The Early Dakhmas of Bactria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2025.2.58.72Keywords:
Bactria, Yaz I (Kuchuk I), early dakhmas, Zoroastrianism, Naus, Tower of Silence, Sherobod, Kohitang Mountain, Zarabog, Karabog, KayritAbstract
The article deals with the first dakhmas (Towers of Silence) discovered in the Kohitang Mountain and its foothills, located in the Sherobod district of the Surxondaryo region of the Republic of Uzbekistan, during international expeditions—the Uzbek-Czech and the Uzbek-French expeditions. The text provides general information about dakhmas, their location in Central Asia, as well as a brief historiography. Previous research has established that Zoroastrianism spread in Central Asia at the end of the Bronze Age or the beginning of the Iron Age. However, these studies do not mention the spread of the first dakhmas, which are the primary structures of Zoroastrianism. Field studies conducted by international expeditions have helped fill this gap. The specifics of the burial rites allow the discovered structures to be identified as the earliest dakhmas of Bactria and shed light on the question of where ancient Zoroastrianism originated.
References
Avesta. 2008. Zakon protiv devov (Videvdat) (Given against the Daevas (Demons) (Videvdat)). Saint Petersburg: Polytechnic University (in Russian).
Avesta. 2005. Khorde Avesta (Mladshaya Avesta) (Khordeh Avesta (Little Avesta)). Saint Petersburg (in Russian).
Askarov, A. A. 1977. Drevnezemledel'cheskaya kul'tura epokhi bronzy yuga Uzbekistana (Ancient agricultural culture of the Bronze Age of the south of Uzbekistan). Tashkent: “Fan” Publ. (in Russian).
Askarov, A. 1973. Sapallitepa. Tashkent: “Fan” Publ. (in Russian).
Askarov, A. A. 1979. Vinogradov, A. V. et al (eds.). In Etnografiya i arkheologiya Sredney Azii (Ethnography and archaeology of Central Asia). Moscow: “Nauka” Publ., 34–37 (in Russian).
Askarov, A. A., Shaidulaev, Sh. B. 2005. In Anarbaev, A. A. (ed.). Istoriya Uzbekistana v arkheologicheskikh i pis'mennykh istochnikakh (The history of Uzbekistan in archaeological and written sources). Tashkent: “Fan” Publ., 36–46 (in Russian).
Baratov, S. R. 2013. In Arkheologiya Uzbekistana (Archaeology of Uzbekistan), 1 (6), 27–59 (in Russian).
Bendezu-Sarmiento, J., Lhuillier, J., Mustafakulov, S., Rakhimov, K. 2015. In Vestnik Mezhdunarodnogo instituta tsentral'noaziatskikh issledovaniy (Bulletin of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies) 22, 26–45 (in Russian, English).
Gerodot. Istoriia v 9 knigakh (Herodotus. History in 9 books). 1972. Leningrad: “Nauka” Publ. (in Russian).
Inostransev, K. 1917. K istorii do-musul'manskoy kul'tury Sredney Azii (To the history of pre-Islamic culture of Central Asia) Series: Zapiski Vostochnogo otdeleniia Imperatorskogo Russkogo arkheologicheskogo obshchestva (Proceedings of the Oriental Branch of the Imperial Russian Geographic Society) 24. Petrograd (in Russian).
Konovalova, I. G. (ed.). Istoricheskaya geografiya (Historical Geography) 3. Moscow: “Akvilon” Publ. (in Russian).
Litvinskiy, B. A., Sedov, A. V. 1983. Tepai-Shakh (Tepai-Shakh). Moscow: “Nauka” Publ.. (in Russian)
Lhuillier, J. 2011. In Vestnik Mezhdunarodnogo instituta tsentral'noaziatskikh issledovaniy (Bulletin of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies) 31, 9–20 (in Russian, English).
Manylov, Yu. P. 1981. In Kosymbetov, I. K., Yagodin, V. N. (eds.). Arkheologicheskie issledovaniya v Karakalpakii (Archaeological research in Karakalpakstan). Tashkent: “Fan” Publ., 50–64 (in Russian).
Matboboyev, B. Kh. 2009. Rannesrednevekovaya kul'tura drevney Fergany (na osnove istoricheskogo analiza arkheologicheskikh istochnikov V–VIII vv.). (Early medieval culture of Ancient Fergana (based on a historical analysis of archaeological sources from the V–VIII centuries AD)) Diss. of Candidate of Doctor of Historical Sciences. Samarkand (in Russian).
Oʻzbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi (National encyclopedia of Uzbekistan). Vol. 3. Tashkent: “Tashkent” Publ. (in Uzbek).
Pugachenkova, G. A. 1966. Khalchayan (Khalchayan). Tashkent: “Fan” Publ. (in Russian).
Pugachenkova, G. A., Rtveladze, E. V. 1978. Dal'verzintepe – kushanskiy gorod na yuge Uzbekistana (Dalverzin Tepe is a Kushan town in the south of Uzbekistan). Tashkent: “Fan” Publ. (in Russian).
Pugachenkova, G. A., Rtveladze, E. V. 1990. Severnaya Baktriya-Tokharistan (Northern Bactria-Tokharistan). Tashkent: “Fan” Publ. (in Russian).
Rapoport, Yu. A. 1971. Iz istorii religii Drevnego Khorezma (ossuarii) (From the History of Religion of Ancient Khwarezm (Ossuaries)). Series: Trudy Khorezmskoi arkheologo-etnograficheskoi ekspeditsii (Proceedings of the Khwarezm Archaeological and Ethnographic Expedition) 6. Moscow: “Nauka” Publ. (in Russian).
Rtveladze, E. V. 2001. Zoroastrizm v Baktrii (Zoroastrianism in Bactria). “Avesta” i yego mesto v istorii razvitiya chelovechestva. Tashkent-Urganch,. 99-102. (in Russian).
Rtveladze, E. V. 2001. In Rtveladze, E. V. (ed.). Materialy Tokharistanskoi ekspeditsii (Proceedings of Tokharistan Expedition) 2. Tashkent: “San’at” Publ., 65–84 (in Russian).
Iz «Geografii» Strabona (I v. do n. e. – I v. n. e.) (From Strabo's "Geography" (1st century BC – 1st century AD)). Available at: http://adfontes.atspace.com/antique_slav/strabon.htm (Accessed: 25.03.2025) (in Russian).
Suleymanov, R. Kh. 2000. Drevniy Nakhshab. Problemy tsivilizatsii Uzbekistana VII v do n.e. – VII n.e. (Ancient Nakhshab. Issues of civilization of Uzbekistan of the VII century BC – VII AD) Samarkand; Tashkent: “Fan” Publ. (in Russian).
Tolstov, S. P. 1948. Drevnii Khorezm. Opyt istoriko-arkheologicheskogo issledovaniia (Ancient Khwarezm. Experience of Historical and Archaeological Research). Moscow: Moscow State University (in Russian).
Toshaliev, K.B. 2019. In Vokhidov, Sh. (ed.). Materialy Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy aprel'skoy konferentsii studentov, magistrantov i prepodavateley na temu «Chelovek. Obshchestvo. Priroda. Nauka», 30 aprelya 2019 goda v Tadzhikskom Pedagogicheskom institute v gorode Pendzhikent (Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference of students, undergraduates and teachers "Human. Society. Nature. Science", on April 30, 2019 at the Tajik Pedagogical Institute in Panjakent). Penjikent: Tajik Pedagogical Institute, 438–443 (in Russian).
Toshaliev, K. B. 2019. In Pardaev, M. (ed.). Materialy respublikanskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii na temu «Drevniy Dzhizakskiy oazis – v sisteme sredneaziatskoy tsivilizatsii (politicheskaya, ekonomicheskaya, kul'turnaya zhizn')» (Proceedings of the republican scientific-practical conference "Ancient Jizzakh Oasis - in the system of Central Asian civilization (political, economic, cultural life)"). Tashkent: “Meras” Pub., 121–128 (in Russian).
Toshaliev, K. B. 2019. In Muғallim ҳәm үzliksiz bilimlendiririў. Ilimiy-metodikalyқ zhurnal (Mugallim Həm yzlik bilimlendiririo'. Ilimi-methodical Journal) 2, 104–107 (in Russian).
Khamidov, O. A. 2019. In Arkheologiya Uzbekistana (Archaeology of Uzbekistan), 1 (18), 71–81 (in Uzbek).
Khamidov, O. A. 2020. Shimoliy Baqtriyaning Kuchuk I davriga oid yangi yodgorliklari (New sites of Northern Bactria of the Kuchuk I period) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Dissertation in Historical Sciences. Tashkent (in Russian).
Shaydullayev, Sh. B. 1990 Pamyatniki rannezheleznogo veka Severnoy Baktrii (Sites of the Early Iron Age of Northern Bactria). Thesis of Diss. of Candidate of Historical Sciences. Samarkand. (in Russian).
Shaydullayev, Sh.B. 2004. In O’zbekiston tarikhi (History of Uzbekistan) 3, 3–12 (in Uzbek).
Shaydullayev, Sh., Toshaliev, Q. 2022. In O’zbekiston arkheologisi (Archaeology of Uzbekistan) 1 (26), 14–24 (in Uzbek).
Shaydullayev, Sh. B., Stančo, L., Khamidov, O. A. 2019. In Pardaev, M. (ed.). Materialy Respublikanskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii na temu «Drevniy Dzhizakskiy oazis – v sisteme sredneaziatskoy tsivilizatsii (politicheskaya, ekonomicheskaya, kul'turnaya zhizn')» (New sites of the Kuchuk I period discovered in the Pashxurt-Zarabog) Proceedings of the republican scientific-practical conference "Ancient Jizzakh Oasis - in the system of Central Asian civilization (political, economic, cultural life)". Tashkent: “Meras” Publ., 110–114. (in Russian).
Shaydullayev, Sh. B., Khamidov, O. A. 2018. Arkheologiya Uzbekistana (Archaeology of Uzbekistan), 1 (16), 11–23 (in Uzbek).
Augustinova, A., Stančo L., Shaydullaev Sh., Mrva M. 2018. In Studia Hercynia. XIX/1–2, 262–281 (in English).
Bendezu-Sarmiento J., Lhuillier J. 2015. In Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan. Band 45 2013. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag, 281–315. (in English).
Boyce, M. 2012. In BAI 22, 29–46 (in English).
Grenet, F. 1984. Les pratiques funaires dans lʻAsie Centrale sedentaire de la conquete grecque a lʻislamisation. Paris.
Havlik, J., Stančo, L., Havlikova, H. 2017. Kurgans of the Eastern Kugitang Piedmonts: Preliminary Report for Season 2017. Studia Hercynia. XXI/2, 160–182 (in English).
Jackson, A.V.W. 1906. Persiya v proshlom i nastoyashchem (Persia Past and Present). New York; London: The Macmillan Company; Macmillan & Co., ltd.
Kammenhuber, A. 1958. Totenvorschriften und “Hunde-Magie” in Videvdat (Death regulations and “dog magic” in Videvdat). ZDMG. 108. (in German).
Minardi, M. 2020. In International Virtual Conference on Archaeology of Iran and Adjacent Regions. Zahedan- IRAN, 70–95 (in English).
Minardi, M., Amirov, Sh. 2017. In Topoi. Vol. 21/1, 11–49 (in English).
Lhuillier, J. 2016. In Studia Hercynia. XX/2, 112–121 (in English).
Stančo, L. 2016. In Studia Hercynia (XX/2), 73–85 (in English).
Stančo, L., Shaydullaev, Sh., Bendezu-Sarmiento, J., Pažout, A., Vondrova, H. 2014. In XVIII/1–2
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sh.Shaydullaev, L. Stančo, K. Toshaliev
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
