in the thin earth of brick walls, containing unknown philosophical dialogues on the theory of ideas, thought to be the only surviving remain of an Aristotelian dialogue, possibly the Sophist, where Xenocrates, another philosopher, present his theory of ideas.[5]

Plate depicting Cybele pulled by lions, a votive sacrifice and the Sun God. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC.

Numerous Greco-Bactrian coins were found, down to Eucratides, but none of them later. Ai-Khanoum also

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4 CONTACTS WITH INDIA

yielded unique Greco-Bactrian coins of Agathocles, consisting of six Indian-standard silver drachms depicting Hindu deities. These are the first known representations of Vedic deities on coins, and they display early Avatars of Vishnu: Balarama-Samkarshana and Vasudeva-Krishna, and are thought to correspond to the first Greco-Bactrian attempts at creating an Indianstandard coinage as they invaded northern India. Among other finds: • A round medallion plate describing the goddess Cybele on a chariot, in front of a fire altar, and under a depiction of Helios • A fully preserved bronze statue of Herakles • Various golden serpentine arm jewellery and earrings

The Indian plate found in Ai-Khanoum, thought to represent the

• Some Indian artifacts, found in the treasure room of myth of Kunala. the city, probably brought back by Eucratides from his campaigns Several Indian artifacts were found among the archae• A toilet tray representing a seated Aphrodite ological remains of Ai-Khanoum, especially a narrative plate made of shell inlaid with various materials and col• A mold representing a bearded and diademed ors, thought to represent the Indian myth of Kuntala.[7] middle-aged man Various artifacts of daily life are also clearly Hellenistic: sundials, ink wells, tableware. • Bronze Herakles statuette. Ai-Khanoum. 2nd century BC. • Bracelet with horned female busts. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC. • Stone recipients from Ai-Khanoum. 3rd-2nd century BC.

3

Trade with the Mediterranean

The presence of olive oil jars at Ai-Khanoum indicates that this oil was imported from the Mediterranean, as its only possible source would have been the Aegean Basin or Syria. This suggests important trade contacts with the The equatorial sun dial adjusted to the latitude of Ujjain, AiMediterranean, through long and expensive land routes.[6] Khanoum, 3rd-2nd century BC.

4

Contacts with India

As the southern part of Afghanistan up to the Hindu Kush (Paropamisadae) seems to have been occupied by the Mauryan Empire between 305 BC until the reconquest by Demetrius in 180 BC, Ai-Khanoum was in effect a frontier town, located just a few kilometers from Indian dominions, for more than a century.

Greek coins were also found, bearing the first known representation of Indian Vedic deities: the early Avatars of Vishnu, Balarama-Sankarshana and Vasudeva-Krishna. The various sun-dials, including a tropical sundial adjusted to the latitude of Ujjain found in the excavations also suggest that some transmission into Indian astronomy may have happened, due to the numerous interactions with the Mauryan Empire, and the later expansion of the Indo-Greeks into India.[8]

5

5

Numismatics

Gold stater of the Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter minted at AiKhanoum, c. 275 BCE. Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus. Reverse: Nude Apollo seated on omphalos, leaning on bow and holding two arrows. Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY (of King Antiochos). Δ monogram of Ai-Khanoum in left field.

6 Nomadic invasions The invading Indo-European nomads from the north (the Scythians and then the Yuezhi) crossed the Oxus and subdued Bactria about 135 BC. It seems the city was totally abandoned between 130 and 120 BC following the Yuezhi invasion. There is evidence of huge fires in all the major buildings of the city. The last Greco-Bactrian king Heliocles moved his capital from Balkh around 125 BC and resettled in the Kabul valley. No coins of Heliokles have been found in Ai-Khanoum, suggesting the city was destroyed at the end of the reign of Eucratides. The Greeks continued to rule various parts of northern India under the Indo-Greek Kingdom until around 10 CE, when their last kingdom was conquered by the IndoScythians. Only a few decades later, the Yuezhi united to form the Kushan Empire and expanded in northern India themselves. As with other archaeological sites such as Begram or Hadda, the Ai-Khanoum site has been pillaged during the long phase of war in Afghanistan since the fall of the Communist government.

7 Significance

The symbol found on a brick in Ai-Khanoum.

Many Seleucid and Bactrian coins were found at AiKhanoum, as were ten blank planchets, indicating that there was a mint in the city.[9] Ai-Khanoum apparently had a city symbol (a triangle within a circle, with various variations), which was found imprinted on bricks coming from the oldest buildings of the city. The same symbol was used on various Seleucid eastern coins, suggesting that they were probably minted in Ai-Khanoum. Numerous Seleucid coins were thus reattributed to the Ai-Khanoum mint rather recently, with the conclusion that Ai-Khanoum was probably a larger minting center than even Bactra.[10]

Ai-Khanoum was located at the very doorstep of India.

The findings are of considerable importance, as no known remain of the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek civilizations had been uncovered in the East (beyond the abunThe coins found in Ai-Khanoum start with those of dant coinage) until this discovery, leading some to speak Seleucus, but end abruptly with those of Eucratides, sug- about a “Bactrian mirage.” gesting that the city was conquered at the end of his rule. This discovery gives a new perspective on the influence

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11

of Greek culture in the East, and reaffirms the influence of the Greeks on the development of Greco-Buddhist art.

EXTERNAL LINKS

[9] Brian Kritt: Seleucid Coins of Bactria, p. 22. [10] “Seleucid coins of Bactria”, Brian Kritt

An almost life-sized dark green glass phallus with a small owl on the back side and other treasures are said to have [11] Source, BBC News, Another article. German story with photographs here (translation here). been discovered at Ai-Khanoum, possibly along with a stone with an inscription, which was not recovered. The artifacts have now been returned to the Kabul Museum after several years in Switzerland by Paul Bucherer- 10 References Dietschi, Director of the Swiss Afghanistan Institute.[11] • Tarn, W. W. (1984). The Greeks in Bactria and India. Chicago: Ares. ISBN 0-89005-524-6.

8

See also

• Seleucid Empire • Greco-Bactrian Kingdom • Indo-Greek Kingdom • Yuezhi • Kushan Empire • Indo-Scythians

9

Notes

[1] Bell, George. "Journal of the Royal Society of Arts". Royal Society of Arts, 1970. p. 445

• Bopearachchi, Osmund (2003). De l'Indus à l'Oxus, Archéologie de l'Asie Centrale (in French). Lattes: Association imago-musée de Lattes. ISBN 29516679-2-2. • Frölich, Pierre (2004). Les Grecs en Orient. L'heritage d'Alexandre. La Documentation photographique, n.8040 (in French). Paris: La Documentation Francaise. • Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul (2008). Eds., Friedrik Hiebert and Pierre Cambon. National Geographic, Washington, D.C. ISBN 978-1-4262-0374-9.

11 External links

[2] Lyonnet, Bertille. “Questions on the Date of the Hellenistic Pottery from Central Asia (Ai Khanoum, Marakanda and Koktepe”. Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia”. vol. 18. 2012. pp. 143-173.

• Ai-Khatum, the Capital of Eucratides on Ancient History Encyclopedia

[3] Martinez-Seve, Laurianne. “The Spatial Organization of Ai Khanoum, a Greek City in Afghanistan”. American Journal of Archaeology 118.2. 2014. pp 267-283.

• Ai-Khanoum and vandalization during the Afghan war page not found

[4] Bernard, P. (1994): “The Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia.” In: History of civilizations of Central Asia, Volume II. The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 B.C. to A.D. 250. Harmatta, János, ed., 1994. Paris: UNESCO Publishing. ISBN 92-3-1028464, p. 103. [5] Claude Rapin, “De l'Indus à l'Oxus”, p375. Also full description of the papyrii (French)original text and French translation [6] Frölich, p.10 [7] “Afghanistan, tresors retrouves”, p150 [8] “Les influences de l'astronomie grecques sur l'astronomie indienne auraient pu commencer de se manifester plus tôt qu'on ne le pensait, dès l'époque Hellénistique en fait, par l'intermédiaire des colonies grecques des Gréco-Bactriens et Indo-Grecs” (French) Afghanistan, les trésors retrouvés”, p269. Translation: “The influence of Greek astronomy on Indian astronomy may have taken place earlier than thought, as soon as the Hellenistic period, through the agency of the Greek colonies of the Greco-Bactrians and the Indo-Greeks.

• Ai-Khanoum archaeological site photographs

• The Hellenistic Age • Afghan Treasures • 3-D reconstruction of Ai-Khanoum • Livius.org: Alexandria on Oxus • Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World Surviving treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan, at The British Museum, 3 March – 17 July 2011

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12 12.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses Text

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• ISAF Webpage Original artist: NordNordWest • File:Ai-Khanoum-gold_stater_of_Antiochos1.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/ Ai-Khanoum-gold_stater_of_Antiochos1.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: http://coinindia.com/galleries-greek-antiochos.html Original artist: Rani nurmai • File:AiKhanoumAndIndia.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/AiKhanoumAndIndia.jpg License: CCBY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: PHGCOM • File:AiKhanoumPlateSharp.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/AiKhanoumPlateSharp.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:AiKhanoumSunDial.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/AiKhanoumSunDial.jpg License: CCBY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:AiKhanoumSymbol.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/AiKhanoumSymbol.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Archaeological_site_icon_(red).svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_ %28red%29.svg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Edgars2007 • File:BactriaMap.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/BactriaMap.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:CapitalSharp.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/CapitalSharp.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:EucratidesCoin.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/EucratidesCoin.jpg License: ? Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:FaceAiKhanum.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/FaceAiKhanum.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-bysa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:KineasInscriptionSharp.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/KineasInscriptionSharp.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:KuntalaPlate.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/KuntalaPlate.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Portal-puzzle.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Shuja_Shah_Durrani_of_Afghanistan_in_1839.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Shuja_ Shah_Durrani_of_Afghanistan_in_1839.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: The British Library - Online Gallery Original artist: James Rattray (1818-1854) • File:Symbol_book_class2.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Symbol_book_class2.svg License: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors: Mad by Lokal_Profil by combining: Original artist: Lokal_Profil

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