Central Asia, Mesopotamia and Sarasvati Sindhu civilization
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Sarasvati Sindhu civilization
Bactrian-Margian Archaeological Complex (BMAC)
It transpired that in the 2nd millennium BC there existed in the territory of ancient Bactria a highly-developed, largely
original culture of the ancient-oriental type. A close, or rather identical culture spread at that time through the southern regions of central Asia,
particularly in Margiana, which gave grounds for singlign out a special Bactrian-Margian Archaeological Complex
(BMAC). The basic features of this complex are: the coexistence of non-fortified settlements and of rectangular fortresses with round corner turrets.
The latter belonged to individual families or clans... Occurring in sufficient quantities, along with stone and flint tools and wapons, are copper and
bronze ones. These are sickles, knives, adzes, awls, razors, daggers, massive spearheads, battle axes; of the ornaments there are mirrors, toilet
pins, cosmetic falcons, bracelets, ear-rings, rings... At present we may regard as an established fact the existence of an
Iranian-Turkmenian metallurgical province where, beginning from the turn of the 5th and 4th millennia BC, uni-typical wares take
shape and exist for a long time. There is every ground to assume the dissemination from it of metal-works (celts, daggers, pins) and specific forms of
earthenware (stemmed vases, saucers, etc.) in the eastern direction down to the vally of the Indus, by way of exchange, trade and cultural contacts.
This period embraces the existence of the Harappan civilization and does not presuppose the arrival of any new tribes. This is
strikingly proved by the Harappa culture itself, which demonstrates a continuous line of development without any invasions from outside... We shall
merely remark that southwestern Iran and possibly Caucasus emerge as a zone where numerous metal articles come to be produced (mid-
2nd millennium BC), while Iranian Khorassan is doubtlessly the main venue for their penetration into the souther areas of central Asia, Bactria and
possibly the valley of the Indus river.
Horse in Sarasvati Sindhu Civilization
...dating Tepe Hissar IIIB a little before 2000 B.C... in Hissar IIIB the skull of a horse was found and furthermore the
horse is alleged to have been domesticated at Shah Tepe much earlier still, thus long anticipating the first appearance of it at
Boghazkoy in Central Asia Minor in the early Hittite period...
Central Asia: Altyn-depe and Parkhai
Harappan contacts with Central Asia are now beyond doubt especially after the discovery of; (1) a few Harappan pottey types in Namazga V
sites, (2) a Harappan inscribed seal at Altin Depe, (3) comparable ivory objects at Altin Depe, and (4) a close similarity in a few copper artefacts
(Gupta 1979: Vol. 2).
Bronze in Mohenjodaro
Copper-bronze artefacts from Mohenjodaro exhibited at the Mohenjodaro museum (Dr. Abdul Jabbar Junejo and Mohammad Qasim
Bughio, 1988, Cultural Heritage of Sind, International Arabi Conference, University of Sind, Hyderabad, Sindhi Adabi Board); out of 13 artefacts
analysed. 6 were found to contain between 4.51% to 13.21% tin; the artefacts were: bronze rod, bronze button, bronze chisel, bronze slab, bronze
chisel and bronze lump.
Evidence of contact between Sarasvati Sindhu and Mesopotamian civilizations:
Cylinder seal showing running goats turning their heads, appearing in perpetual motion; ca. 2800 B.C. (Uruk IV) (M.E.L.Mallowan, 1965, Early
Metopotamia and Iran, London, Thames and Hudson); the antelope with its head turned backward is a typical motif on the seals of the Sarasvati Sindhu
civilization.
Dark grey steatite bowl carved in relief. Zebu or brahmani bull is shown with its hump back; a male figure with long hair and
wearing akilt grasps two sinuous objects, representing running water, which flows in a continuous stream. Around the bowl, another similar male figure
stands between two lionesses with their head turned back towards him; he grasps a serpent in each hand. A further scene (not shown) represents a
prostrate bull which is being attacked by a vulture and a lion.
The zebu is reminiscent of Sarasvati Sindhu seals. The stone used,
steatite, is familiar in Baluchistan and a number of vessels at the Royal Cemetery at Ur were made out of this material.
The bowl dates
from c. 2700-2500 B.C. and the motif shown on it resembles that on a fragment of a green stone vase from one of the Sin Temples at Tell Asmar of
almost the same date.
Sources of minerals and metals
The sources for the minerals and metals and semi-precious stones were: Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia, the lands bordering the
Persian Gulf as well as interior, peninsular India.
Substrate language of Sumer and Indian lexemes
The names of the two great Mesopotamian rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, or idiglat and buranun as they read in the cuneiform texts, are
Ubaidian-- not Sumerian-- words. So, too, are the names of the most important centers of 'Sumer': Eridu, Ur, Larsa, Isin, Adab, Kullab, Lagash,
Nippur, and Kish. In fact the word Dilmun itself may, like the word buranun for the Euphrates, be Ubaidian. More important still, such culturally
significant words as engar (farmer), udul (herdsman), shupeshdak (fisherman), api_n (plow), apsin (furrow), nimbar (palm), sulumb (date), tibira
(metal worker), simug (smith), nangar (carpenter), addub (basket maker), ishbar (weaver), ashgab (leather worker), pahar (potter), shidim
(mason), and perhaps even damgar (merchant), are probably all Ubaidian rathern than Sumerian, as has been usually assumed... Another crucial word
which may turn out to be Ubaidian, is Ea, one of the two names by which the Mesopotamian water god is known in the cuneiform texts, the other being
Enki... while the latter is a typical Sumerian compound with the meaning 'Lord of the Earth', Ea is a word whose linguistic affiliations are still
uncertain... The Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta uses in his titles the expression 'king of Dilmun and Meluhha' ... There is another king by the name of
Hundaru in whose days booty taken from Dilmun consisted of objects made of copper and bronze, sticks of precious wood, and large quantities of kohl,
used as an eye-paint. A crew of soldiers is sent from Dilmun to Babylon to help King Sennacherib raze that city to the ground, and they bring with
them bronze spades and spikes which are described as characteristic products of Dilmun...