Altyn-Depe is the Oldest Place of Worship in Central Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2023.1.107.110Keywords:
archaeology, Altyn-Depe, Namazga-Depe, Ulug-Depe, Sapallitepa, Bronze Age, Central Asia, temple, ziggurat, golden bull's head.shape of the rooms in these mausoleums make it possible to suppose that they were used not only as memorial buildings, but could serve as a khanqah.Abstract
At the end of the III – beginning of the II millennium BC, in the south of Central Asia (the territory of modern Turkmenistan), a local version of the ancient Eastern society was formed, which received the name of the Altyn-depe culture according to the most well-studied monument. Altyn-Depe, founded by the oldest agricultural and pastoral communities of Central Asia, is known to many for its monumental architecture, which is represented by a large cult complex. Studies of Altyn-Depe suggest that the cult complex of this historical and cultural object, as well as, in general, the entire Altyn-Depe, is the result of cultural influences and economic expansion of the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Elam and the Indus Valley. The paper presents not only information about the layout, construction technology of the ziggurat, the ancient temple of Altyn-Depe, but also an analysis of the functional purpose of the complex under consideration.
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