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New Sogdian Inscriptions from Chu valley
(Ak-tobe/Southern Kazakhstan)
Assist. Prof. Gaybulla Babayarov. International
Turkic Academy
Yeraly Akymbek. Ph.D student archeology, ethnology
and museology Kazakh National University, Almaty/Kazakhstan
Ak-tobe is the Pre-Islamic city located near the Chu River (Northern
Kyrgyzstan – Southern Kazakhstan / Semirech’e), in a place where nomadic steppe
tradition meets settled agrarian culture.
Each year the archaeological research on medieval
cities expands covering
new areas. As a result of detailed research we now have rich data. Of the many
cities with rich archaeological material is the city of Ak-tobe. Aktobe has been
studied carefully since 1974. The complicated stratigraphy at the site indicates the
existence
of overlapping cultures, dating from the VI – early XIII centuries. The
ceramic collections consist mostly of table wares. The Sogdian and Arabic
inscriptions on the ceramics are found on the necks, bodies, handles, and rims of
the vessels in combination with incised and stamped decorations.
Inscribed
ceramics are found from all stratigraphic levels of the city site.
The ceramic inscriptions described in this article come from the 2008
excavations. The excavation block is 35 m X 10 m in the shakhristan section, east
of the citadel. The excavations uncovered a thick outer wall of the citadel and
several rooms of houses (The scientific report on archaeological… 2009).
The inscriptions on the fragment of the cauldron was inscribed in a horizontal
script using a sharp tool (Fig. 1-5). Like the previously described vessel, the
diameter of this cauldron is 16 cm, and the wall thickness is 1-1.6 cm appearance.
This vessel
was severely burned by fire, although when it was evenly fired and
crafted from clay with sand inclusions.
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Figure 1. 1. Inscription on the shoulder of the pot; 2. Inscriptions
on the side of the pot; 3.
Inscription on the side of the fragment of the tagore; 4. Inscription on the mouth of the jug; 5.
Inscription on the side of the cauldron.
We are reading some Sogdian inscriptions of Ak-tobe (dated to the VIII – X
centuries A.D) such as
twn-ch
or
twn-c’
– “jug, pitcher” (See Fig. 2, 1-3) and
’yny
p’rδ
.. – “This is care …?” (Gharib 2004: 259) (Fig. 2, 4). Alternative readings are
pointless: as
twn-’n
or
twz-’n
.
The
twnch
(tōnčᾰ) /
twnc’
(tōnča) is the Sogdian word, may be originally is
twn
“jug, pitcher” and -
ch
(cha) /
cha
“diminutive” as “small pitcher”. But this
word is not seen in Sogdian written sources.
There are words in some Uzbek dialects and Tajik language, Sogdian like:
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1.
tüŋčä
/
tümčä
– “jug, pitcher, a little ware from clay”
in some Uzbek
dialects of Southern Uzbekistan, especially in the dialects of local peoples of the
ancient villages: such Beshkent (
Sogd
. Fijkath, near Qarshi city –
Kashkadarya
region / Southern Sogd) and some inhabitants of Fergana valley (Andizhan and
Osh) (
see
“O’zbek Xalq Shevalari Izohli Lug’ati” (“The Dictionary of Uzbek
Dialects” in Uzbek) - OHSHL 1971: 263-264).
2.
tung
(گنت) – “jug, pitcher, vessel for water, the dish for the water, wine and
etc.” (
see
“Farhangi Tafsiri Zaboni Tojiki” (“The Explanatory Dictionary of Tajık
Language”) – FTZT 2008: 355).
Some other Sogdian inscriptions of Ak-tobe were read by V.A. Livshits (
see
Fig. 2) [Livshits 2008: 363-368].
Figure 2. The remains of the pot with a Sogdian inscription on the aureole, found in 1989
(Shalekenov, Aldabergenov 2006: 26).
References
:
1.
Akymbek Y., Baibugunov B. (2013). Inscriptions on ceramics of medieval city Aktobe //
2
nd
World Conference on Design, Arts and Education (DAE-2013). Published by Elsevier
Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Ayse Cakir İlhan &
Fatma Miralay. www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
2.
Gharib B. Sogdian Dictionary. Sogdian – Persian – English. – Tehran: Farhangan
Publications, 2004.
3.
Livshits V.A. Sogdiyskaya epigrafika Sredney Azii i Semirech’ya. Sankt-Peterburg, 2008.
4.
OHSHL (1971).Ozbek Halq shevalari lug’ati. Tahkent: Fan, 1971 (İn Uzbek).