Posted on 11/17/2007 7:56:16 PM PST by blam
Archaeologists discover largest Kushan City Sites
By By our correspondent
11/16/2007
PESHAWAR: A team of archaeologists led by Vice Chancellor of the Hazara University Prof Dr Ihsan Ali has discovered the remains of one of the largest Kushan city sites in Chittar Kot, Mansehra, the NWFP.
The site Chittar Kot is located on a high spur overlooking the Biran River, offering one of the most spectacular views of the river and the surrounding area, a press release stated. The site is located at 34" 22.356' N and 73" 08.214' E at an elevation of 945 meters from mean sea level in a pine forest in the Hamsherian Union Council of district Mansehra.
The site was earlier spotted by Abdul Hameed and Muhammad Ashfaq of the Hazara Cultural Museum during a survey of archaeological sites in Mansehra.
Chittar Kot is believed to have been derived from the word Chittra meaning an umbrella or an elevated place represents a large Kushan settlement site, protected by a similar defensive structure on the west and the exposed structure spreading over a mile on the steep hill.
The strategic location of the site warranted an effective control of the surrounding area from all four directions, and thus could have been of multi-faceted defensive settlement, with far-reaching consequences for the establishment of cultural profile of Mansehra district. It gives an unhindered view of the present settlements of Nawa-Shehr, Kherian and Bhir Khund.
This excavation will also provide extensive material to the newly established Hazara Cultural Museum at the Hazara University and will shed new light on the people of the area living 2,000 years ago.
Furthermore, the Hazara University will ensure the preservation of the exposed structures at the site and will provide security, thus this site will be established as a major tourist attraction in the area and will bring prosperity by opening up new job prospects for the local population. It is to be mentioned here that during 2006, the Hazara University discovered more than 250 archaeological sites in Mansehra district, 304 in Abbottabad district and 100 in Haripur district, dating from 2nd millennium BC to the Sikh-British period, and is actively pursuing the preservation and documentation of the endangered cultural assets of the area.
The Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries) was a state that at its cultural zenith, circa 105–250 CE, extended from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and down into the Ganges river valley in northern India. The empire was created by the Kushan tribe of the Yuezhi confederation, an Indo-European people[2] from the eastern Tarim Basin, China, possibly related to the Tocharians. They had diplomatic contacts with Rome, Persia and China, and for several centuries were at the center of exchange between the East and the West.
In other words, they controlled part of the Silk Road, which made them rich, powerful, and mean as hell with which to deal.
Birth of the Buddha, Kushan period Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara, probably Takht-i-Bahi) Stone; 6 x 7 in. (16 x 19.7 cm)
The Gift of Anathapindada, Kushan period, 2nd–3rd century Pakistan, ancient region of Gandhara Schist with traces of gold foil; 9 5/8 x 9 in. (24.4 x 22.9 cm)
Sculpture: Dancing Women
I read that they were pretty good business people.
I get a kick out of their art. They were verily the embodiment of insecure noveau riche. Their art was a hilarious syncretism of greek, persian, buddhist and hindu influences. I recall a National Geographic photo of a sculpture of a greco-roman aphrodite statuette with a hindu head-dot and buddhist motifs.
|
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks Blam. |
||
|
· Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · · History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
|||
Yeay, there were so many different cultural influences coming in from so many directions, they lacked the knowledge of what all of them meant. The result is kitsch. Sort of like what you see in parts of southeast Asia, were some folks think that our Christmas is celebrated with pink plastic blown-up bunnies!
"Tocharian donors", possibly the "Knights with Long Swords" of Chinese accounts, depicted with light hair and light eye color and dressed in Sassanian style. 6th century CE fresco, Qizil, Tarim Basin. Graphical analysis reveals that the third donor from left is performing a Buddhist vitarka mudra. These frescoes are associated with annotations in Tocharian and Sanskrit made by their painters.There is evidence both from the mummies and Chinese writings that many of them had blonde or red hair and blue eyes, characteristics also found in present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, due to the populations' high genetic diversity. This suggests the possibility that they were part of an early migration of speakers of Indo-European languages that ended in what is now the Tarim Basin in western China. According to a controversial theory, early invasions by Turkic speakers may have pushed Tocharian speakers out of the Tarim Basin and into modern Afghanistan, India, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan."
Sounds right. I’m an art historian by education and training. The cross-cultural influences, due to the Silk trade route, was amazing in its richness.
How unfortunate the place is now a political mess. But so was Europe 1000 years ago, and as recently as 60 years ago. There is always the hope things will improve.
Pakistan? Pakistan has been in existence only since 1947!
:^)
You make that a RED bunny with white dots and you’ve got the color scheme right (if nothing else).
Don’t be so picky (older word for “PC”) ~ it’s pretty obvious that means “in the place some people now call Pakistan”.
No, it just read odd. Sort-of like using 3rd century-U.S.A, when referring to a native tribal kingdom of that period, in North America.
You’d still want to do your geographic references to the United States though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
