Traces & Narratives

Kushan Fusion

Mon, 05/17/2010 - 16:45 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

Nomads adapted elements of Greek and Indian culture to create a hybrid society of their own.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-kushan.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/120.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-kushan.png

Era:

Age of Empire

Theme:

Identity & Perception

Traces & Narratives

Year:

120

BCE/CE:

Date Period:

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Greek and Indian styles fused to create a hybrid style.

More Information:

"The Buddha, Made in Gandhara." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://tinyurl.com/2bjzeeo. © The Trustees of the British Museum "The Buddha, Made in Gandhara." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://tinyurl.com/36x78rj. © The Trustees of the British Museum Buddhist Relics, Kabul. National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan. Dupree, Nancy. 65-M-62. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. 65-M-78. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. 70-76a. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. A73-45. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. A73-53. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Faravahar at Persepolis. Persepolis, Iran. "Figure, Made in Gandhara." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=223661&partId=1. © The Trustees of the British Museum "Gandhara Buddha." Digital image. Wik. "Kanishka Coin." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=3143230&partId=1. © The Trustees of the British Museum "Kushan Empire (ca. 2nd Century B.C. 3rd Century A.D.)." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kush/hd_kush.htm. "Kushans." Afghanan.Net. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://www.afghanan.net/afghanistan/kushans.htm. "Miscellaneous Buddhist Sculpture Fragments from Nullah, Sanghao, Peshawar District, 1883." Digital image. British Library. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/m/019pho000001003u01125000.html. Photograph by Henry Hardy Cole, courtesy of the British Library Board Nguyen, Marie-Lan. "Athena of the Parthenos Athena Type." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athena_Parthenos_Altemps_Inv8622.jpg. Nguyen, Marie-Lan. "Head of Apollo." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apollo_Palatino_Inv12456.jpg. PHG. "Buddha-Footprint." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha-Footprint.jpeg. PHG. "SeatedBuddha." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SeatedBuddha.jpg. Tokyo National Museum. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en PHG. "TangBodhisattva." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TangBodhisattva.JPG. "Seated Buddha." Digital image. Virtual Collection of Masterpieces. http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/masterpieces.aspx. Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ UNESCO/Manoocher/Webistan. "Kabul Museum - Statue Restoration." Digital image. UNESCO. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://photobank.unesco.org. Ustad Awalmir. Esta De Qasam Wi. Radio-Television Afghanistan Archive.  "Virtual Art Exhibit - Kushans." University of Washington's Silk Road Exhibit." Accessed August 21, 2010. http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/kushans/kushans.html. World Imaging. "Buddha-Vajrapani-Herakles." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha-Vajrapani-Herakles.JPG. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en World Imaging. "Gandhara Buddha." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gandhara_Buddha_%28tnm%29.jpeg. World Imaging. "Kushan "Buddo" Coin." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 21, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KanishkaI.jpg. GNU license: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License CC license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ <hr /> Producer: Kate Harding

Video Transcript:

The area known today as Afghanistan had flourished with trade and riches during the Greco-Bactrian empire. But its rich, urban settlements were continually under threat from nomads. By the first century, these nomads consolidated their power and established the Kushan Empire. That empire would make a profound decision, and that decision would revolutionize all of Asia. The Kushan people who moved into Afghanistan in the 1st century AD … were originally a nomadic group found in Central Asia around the Ferghana Valley in central Asia then moved into Afghanistan. They brought with them a renewed love and adoration of Buddhism… In the earliest days of Buddhism, the Buddha was only depicted through symbols such as wheels or footprints. But as Buddhism spread, more people believed that the Buddha’s miraculous life should be narrated using a human form. In the year 130, the Kushan King, Kanishka, held a grand council to decide whether or not this new art should be permitted. He decided to officially sanction it, giving rise to a tradition of Buddhist art that has lasted almost 2,000 years. The Kushans turned to the sculptors throughout their kingdom. These sculptors had been trained in the Greek tradition because of the previous Greco empires that had ruled the area. They had learned the art of stonecutting, figuremaking, and drapery. And they set to work using this Greek style to produce Buddhist statues. The statues are essentially made by Greek trained artisans. So when we look at these statues of the Buddha they look an awful lot like Apollo the Orator. They look like Greek gods. Why? Because they were made by the specialist in religious sculpture and given Buddhist robes, given Buddhist insignias. The art flourished, and was especially concentrated in a region known at the time as Gandhara – an area that straddled what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan. One would think that Buddhist art would reflect Buddhist figures and Buddhist decorative motifs but in fact, Gandharan art is really very similar to Greek art. The depictions of costumes, drapery, even the figures themselves are derived from Greek civilization. The art of the Kushans stirred a revolution across Asia and figurines erupted all across the continent, spreading to China, Japan, and Korea. Everywhere the style went, it merged with local traditions. Buddhist figurines were soon characterized by a fusion of Asian and Greek influences. But the greatest Kushan achievement would be the Buddhas of Bamiyan – the colossal statues that announced the Kushan’s might to all who traveled along the Silk Road. But the Kushans were not only Buddhists. They were also patrons of Zoroastrianism and they saw no reason why both religions could not coexist within their empire. There was no discrimination against either religion. The result was a fusion society during this time as well, not just in the arts but in general. The Kushans had learned to fuse differences together instead of driving them apart.

A Greek City in Asia

Mon, 05/17/2010 - 16:34 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

While on a hunting trip in the 1960s, the king of Afghanistan came across an extraordinary find: an ancient Greek city in Afghanistan.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-aikhanoum.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era2/200_2.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-aikhanoum.png

Era:

Age of Empire

Theme:

Identity & Perception

Traces & Narratives

Year:

200

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

The ancient city of Ai-Khanoum, a Greek city in Afghanistan.

More Information:

1209-32. AMRC Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Alexander Mosaic. Naples National Archaeological Museum. Barrison, Harvey. Temple of Zeus at Olympia. July 6, 2009. Athens. Accessed October 9, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hbarrison/3857766654/. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en "Costume-fitting." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=434391&partId=1. © Trustees of the British Museum Dupree, Nancy. Citadel Residence, Ai Khanoum. 1975. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Kushan Sculpture Found at Lulu Tepe. 1959. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Members of the Conference at the Administrative Quarters. 1970. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Pseudo-Corinthian Capital from the Administrative Quarters. 1970. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Temple outside East Wall. 1975. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Temple within the Walls of Ai-Khanoum. 1970. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. The Bases in the Hall of the Administrative Quarters, Ai-Khanoum. 1970. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. PHGCOM. "HeraklesStatuette." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HeraklesStatuette.jpg. "Sculpture of an Old Man, Ai Khanoum." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philosopher2.JPG. "Seleuco I Nicatore." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seleuco_I_Nicatore.JPG. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/it/deed.en World Imaging. "AiKhanoumPlateSharp." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AiKhanoumPlateSharp.jpg. World Imaging. "GorgoyleSharp." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GorgoyleSharp.jpg. <hr /> Producer: Kate Harding

Video Transcript:

In 1961, the King of Afghanistan went on hunting expedition in the northeast province of Kunduz. During the trip he was shown a Corinthian capital. He recognized the ornate style as being similar to the capitals that topped columns in ancient Greece. This would lead to the discovery of an entire forgotten city After the King’s discovery, a French team of archaeologists began to excavate the area. What they unearthed was the best-preserved Greek city in all of Asia. Known as Ai-Khanoum, the city’s plan was practically a carbon copy of settlements in the Mediterranean. It is basically a site that has an acropolis similar to the acropolis in Athens. It has markets that are similar to the markets found in traditional Greek civilization. It shows the dramatic influence of the Greek culture on Afghanistan during this time. The site also included a gymnasium, a theatre, a fountain – all modeled in the Greek style, as well as a library full of Greek texts. When Alexander the Great conquered the area now known as Afghanistan in 330 BCE, he initiated a melding of cultures and ideas. When he died, one of his Macedonian officers, Seleucus, conquered the eastern edge of the empire and founded the city of Ai-Khanoum. Seleucus created a Greek metropolis in the heart of Central Asia. The Greek influence fused with Central Asian traditions and inspired new levels of cultural and artistic fusion. ROSSABI 037: Ai-Khanoum was a real hybrid. It wasn’t just a Greek settlement although there were Greek features….It was truly integrated with local culture, the local monuments, and the local style of life. In 145 BCE, Ai Khanoum was invaded by nomadic people of the northern steppes. Evidence suggests that it was completely abandoned. When it was rediscovered in the 1960s, the archaeology community was aflutter with excitement. For centuries, experts had speculated about Greek influence in Central Asia, but no eastern settlements had been discovered in tact. The discovery put to rest rumors that the Greek influence in Asia was merely a mirage. But the victory was short-lived. At the onset of the Russian invasion in 1979, Ai Khanoum was looted and used as a battleground. Nonetheless, several important pieces survived, providing an outstanding glimpse into the cultural fusion that has continually arisen in Central Asia.

The Silk Roads

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 12:20 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

It was the locals who could navigate the treacherous mountains and deserts that connected China to Rome—and beyond.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-silkroads.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era2/300.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-silkroads.png

Era:

Age of Empire

Theme:

Geography & Destiny

Traces & Narratives

Year:

300

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

Asset Type:

Historical

Caption:

The Silk Roads produced a melting pot of traditions.

More Information:

André. "WLANL - Andrevanb - Kist Uit De 27- 31e Dynastie (4)." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WLANL_-_andrevanb_-_kist_uit_de_27-_31e_dynastie_%284%29.jpg. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Cloth of Gold with Rabbit Wheels. 1225-1250 CE. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH. © Cleveland Museum of Art Drs2biz. "Silk from Mawangdui." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silk_from_Mawangdui.jpg. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Drs2biz. "Western Han Soldiers." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_Han_soldiers_3.jpg. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Dupree, Nancy. 61-321c. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. A69-491. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. "Early Sasanian Plate." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://bit.ly/bHa4ul © Trustees of the British Museum Han Dynasty Horses, Wall Painting. 2nd C. CE. Helingol, Inner Mongolia. Hsuan, Chang. Women Processing New Silk. Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA. Jar with Two Handles. 50-75 AD. Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. "Muxaworek Mukam." In Instrumental Music Of The Uighurs. King Record, 1991, CD. "PazyrikHorseman." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PazyrikHorseman.JPG. PericlesofAthens. "Bronze Horse with Lead Saddle, Han Dynasty." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronze_horse_with_lead_saddle,_Han_Dynasty.jpg. GNU Free Documentation license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License Pericles of Athens. "Chinese Silk, 4th Century BC." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese_silk,_4th_Century_BC.JPG. Photograph of Tomb Wall Painting Featuring a Khitan Horseman and His Steed. Inner Mongolian Museum, Hohhot. Thomson, W. M. "Silkworm Cocoon Purchasing in Antioch, 1886." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silkworm_Cocoon_purchasing_in_Antioch.jpg. "Urumqi Warrior." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UrumqiWarrior.jpg. Vassil. Roman Glass, Found in Afghanistan. "Woven Silk, Syria, 780-900 AD." Digital image. Victoria and Albert Museum. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93132/woven-silk/. <hr /> Producer: Grace Norman

Video Transcript:

A piece of silk adorned the hair of a mummified Egyptian. She was a noble woman who lived some 3,000 years ago. Silk had its secrets. It’s believed that no one outside of China knew how to create silk. Did the silk come from China? How did it get to Africa? Archaeologists, historians, and linguists believe that humans on the vast Eurasian continent had traded for millennia, but little is known about their connections.  For the first time, around the third century BCE, significant historical evidence showed that there was an intercontinental highway that linked the Roman, Persian, and Chinese empires—and by extension throughout the Mediterranean and into Africa. Soldiers, traders and monks—along with their goods and ideas—passed through deserts, plains, and the mighty Hindu Kush mountain passes. Although there had been trade before the 2nd century BCE, the Silk Road trade really originated in that time period.   And these road would flourish because of a particular interest the Chinese began to develop in other parts of the world.   It originated as a result of the travels of a Chinese ambassador to central Asia who brought back reports of spectacular horses in central Asia, one of the few products that the Chinese needed while simultaneously providing silk to the central Asian rulers. But the Silk Road trade was not just for Emperors and Shahs. The Silk Road trade is somewhat of a misnomer because there were lots of other products that were sent across Eurasia, one of them being Roman glass around the 3rd century BCE.   Silver artifacts from Iran were also part of the trade that went back and forth. Herbs, spices, the idea of the grape and the walnut, all of those came from Iran to China. But these routes were for more than just the simple exchange of goods.   Nobody absolutely needed silk or glass or anything of the sort. Much more important was the Silk Road brought cultures in touch with each other and resulted in a great deal of cultural and artistic diffusion.   To understand society and prosperity in Central Asia, one could look to the great cities at either end of the trade routes.   For the Silk Road trade to be sustained, there were two major civilizations that had to be at their height: China and Persia. If either one of those civilizations declined, then the Silk Road trade dwindled in large part because the two civilizations could protect the caravans as they were going across Asia. The Silk Road trade could also not have survived without the intermediaries, people in central Asia and Afghanistan who transported the goods, who acted as brokers for these products, and who knew the routes across these treacherous domains. Some of the most daunting desserts in the world had to be traversed. Some of the loftiest mountains in the world had to be traversed. It was precisely the nomadic pastoral peoples and the settled peoples of Afghanistan in central Asia who knew those routes and who facilitated travels across Eurasia.   Throughout the centuries, travelers created a web of caravan tracks through the Eurasian continent, weaving together different traditions to form a rich tapestry across the Hindu Kush region.

Empire Strikes Back

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 12:12 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

The Greek world carried its influence deep into Asia. Now, the Seleucid Empire strikes back.

Asset Media

Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-seleucid.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era2/323.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-seleucid.png

Era:

Age of Empire

Theme:

Geography & Destiny

Traces & Narratives

Year:

323

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

sample caption

More Information:

Bo-deh. "Apamea Cardo Maximus." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apamea_Cardo_Maximus.jpg. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en Ghorab Shirsokhta. "Untitled Song." Recorded November 8, 1966. Hiromi Lorraine Sakata, 1966. Loeff, Patrik M. "Indien: Sanchi." Digital image. Patrikmloeff's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bupia/2276914716/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en "MauryanCoin." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MauryanCoin.JPG. Musée Guimet. Gymnasiarch Strato. National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul. PHGCOM. "SeleucosCoin." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SeleucosCoin.jpg. Shirsokhta,  "Untitled Song." Recorded November 8, 1966. Hiromi Lorraine Sakata, 1966. Stellmach, Thomas. "Apamea Excursion 29." Digital image. Tom$'s Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dysturb/2192145131/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en Stellmach, Thomas. "Apamea Excursion 33." Digital image. Tom$'s Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dysturb/2192936992/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en Stellmach, Thomas. "Apamea Excursion 50." Digital image. Tom$'s Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dysturb/2192940768/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en Strabo. "A Rubbing of Strabo's Geographica." Digital image. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.payer.de/quellenkunde/quellen1104.htm. "Strabo." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strabo.jpg. Strabo. "Map of the World by Strabo." Digital image. Accessed August 20, 2010. http://www.summagallicana.it/lessico/s/Strabone.htm. <hr /> Producer: Grace Norman

Video Transcript:

After Alexander the Great’s demise, there was an epic power struggle over Alexander’s dominion. Seleucus, a brilliant but pitiless military general, exerted control over the massive Eastern portion of Alexander’s territory. The empire he founded became known as the Seleucid empire. Throughout Seleucid reign, Persian culture continued to mingle with Greek traditions.  The Seleucid culture had an impact on Afghanistan. They did play a role in reinforcing Iranian culture in the country. The Greek historian Strabo wrote an encyclopedia called Geographica, which suggested Seleucusused his Eastern assets to conquer lands Westward. Strabo wrote: “Alexander [...] established … settlements of his own [in the Indus Valley], but Seleucus gave them [away] in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return 500 elephants. The story goes that Seleucus offered a young Indian king the hand of his own daughter in marriage. In return the Indian king gave Seleucus 500 elephants from his reported 9,000-strong elephant army.The 500 elephants later went on to win a critical battle for the Seleucid Empire that eventually allowed them to capture lands that include what is now Turkey, through the Middle East, and beyond. Just as Alexander’s army had conquered vast lands from Macedonia, east to Central Asia, Seleucus and his descendents swept his armies from what is today Afghanistan back towards the west and clear to the Aegean Sea.

The King of Kings

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 12:02 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

The Persian Achaemenid Empire was the greatest empire of the ancient world.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

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Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era1/500.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-achaemenid.png

Era:

Age of Settlement

Theme:

Traces & Narratives

Year:

500

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Persepolis was the seat of power then--and one of the greatest monuments in the world today.

More Information:

Abbott, Jacob. Cyrus the Great. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1902. "Dastgah-e Mahur: Tasnif "Mahd-e Honar"" Recorded April 15, 1989. In Music of Iran I. King Record, 1989, CD. De Corselas, Manuel Parada López. "Ars Summum Tesoro Oxus Brazalete." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 19, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ars_Summum_Tesoro_Oxus_brazalete.JPG. Dynamosquito. "Immortels." Digital image. Dynamosquito's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 19, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamosquito/4489670087/. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Dynamosquito. "Roaring." Digital image. Dynamosquito's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 18, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamosquito/2803214122/. "Herodotus, Historiae." Digital image. Wyoming_Jackrabbit's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 18, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wy_jackrabbit/4339298688/. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en Marsyas. Bust of Herodotus. December 23, 2005. Stoa of Attalus, Athens. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AGMA_H%C3%A9rodote.jpg. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Nickmard. "Persepolis." Digital image. Nickmard's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 19, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickmard/2591671132/. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Nickmard. "Plaque of Lapis Lazuli." Digital image. Nickmard's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 19, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickmard/2401982712/. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Nikopol. "Persepolis Stairs of the Apadana Relief." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 19, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Persepolis_stairs_of_the_Apadana_relief.jpg. GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License Oedipus and the Sphynx, Museo Gregoriano Etrusco Vaticano. Photographer and date unknown. "Persépolis. La Garde." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 18, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pers%C3%A9polis._La_Garde.jpg. GNU Free Documentation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License Unknown. "Painting of Rama." Digital image. British Museum. Accessed August 18, 2010. http://tinyurl.com/2flquld. © Trustees of the British Museum <hr /> Producer: Grace Norman

Video Transcript:

Herodotus, the 6th century BCE Greek historian, recounted the story of Cyrus, the founder of the Achaemenid Dynasty. Like Oedipus in the Greek tradition, and Rama in the Hindu tradition, the story is of a prediction, a banishment, and a glorious return of a King to his rightful place on the throne. According to Herodotus, Cyrus’ grandfather was the King of the powerful Median Empire. One night, the King had a dream that his grandson would eventually overthrow him. In an insecure rage, the King ordered a servant to kill the newly born baby. The servant, unable to carry out the task himself, asked a bandit to take the baby deep into the woods and to abandon him. But the baby Cyrus was found alive by a herder. The herder brought the baby to his wife, and they raised the child as their own. When Cyrus was ten years old, word spread that the child living in the woods was far too noble to be the child of a simple herdsman, and rumors circulated that the royal kin was still alive. The King summoned the boy–and noticed a distinct resemblance to himself. The King ordered his servant to explain what he had done with the baby. The servant confessed he gave the baby to bandits and did not kill the infant. This time the King spared Cyrus, and Cyrus went on to found a Persian empire, known as the Achaemenids. The Achaemenid Empire became the largest empire the world had ever seen. The Achaemenids were also the first great empire that dominated Afghanistan. They, of course, had their own great culture based in Persepolis, in Iran. One of the great architectural monuments in the world at the present time. They influenced Afghanistan for the first time, in a strictly Iranian manner, which is basically one of the foundations of modern Afghan Civilization. An Achaemenid King once boasted of the Empire’s influence while describing the construction of Persepolis: He described gold and lapis from Central Asia, silver and ebony from Ethiopia. The metalsmiths were Medes and the brickmakers, Babylonians. The rich variety of materials and artisans came together to create a hybrid style that very much reflected the Empire in general.  The rulers learned that exerting control over a greater region meant greater taxation, resources, and ultimately, greater wealth. There were political advantages, too. The Achaemenids entered into Afghanistan in large part to control a buffer zone. The fear was people from central Asia or other regions might encroach upon Iran. To have a buffer zone between them was critical. And what did that mean for the early ancestors of Afghans? The Achaemenids did have an influence, but they allowed a great deal of local autonomy. The government that was based in Iran, allowed the local people considerable independence as long as they provided tribute and taxation. On a governmental level, there was no significant influence by the Achaemendis on Afghanistan during that time. Moreover, the Achaemenids themselves were beset by dynastic struggles and conflicts, so that they couldn’t pay as much attention to Afghanistan as they would have wanted.

Traces & Narratives

Nomads Bearing Gold

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 11:34 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

Tales of nomadic warriors bearing gold entered into the annals of history—in Greek.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-scythians.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era1/700.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-scythians.png

Era:

Age of Settlement

Theme:

Identity & Perception

Traces & Narratives

Tradition & Modernization

Year:

700

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Out of the dust of the bronze age collapse emerged Gold!

More Information:

Barefact. "SamaraKurganR2." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SamaraKurganR2.jpg.  "Bead." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=367604&partId=1. © The Trustees of the British Museum "Belt." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=367637&partId=1. © The Trustees of the British Museum Carole a. "Steppe of Western Kazakhstan in the Early Spring." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steppe_of_western_Kazakhstan_in_the_early_spring.jpg. GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License "Costume-fitting." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=434391&partId=1. © The Trustees of the British Museum "Plaque with Scythian Warriors." Digital image. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.hermitagemuseum.org. © The State Hermitage Museum Qeran, Baba, performer. Naghne Danbora. Lorraine Sakata, 1967. © Radio-Television Afghanistan Archives. "Scythian Belt Plaque." Digital image. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Accessed August 11, 2010. www.hermitagemuseum.org. © The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg "Scythian Plaque." Digital image. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.hermitagemuseum.org. © The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg "Scythian Throne Arm." Digital image. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.hermitagemuseum.org. © The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg "Vessel with Handle in Shape of Elk." Digital image. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.hermitagemuseum.org. © The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg Wyoming_Jackrabbit. "Herodotus, Historiae." Digital image. Wyoming_Jackrabbit's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wy_jackrabbit/4339298688/. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en <hr /> Producer: Alexis Menten

Video Transcript:

Out of the dark age caused by the collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations, including the Oxus Civilization, groups of nomadic warriors from the north conquered Persia and the lands of Afghanistan.   The Scythians were a pastoral nomadic group that originated in Eastern Central Asia, and were the first of a wave of migrations, that spread all the way from Eastern Central Asia to Europe. The Huns, for example, were part of that migration. The Scythian were pastoral nomads who moved depending on grass and water for their animals. The greatest Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the Scythians, and in some ways, were quite impressed by their culture. He is one of the few sources available on the Scythians, and was much captivated by the spectacular gold objects that they produced or served as patrons for. The art of the Scythians provides a window into their culture—the things they saw every day, and the things they valued.  The Scythians produced spectacular gold objects, which were often in the animal-style art of the pastoral nomadic people. They buried these objects often with important leaders in in so-called quorgons, or underground tombs. Many of these have now been discovered in Russian, and the Ukraine, so we have an idea of the high level of craftsmanship that developed among these people, and know something about their culture because of the depiction they made.  Another important nomadic group during this time were the Medes, also noted by Herodotus. Due to their skill in battle, by 600 BCE the Medes had conquered the lands stretching from the Black Sea to Afghanistan.  The Medes are an offshoot of the Scythian peoples who migrated across Asia during the period of about 700-350 BCE. The Medes were like the Scythian: nomadic pastorialists, who came in and overwhelmed the settlements that already existed in Afghanistan, some of which derived from the Indo-Iranian invasions of the second millennium BCE. Like the Scythian, they wandered around. They migrated from place to place, but also very appreciative of beauty in specific objects, and contributed to artisanship in Afghanistan.

A Stone that Linked Continents

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 11:25 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

King Tut's tomb contained a beautiful blue stone—from Afghanistan. How did it get there?

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-lapis.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era1/1500.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-lapis.png

Era:

Age of Settlement

Theme:

Traces & Narratives

Year:

1500

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Lapis Lazuli--treasured the world over.

More Information:

0046. AMRC Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. R10-15. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. K-00304-33. AMRC Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Levy, Michael. "Hymn to the Muse." In An Ancient Lyre. 2009, MP3. An ancient Greek musical fragment, circa 2nd century CE. © Michael Levy. Lysippos. "Lapislazuli Afghanistan-b." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lapislazuli_afghanistan-b.jpg. GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License Palladian. "Natural Ultramarine Pigment." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natural_ultramarine_pigment.jpg.  Peterjr1961. "Cult Image of the God Ptah." Digital image. Peterjr1961's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterjr1961/2755873280/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en PHG. "Seated Buddha." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 19, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SeatedBuddha.jpg. GNU free documentation license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License "Sample [lapis Lazuli Fragments]." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 19, 2010. K-00304-33. © The Trustees of the British Museum Sarahang. Man Jane Kharabatam. Lorraine Sakata, 1967. A ghazal. © Radio-Television Afghanistan Archives. Veneziano, Caterino. "Madonna of Humility." Digital image. The Amica Library. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://tinyurl.com/25ckkyu. Cleveland Museum of Art. <hr /> Producer: Alexis Menten

Video Transcript:

Afghanistan can appear to be a country without resources. But in fact, one of its natural resources was so valuable in ancient times that it was traded far and wide—as it still is today. Afghanistan did have some resources that were highly sought after by others. The most famous being lapis lazuli, the famous blue semi-precious stone which we find archeologically all the way over from Egypt over to China. There was only one known source of lapis lazuli in ancient times – the highlands of the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan. There, people have been mining lapis for many thousands of years. Lapis comes almost exclusively from Afghanistan. And so the presence of lapis means that you must have been having trade with Afghanistan. Lapis turns up already in the Bronze Age, in tombs in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and that’s evidence that already by the Third Millennium, we were having trade from Afghanistan to the West. The blue pigment ultramarine is made from ground lapis lazuli, and historically, ultramarine was the second most expensive pigment after gold. As soon as you see a painting that’s full of lapis, your eyes should flash and you should see dollar signs. Why is the Virgin’s robe always blue in Italian painting? Because it was expensive. During more modern times in the 1980s and 90s, the Northern Alliance took control of the lapis lazuli mines. They used the profit from export sales to purchase weapons to fight the Soviets, and later, the Taliban. Indeed if we look at most of history we find that people that are engaged in the trade of goods often do better economically than the people who make the goods. And we can tell archeologically in Afghanistan that it was a center for this kind of transit trade which could be very, very profitable. And if it was profitable then you had the money to import what you wanted as well. History has shown that sometimes trade itself is as profitable as the value of the objects that are traded.

Traces & Narratives

Invaders on Horseback

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 11:16 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

The Indo-Iranians swept down from the North and sacked South Asia. This set the pattern for a cycle of invasions that will come to define Afghan history.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-indoiranian.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era1/1800.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-indoiranian.png

Era:

Age of Settlement

Theme:

Identity & Perception

Traces & Narratives

Year:

1800

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Scythians, Aryans, Indo-Iranians--who were they?

More Information:

Belton. "Ze Ma Janana." Recorded 1967. Lorraine Sakata. Mahali style. © Radio-Television Afghanistan Archives.  Dupree, Nancy. A Site between Bazarak and Rokha: A75-73. 1975. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA.  Mottl, Dmitry A. "Уймонская степь (Uymon Steppe, Altay)." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://tinyurl.com/3853zxl. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Rex. "Steppe of Western Kazakhstan in the Early Spring." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steppe_of_western_Kazakhstan_in_the_early_spring.jpg. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en UNAMA/Taqi Mihran. "Peace Day Calligraphy: 16 September 2009." Digital image. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/unama/3924593163/. Photo courtesy of UNAMA. <hr /> Producer: Alexis Menten

Video Transcript:

History has brought many different cultures and peoples to the lands of today’s Afghanistan, many of which had a lasting impact. The first of these were the Indo-Iranians. Afghanistan has been invaded from the North for much of its history. Around 2000 BC was the first important such invasion from a group known as the Indo-Iranians. These are people that seem to have come off the steppe and they’re moving into Afghanistan and through Afghanistan down into India and also moving down towards the Iranian plateau.  They’re cattle-keeping people. They have carts. They have chariots. They have horses. And you know culturally it marks the introduction of new sets of languages. These people would have a dramatic effect on the religion of Afghanistan, and on the culture, on the language. Afghanistan’s main language today, Dari, is part of the Indo-Iranian language group. The local people very often retained their traditional culture, and it took centuries, really, for the Indo-Iranian influence to be felt: culturally, religiously, in terms of lifestyle. Sometimes, we think of history as happening almost immediately, but in fact, it’s a gradual development

The Lost Civilization of the Oxus River

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 11:02 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

A great civilization connected Eurasia—until it vanished mysteriously.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-oxus.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era1/2000_2.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-oxus.png

Era:

Age of Settlement

Theme:

Traces & Narratives

Year:

2000

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Great riches abounded--so what happened?

More Information:

"Amulet." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=129587&partId=1. © The Trustees of the British Museum "Amulet." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=132311&partid=1&searchText=lapis+lazuli&fromADBC=ad&toADBC=ad&numpages=10&orig=/research/search_the_collection_database.aspx&currentPage=6. © The Trustees of the British Museum. AudreyH. "Amu Darya River (Oxus)." Digital image. AudreyH's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25393766@N00/2006442924/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en "Bronze Ceremonial Axe Head Inlaid with Silver." Digital image. The British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/b/bronze_ceremonial_axe_head.aspx. © The Trustees of the British Museum Dungodung. "The Great Giza Pyramids." Digital image. Dungodung's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dungodung/2714816217/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Fragment of a Bowl Depicting Bearded Bulls. 2008. Kabul Museum, Kabul, Afghanistan. Jmcgall. "Ziggurat at Ur." Digital image. Jmcfall's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmcfall/46769923/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en Joepyrek. "Amudaryasunset." Digital image. Joepyrek's Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/joepyrek/3879372758/in/set-72157622084600263/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Kogo. "Indus near Skardu." Digital image. Wikipedia Commons. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indus_near_Skardu.jpg. Creative Commons license: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License "Lapis Lazuli Stamp Seal." Digital image. British Museum. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/l/lapis_lazuli_stamp_seal.aspx. © The Trustees of the British Museum Levy, Michael, performer. "Echoes of Ancient Egypt." In An Ancient Lyre. 2009, MP3. Sample of an improvisation on an ancient Egyptian scale. © Michael Levy Mahwash, performer. Delem Aamada Ba Josh. Radio-Television Afghanistan Archives. Travelling Runes. "IMG_0790." Digital image. Travelling Runes' Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2962033038/in/set-72157608274749991/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Travelling Runes. "IMG_0791." Digital image. Travelling Runes' Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2961190775/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Travelling Runes. "IMG_0795." Digital image. Travelling Runes' Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 11, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2961196689/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Travelling Runes. "IMG_0803." Digital image. Travelling Runes' Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2962054070/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Travelling Runes. "IMG_0804." Digital image. Travelling Runes' Flickr Photostream. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2962055564/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Travelling Runes. "IMG_0807." Digital image. Travelling Runes' Flickr Photostream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2962060272/. Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en <hr /> Producer: Alexis Menten

Video Transcript:

Archeaologists have found evidence that East and West were already connected by trade thousands of years before the Silk Road. One of the clues appears during the Bronze Age, when a new civilization developed in Central Asia. Although little is known for certain about the origins of this civilization, one thing is sure: it ended mysteriously… The first real culture that we’re aware of in Afghanistan, is a Bronze Age culture in which there were actually settlements and a division of labor.  This Bronze Age culture is known to archaeologists as the Oxus Civilization, named after the Oxus River, which today is called the Amu Darya. Other great Bronze Age civilizations–like Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and Nile civilizations–also developed along fertile river valleys. The mineral-rich lands produced enough food to support a large society. There is archaeological evidence that these civilizations were connected through trade. One clue to the extent of this trade are these seals made in Mesopotamia out of lapis lazuli – a blue semi-precious stone that was only mined in Afghanistan in ancient times. Well we know that there must be long distance trade. In part one of the best evidences is to see where lapis is found in other parts of the world. And since it can only come from Afghanistan we know there must have been trade roots out there. Evidence of this long-distance trade is found in Afghanistan as well. Artifacts from a grave site in Afghanistan called Tepe Fullol feature designs from Mesopotamia, such as the bearded bull shown on this bowl. But sometimes beautiful but relatively rare artifacts can overshadow what is more typical during this time, and the impact of trade can be exaggerated. Though trade in this early period is significant, the number of merchants were relatively small. Most of the people during the bronze age made their livelihood either through nomadic pastoral pursuits or through agriculture. The farmers of the Oxus Civilization created cities that are known for their distinctive architecture… until they were abandoned after only a few centuries. Archaeologists are unsure why. Some have proposed environmental reasons like draught or shifting river courses. Others point to the perennial struggle between settled and nomadic ways of life, which could foreshadow the frequent rise and fall of subsequent civilizations in this region.

Traces & Narratives

Traces of Early Humans

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 10:44 — grace.norman@gm...

description:

One of the earliest human settlements was found in what is today Afghanistan. So begins a long lineage of great civilizations.

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Media Type:

Video

Video Still:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/still-earlyhumans.png

Video URL:

http://media.asiasociety.org/education/afghanistan/era1/prehistory2.mp4

Video Thumbnail:

http://cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/sites/cms.afghanistan.asiasociety.org/files/thumb-earlyhumans.png

Era:

Age of Settlement

Theme:

Traces & Narratives

Year:

100000

BCE/CE:

BCE

Date Period:

BCE

Asset Type:

Trend

Caption:

Earliest known human depiction.

More Information:

Dupree, Nancy. Photograph: "Charlie Digging in Hearth": 65-185. 1965. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Photograph: "Mundigak": 60-R38-6c. 1960. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Photograph: "Mundigak": 8692. 1960. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Dupree, Nancy. Photograph: "Tools in Situ": A74-122. 1974. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Karaste, Janne. "Photograph: Large Fire." Digital image. Wikipedia. Accessed August 10, 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Large_fire.jpg. Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Keynoyer, Mark. Photograph: Priest, Mohenjo-daro. Accessed March 22, 2010. http://www.harappa.com/har/indus-saraswati.html Photograph: 50-62. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Photograph: 51-69. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Photograph: 62-171. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Photograph: 65-M-LD-1. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Photograph: A73-13. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Photograph: Afghanistan - The Pottery - 2. 1920s. Keystone-Mast Collection, UCR/California Museum of Photography, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA. Photograph: Afghanistan - The Pottery. 1920s. Keystone-Mast Collection, UCR/California Museum of Photography, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA. Photograph: "Mundigak": 8690. 1969. Dupree Collection, Williams Afghan Media Project, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Powell, Josephine. Photograph: Great Mother Goddess. Special Collections Library, Fine Arts Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Rowland, Benjamin. Ancient Art from Afghanistan: Treasures of the Kabul Museum. New York: Asia House, 1966. User:120. Photograph: Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis. Accessed March 23, 2006. http://commons.wikimedia.org. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Homo_sapiens_neanderthalensis.jpg. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Ustad Mohammad Omar. Untitled Naghma. Sakata Music Collection, 1967. <hr /> Producer: Grace Norman

Video Transcript:

What do you see? Do you see a face? An important work of art? A religious symbol? Or is it simply a pebble? Some say this is the earliest known depiction of a human, and it was found in Afghanistan. In the 20th century, archaeologists found proto-human remains in Afghanistan. Some of these remains dated back 100,000 years. The discoveries revealed Neanderthal skeletons as well as evidence of stone tools in the region. These are among the earliest traces of the human record. But still, this was only scant evidence to answer fundamental questions about early human history. But another significant find that archaeologists unearthed in Afghanistan revealed evidence from 75,000 years later. It may not seem like much, but to a trained eye, this is a historical goldmine. Settlements in the foothills of the Hindu Kush* revealed very sophisticated tools–thousands of them. Spear heads, pottery shards, and other tool fragments were found together and gave clues that early humans used these tools to hunt and to farm. Another settlement, dating 20,000 years later, revealed unbelievable sophistication. This is the site of Mundigak. Mundigak sits just outside Kandahar, pointing to the ancient origins of this modern city. Remains of buildings were found, including a colonnaded terrace with red doorways. What remains of these structures, even after all these millenia, is impressive. Many people must have worked together to create a building foundation so solid that its footprint survived nearly five thousand years. Archaeologists speculate that the ruins were of great importance to the people, and were perhaps even religious in nature. The site presented other historical clues, too. These ceramic cups from Mundigak defied the ravages of time to tell us a lost history. The animal and plant motifs show a connection to the natural world.   But the materials and labor involved in making these cups suggest something new : to excavate the clay, collect the plants and minerals to make dyes, create an oven, sculpt the vessel, gather fuel for fire–all of this hard work required great knowledge, sophistication, and time. Logic argued that one person alone could not do all this. These vessels, among many others, suggest a division of labor–and one of the first clues of a complex human society. But other objects were not as easy to read. This carved statuette shows a woman. Could she have been a “mother goddess” who represented fertility? And this sculpted head looked very similar to the style found in another early settlement called Mohenjo-daro. Experts wondered whether Mundigak was the northern provincial capital of the great Indus civilization. Clues abounded to suggest early human connections among civilizations even then. But in the end, these details remain hazy. So, again now, what do you see?

Traces & Narratives

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Traces &amp; Narratives

Traces & Narratives