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Rethinking a History That's Carved in StoneThree months after the announcement of its discovery in Central Asia, a tiny stone object inscribed with symbols thought to be the writing of an obscure desert culture from 4,000 years ago is more of an enigma than ever. If this is indeed an early form of writing, as its discoverer has suggested, it is strong evidence for a previously unknown civilization that began about 2300 B.C. across much of modern Turkmenistan and parts of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan... An even more puzzling aspect of the discovery has been raised by specialists in ancient Chinese writing. They contend that the inscription bears more than a passing resemblance to Chinese writing -- not an early script, but one that was not used until about 200 B.C... There is no clear evidence for Chinese writing before about 1300 or 1200 B.C. -- 1,000 years after people lived at the Anau site in Turkmenistan where the mysterious inscription was unearthed... Another possibility, which would throw the scholarship of Chinese writing into turmoil, is that the 2300 inscription date is correct. That would suggest that influences from Central Asia or farther west might have contributed to the invention of Chinese writing. Dr. Mair, who holds that such influences were greater than previously thought, has raised this controversial point.
by John Noble Wilford
July 31, 2001Another ancient civilization found"It's not ancient Iranian, not ancient Mesopotamian. I even took it to my Chinese colleagues," he said. "It was not Chinese." ...No one knows the extent of this civilization, which may reach beyond Margiana, deep in the Kara Kum desert, and Bactria, which straddles the Uzbek-Afghan border. Hiebert said he believes that a third area, Anau, outside Ashgabat near the Iranian border, is connected to this civilization, perhaps even the origin of the culture. It is about 2,000 years older, going back to 4500 BC, or the Copper Age.
by Faye Flam
May 3, 2001 [no url]
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Have they re-found that statue of Ozymandius?
Turkish Daily News / 12 September 1995In Mongolia, Demirel is the official guest of President Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat. During Demirel's stay in Ulan Bator, which will last until Wednesday, Turkey And Mongolia are due to sign a friendship and cooperation agreement with which will be the framework for further accords between the two countries. Demirel's tour covering Tajikistan And Mongolia was the first trip by a top Turkish official to the two central Asian republics. In Mongolia, Demirel and the turkish delegation are also due to visit the eighth century Orhun (Orkhon) Monuments, the site of the earliest known examples of written Turkish culture. Turkey has undertaken a project for the restoration of the monuments. Following the former Soviet Union's collapse in late 1991, Ankara has established close ties particularly with the newly independent Turkic republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan And Uzbekistan in central Asia and Azerbaijan in Transcaucasia.Demirel calls for action to end delayThe difficulty has been caused by what the Turkish side calls the reluctance of Mongolia to provide data to Turkey for Ankara's plans to renovate the 8th century monuments left from the Gokturk civilization. According to Turkish diplomats, Ankara has already earmarked "a considerable sum" for the project... Demirel was driven for 90 minutes -- mostly over rugged roadless terrain -- to the Tonyukuk monument, where the first script to use the word "Turk" is found. Tonyukuk, left from the Gokturk era, has resisted harsh weather conditions and negligence since 1235.
in restoring historical Mongolian Orhun monuments
by Nazlan Ertan
13 September 1995
Thanks for the post.