Funerary Beads with Earth Sweat Patina

Almost everything from Bactria that comes into any museum, private collection or into an antiquity dealer's shop is from the tomb of a person or from the buried ruins of the ancient culture.  In other words, the seals, amulets, beads and other artifacts in my Bactrian collection have lain underground for at least fifteen hundred years and some as many as four thousand five hundred years.  I will offer some examples of funerary beads from settlements in the region of Bactria.

First, let me describe some of the differences in the ancient beads that have been buried and the more recent handmade beads that have never been buried.  Needless to say, the differences are even more numerous when we compare the modern industrially produced beads with the long-buried ancient handmade beads.

The first noticeable thing might be the pebbly skin on the bead, resulting from the method of shaping and smoothing the gemstone with rough grit made from pulverized agates.  For example, the agate beads in the photos immediately below are from a settlement of the same peoples who settled in Bactria from about 2500 B C to 1600 B C. in the Kerman Desert of Iran.  Weathering of the polished beads is caused by long periods of exposure to earth minerals and earth movements due to floods or the cave-ins of the tombs.  This kind of wear and tear shows in scrapes and breaks and in circular cracks on the surface of the bead.  Another very important characteristic of ancient beads that have been buried is the dulling of the glow that the original polishing produced.

One ancient bead expert calls all these aging processes 'earth sweat patina,' and he uses such criteria to judge whether a bead is ancient or a modern reproduction.  The beads in the two photos below show characteristics of age.  The glow is dulled; the skin is pock-marked as if the skin had never been ground down past all the tiny crevices in the original piece of cut stone.  Also, the grit that was used to polish the beads left their own minute pimply tool marks on the beads.  These beads also show other characteristics of beads produced in ancient times, such as wear at the ends of the bead hole caused by the cord on which they were once worn for generations or centuries.

Ancient Agate Beads Bactrian Type Four Thousand - Two Thousand Years

Close-up view of same beads

In comparison are beads in the photos below that are ancient but still a thousand years younger than the beads above.  Their appearance reveals very little of the wear and tear and hardly any of the earth sweat patina and the rough grinding of the earlier polishing methods.  Their age is determined by their provenance from Bactria and the fact that they are almost identical to the sardonyx beads shown in The History of Beads by Lois Dubin.  According to that source, they were produced in the Roman period, that is, in the time when almost all of Europe and West Asia was a part of or a neighbor of the Roman emperor's domain.  This kind of bead was made in Central Asia -- Northeastern Afghanistan -- from about 200 BC to 400 AD.

 

Spiral Band Ancient Bead Balkh Province, Afghanistan                Close up view of same bead  200 BC - 400 AD

Moving backward to more ancient times again, we see this other string of Bactrian carnelian beads strung with old steatite beads and some newer onyx beads in the photos shown below.  This strand is published in Victor Sarianidi's -- the excavator of Bactria and Margiana -- book Necropolis of Gonur, which deals with funeral rites, funerary ornaments and utensils that were buried with the deceased.  

 

Ancient Bactrian Beads Authenticated by Archeologist and Published      Close-up of same beads

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Tocharians - Latecomers to Bactria

The Tocharians were a group of the most mysterious residents of the Tarim Basin in the Taklamakan Desert, a region that is now a part of Northwestern China, eventually expanding over the Pamir mountain chain into what was then Bactria but is now a province of Afghanistan.  The Tocharians were apparently latecomers to the region and had come either almost directly from Northern Europe across Anatolia and Persia into India and through the Himalayas on the already long established trade routes to Kashgar and then into the more remote desert.

Their presence in the Tarim Basin is known only since the 1980s when their mummified remains were found by archeologists.  The remains are dated to around 1000 B.C.  up to about 100 A.D.  Because of the extremely arid climate of the Tarim Basin, their physical remains are very well preserved, including the clothing in which they were buried.  Obviously their funeral practices resembled those of recent times: burial in clothing rather than simply being wrapped in a shroud or covered with a cloth.

For example, here is a photo of one of the most famous 3,000 year old mummies along with the reconstruction of the head by a forensic anthropologist:

As you can see, her hair, head covering and shawl are still in good condition.  By the way, the DNA of the mummies has been analyzed, and many of them show only European DNA, but the later mummies of course, show a mixture of "Chinese" and European DNA.  I put Chinese in quote marks because the region was not China at that time.  But the Chinese scientists label the mummies' East Asian DNA thus.  

Because their clothing was so 'modern,' including the lace-up woodsman type leather boots on one of the male mummies, it was evident that they had come from far to the West in fairly recent times.  Their garments included woven garments of the type still made by Northern Europe and the New World descendants of the Northern European people. 

The cloak appears to be a double-woven garment, in a technique that shows one color in one of the blocks and then on the opposite side of the garment, the opposite color shows in the same block of weaving.  I have woven different pieces like this and it makes a very cozy checkered fabric.  

By now you are wondering about their connection to Bactria.  In the early third century B.C., Alexander the Great came out of Greece to conquer a great part of Asia, as far East as the Indus.  He made Bactria his seat of power, and married a Sogdian princess named Roxanne.  At Alexander's death soon thereafter, his Asian empire was divided and lost power.  In the first century A.D., Bactria was being ruled by a series of men that is now known as the Kushan Dynasty.  

The Greek explorers to that region wrote of people that we have labeled the Tocharians in Bactria.  But it is probable that the same people as we see in the Tarim Basin mummies were not the rulers of Bactria, judging from the heads of the Bactrian rulers on coins.  For example: 

Some historians say that the Kushan rulers were the Tocharians, but I think it is more likely that the Tocharians merely served the court of the Kushans.   The Greek explorers on reaching Bactria certainly saw, recognized and reported on people who resembled the Tarim Basin mummies.  But it is still an open question whether the Tocharians actually ruled Bactria.  

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Memory Eternal, Viktor Sarianidi

We received the sad news from one of Viktor's colleagues at the Russian Academy of Science that Viktor passed away today. It is a great loss to the academic world and to us, his friends. It was a great pleasure to know him and it was of great benefit to learn from him. I feel very blessed to have been named by Viktor as the 'Mistress of Animals,' a Bactrian mythological figure. Since I had a lot of sheep and dogs when Viktor visited us twice here in America, he jokingly always referred to me as the woman of that myth. For those of you who may not be familiar with the name or his works, I will explain. Viktor (Victor) Sariganidi (Sarianidi) led the Russian excavations at the Bactria and Margiana sites in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. I thought many of my readers would want to know of his passing. Memory Eternal, dear friend.

Symbolism in a Pre-Literate Society

The Bactrian alphabet either never developed while the ancient Bactrians along the Amu Darya were making the miniature art and the monumental architecture that are their legacy. The art and the buildings have been lying in ruins since 1600 B.C.  In that time a great deal of casual excavation has uncovered tens or hundreds of thousands of tiny amulets, small household utensils from the tombs and large marble maceheads from the great halls and palaces that they had built.  It is rare to find even an attempt at representational art on engraved household or personal decoration.  Most of the decoration is symbolic even when human, animal and plant life are engraved on personal or household items.  Usually they are shown in narrative scenes that symbolize the beliefs and rituals of the Bactrians of 2500 B.C. to 1600 B.C.

This small basalt bowl may be the exception, though I am tempted to interpret the palm tree like incised images all around the sides of the bowl not as oasis palm trees but as the symbolic art that I am accustomed to seeing in my Bactrian collection.  It would have been a natural response of the artist to engrave palm trees, because the ancient Bactrians inhabited the desert oases along the river channels that were already in the process of drying up.  However since so many thousands of the amulets, seals and household items that they produced had symbolic figures incised into stone or cast in copper/bronze, I had to admit that there existed another possible explanation of the inscribed patterns on this bowl.  First, here are photos of the Bactrian bowl:

Ancient Bactrian Carved Basalt Bowl with Incised Images All Around Contact me with questions or for invoice through the private message form at the top right of this page.

This is an ancient basalt vessel, obviously used for a very long time.  It may be a ritual drinking vessel, judging from its wear, due to long use. Around the outside it has 4 specific incised designs drawn from the desert oasis environment: it appears to be a palm tree of some kind. There may be other figures there, but I cannot discern what they represent. 

If my friend, Dr. Victor Sarianidi, were here, he could no doubt interpret the carvings for me. He is the foremost expert on the meaning of Bactrian symbolic language. He has published several books and articles on the subject, among them Myths of Ancient Bactria-Margiana on ...Seals and Amulets. This vessel is acknowledged by the collector from whom I acquired it to be from Bactrian tombs in Afghanistan. The Bronze Age Bactrian civilization that produced it existed from 2500 B.C. to 1600 B.C.

The design was carved in low relief, and has been worn even smoother. The relief is so worn away that it is difficult to say whether it is a palm tree or the simple design that is still used to ornament household goods in Central Asia. We see this design on many Turkoman carpets of the last century. It is the symbol of two staffs with a semblance of a set of ram's horns at the top. 

The staffs engraved into this vessel have coils running up the staff, much like the symbol used for medical facilities in Western Europe and North America. However if the image carved into the sides of the vessel represent the desert palm trees, the coils around the trunk would represent the scaly bark of the palm tree. 

Vessel measurements: 6.6 cm (2.6 in) diameter; 3.5 cm (1.37 in) high; 2.5 cm (1 in) deep. The vessel is chipped on the rim as shown in photos.

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Connecting Dots to Make Mythical Symbols in Bactria

 

Bactrian Stone Two Sided Amulet Published by Archeologist

This stone amulet has an image on each side. It has been examined by Dr. Victor Sarianidi who directed the Russian excavations in the Bactria-Margiana Archeological Complex. In fact, Victor chose many Bactrian artifacts in our collection to publish in his work Myths of Bactria-Margiana on Its Seals and Amulets. His description and photo of this amulet are located on pages 228-29, figures 1207.1 and 1207.2. 

The amulet is notated on page 228, number 1207 as 
Amulet. Pink stone. 1.3 x 1.0 cm; h (meaning thickness) - 0.4 cm. A plant//Swastika

To my eye the stone is more like the color of old ivory, rather than pink. 

Your inquiry is invited.

Another example of a single sided seal rather than an amulet made of dots on stones that are cruciform when the eye discerns the pattern: 

  

Dr. Victor Sarianidi, a Russian field archeologist that excavated some of the ruins of settlements in the Bactria-Margiana Archeological Complex, sat at our dining table and laboriously examined our collected Bactrian items. He verified those that he chose to publish as the products of the ancient settlement of Bactria. That culture existed as a Central Asian oasis agricultural and trading settlement from about 2500 BC to about 1600 BC. 

This stone button seal is among those he chose to publish in his very hard to get book on the subject. Since my husband took the photos for him and I helped him with the English publication, Victor gave us a copy of the book. You may find a copy in some of the university libraries.

The seal is described and pictured in his book Myths of Ancient Bactria-Margiana on Its Seals and Amulets, pages 242-43, figure 1314. 

The notation by Dr. Sarianidi on page 242, No. 1314 reads thus: 
Button Seal. White Stone. D[iameter] - 1.1 cm; h [thickness] - 0.65 cm
Cross with dots in the field.

I invite your inquiry.

Mythical Figures on Bactrian Amulet from Ancient Times

Bactrian Amulet, Ancient, Images Two Sides, Authenticated and Published

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From our collection that began while we lived in Afghanistan comes this ancient Bactrian limestone amulet is incised with figures of humans and animals that carry a mythical meaning, one that we cannot fully translate. The excavator of parts of the Bactria-Margiana Archeological Complex, Dr. Victor Sarianidi, describes this particular seal in his work Myths of Ancient Bactria-Margiana on Its Seals and Amulets, pages 248, 249, figures 1367.1 and 1367.2. 

Victor Sarianidi notates the amulet thus: 1367. Amulet. Pink limestone, D[iameter] - 2.35 cm, h[eight] meaning thickness - 1.5 cm. [Since he published the image from the photo of an impression of the seal, it does not show up as pink limestone in the book.] Standing human figure, one hand on his waist, another raised. Smaller figure stands in front of the first one with outstretched arms. A plant on the right side of the figure. // Horned deer running to the right. A tree in front of the animal, a bird(?) under its belly. Above the deer there is some other animal. 

Dr. Sarianidi became a friend of ours through our interest in his work. When he learned that we had a collection of Bactrian artifacts, he came to our home for a visit and asked for photographs of our Bactrian seals and amulets for his intended publication mentioned above. He examined each of the seals in our collection, chose those that he recognized as genuine antiquities, and wrote copious notes on each one. 

Victor taught us a great deal about our seals and what they revealed about the beliefs and behavior of the ancient Bactrian people. His interpretation of that culture is included in the book cited above. 

The amulet was collected in Afghanistan where Bactria is located. 

I invite your inquiries.

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Bactrian Amulet Depicts Scorpions, Snakes, Bare Foot

Ancient Bactrian Clay Amulet Authenticated, Published by Archeologist 

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This thirty-five hundred year old Bactrian amulet was scribed into an oval shaped clump of clay. The clay appears that it was never glazed. The amulet is double sided, bearing an image of a scorpion on one side. On the opposite side of the scorpion image there is a drawing of a human foot stepping on a serpent. The sole of the foot appears to have a puncture wound. The amulet was perhaps made to protect the wearer from stepping on snakes and scorpions and being stung or bitten. The Karakum desert is still well populated with poisonous snakes and scorpions; it is therefore no wonder that the people of Bactria and Margiana needed protection from the creatures. 

So many of the seals and amulets of the Bactria-Margiana culture tell a story and reveal a facet of the everyday lives or the religious beliefs of that civilization. As Dr. Victor Sarianidi writes in his work on Myths of Ancient Bactria-Margiana on Its Seals and Amulets:

'As scorpions, like snakes, are typical representatives of the fauna of the arid regions of Central Asia, there is no wonder that they were so popular in glyptics and apparently in myths of the ancient Bactrian tribes. Scorpions were frequently depicted in the centre of Bactrian seals and amulets....' (Sarianidi, op. cit., p. 45)

Opposite side of amulet:

Dr. Sarianidi took photographs of our Bactrian collection when he came to visit the United States several years ago. In writing the work cited above, he included this particular seal/amulet on pages 256-57, figures 1417.1 and 1417.2. He notated the clay amulet as 'Amulet, pierced near the edge. Ceramics, 5.1 x 3.9 cm, [thickness] 0.9 cm.... Scorpion // human footprint over a snake'

This artifact was collected in Afghanistan, which is the present name of the region in which ancient Bactria's ruins are located. 

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