Awards

• Winner of Academy of Athens Prize 2007 (Greece)

Overview

In the depths of the Kara Kum desert in Turkmenistan, one of the largest deserts in the world, Victor Sarianidi has excavated the early unknown country of Margush (Margiana). Its capital was the city of Gonur, which consisted of a unique ensemble of temples and palaces dating from the end of the third-beginning of the second millennium BC. In addition to the capital city, he excavated the Gonur necropolis, with almost 3000 tombs. This is the largest necropolis of the period to have been excavated in the entire Near East. The funeral gifts and personal adornments from the Gonur tombs have an amazing, unique beauty and are worthy of comparison with the finest examples of ancient oriental art from Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and the Aegean world. Research in this area has made it possible to conclude that the first monotheistic religion in the world, Zoroastrianism, originated in Margiana. This statement is supported by the finds that related to the funeral rituals and procedures observed in the Gonur necropolis. The Margiana culture proved to be so highly advanced that scholars increasingly hold the view that Bronze Age Central Asia was one of the main civilizations of ancient times, alongside Mesoptamia, Egypt, India and China. This book contains the results of the excavations, anthropological observations based on the skeletons found, and a large number and wide variety of finds. 385 colour illustrations.

Full Product Details

Author:   Victor Sarianidi
Publisher:   Kapon Editions
Imprint:   Kapon Editions
Weight:   1.450kg
ISBN:  

9789607037855

ISBN 10:   9607037855
Pages:   338
Publication Date:   31 December 2007
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Funeral Constructions at the Gonur Necropolis Funeral Gifts and Personal Decorations Indo-Iranians and a Domestic Horse New Excavations at the North Gonur and Historical Perspectives Funeral Rites at Gonur Margiana and Iranian Paganism Appendix 1 Main Characteristics of all Graves, Excavated at the Gonur Necropolis Appendix 2 New Data on Anthropology of the Necropolis of Gonur-Depe Appendix 3 Gonur City Linens of the Second Millennium B.C.; Study of a Textile Fragment from Burial #2380; Investigation of a Textile Fragment Appendix 4 Radiocarbon Dating of Samples from the Necropolis of Gonur In Turkmenistan

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Author Information

VICTOR SARIANIDI is an archaeologist and Honorary Member of the Russian Scientific Academy. Born in Uzbekistan, he has spent over 50 years excavating in Turkmenistan where for the last 35 years he has concentrated on the excavation of the ancient country of Margiana, or Margush.

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