Afraid

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Indian ivory work found in Begam
Roman vase from Begam

Bewam ( Persian بگرام, DMG Bagrām ) is an ancient city located in the southern part of the Hindu Kush Mountains in the Afghan province of Parwan . In addition to the ruins of the city, there are remains of several Buddhist sites in its vicinity . The city was founded at the time of the Greco-Bactrian rule, i.e. around the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Founded in BC and was also inhabited in the later centuries. It is assumed that the archaeological sites of Graem also include the former town of Kapisa , the summer residence of the Kushana under Kanishka's rule. The finds became internationally known as the treasure of Verstam .

Geographical location

Some cities in the region around the same time as the founding of the city at Begam (bottom right). The name at that time is unclear, just as the location of Alexandria ad Caucasums is controversial.

The ruins of Anbam are located about 80 kilometers northeast of the Afghan capital Kabul in the Bagram region . This lies in the Kapisa plain, which is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush. The largest historical sites in Graem are in the immediate vicinity of the confluence of the Ghorband River in the Punjjir River , about 12 kilometers from the provincial capital of Charikar . The region is one of the most fertile in Afghanistan due to the large amounts of melt water available from the high mountains, which enables irrigated agriculture. This situation was essentially the same then as it is now.

The area was the main stopping point when traveling through the Hindu Kush region, which, due to the high mountain character of the landscape, always ran through certain valleys and mountain passes. It was on several trade routes at the time, including the main trade route from India to Central Asia; The present-day cities of Balch (the former Baktra ), Kabul , Jalalabad and Peshawar were also on this route . Further north in the area of ​​today's Turkmenistan state , this north-south trade route connected with the East-West Silk Road . The location was also strategically important, which is why the construction of a fortress was an obvious choice.

history

The city was probably founded in the Greco-Bactrian times and was demonstrably also inhabited in the periods of the Indo-Greeks , the Kushana and the Sassanids . On the basis of several circumstantial evidence, research generally assumes that it is the Cushan town of Kapisa , the summer residence of the Kushana during the rule of Kanishka , without this being sufficiently proven. For example, the archaeologists did not succeed in producing any evidence that classifies the city that previously existed there as a royal capital.

The city ​​of Alexandria ad Caucasum , founded by Alexander the Great , is believed to be in the area, although the exact location of this city is controversial. Research most likely suspects it to be here at Begam or in the area of Charikar . There are also a number of Buddhist monasteries in the area, such as Schotorak , Qol-e Nader , Koh-e Pahlawan .

Kapisa was already mentioned in Indo-Greek times and during this time had an elephant deity as the main deity, who was often represented like Zeus . She appears on coins from Eukratides I and is there explicitly referred to as the deity of Kapisa. The city was the summer residence of the Cushan ruler Kanishka .

After the invasion of the Hephthalites , Kapisa again became the capital of the small kingdom of the Nezak . It is described by the Chinese traveler Xuanzang in the seventh century AD . He calls it Kapisi, capital of Kapisa. He stayed in the city for a summer and testifies to the continued existence of a cult around an elephant deity.

The exact origin and meaning of the name entwined is unclear, as is the time at which this name was established. Some scholars believe that the word catch means something like an important settlement, capital, or city near a Buddhist site. While the ancient city has become known under the name of Anbam , the spelling Bagram has established itself for the region . The different spellings arose from the lack of a standardized transliteration system for translating the script.

"Discovery" and excavations

One of many coins acquired by Charles Masson that is said to have been found at Begam. Coin of Menandros , sketched by Masson

In the 19th century, the British Charles Masson was the first European researcher to report on von Gram. After its discovery, he managed to collect around 2,000 coins in the months that followed, which he acquired from locals. At the time, he speculated that around 30,000 coins were found annually in the area of ​​Gram, most of which were then melted down in local workshops. The first systematic investigations were carried out from 1923 as part of the French archaeological mission in Afghanistan (DAFA) under the direction of Joseph Hackin , whereby the focus was initially on the Buddhist monuments. Excavations have been taking place since 1936, in which Hackin's wife, the archaeologist Marie Hackin, also took part. They lasted until 1939 and were interrupted by the war. A final campaign followed in 1946. Parts of the ancient city, which consisted of a residential town and an upper town situated on two flat hills, were uncovered in several places. A number of rooms were uncovered within the heavily fortified upper town.

City of bewam

Newer part

On a plateau are the remains of an ancient city, which archaeologists called the “new royal city” and which is about 600 by 450 meters in size. On its southwest side - the only side on which no natural defensive barrier made the ascent to the plateau difficult - stood a defensive wall. It was about 10 meters wide, and it is believed that it consisted of two three meter wide walls with a passage between them. This city wall was only completely excavated on its outside. There it was made of bricks, each of which was marked with the Greek letter "Theta". On the plateau within this city wall, excavations were carried out in two different places.

During an excavation in the eastern area, around 60 rooms were uncovered. There were also two walled-in rooms at their entrances, which were supposed to contain the largest finds, the so-called grave treasure. Immediately next to this building complex were the remains of a small fortress reinforced with round towers. It consisted of seven rooms that enclosed a rectangular courtyard. Another, similar fortress was found outside the city wall about 400 m south. The second excavation site was about 200 meters to the west. A little more than 40 rooms were uncovered there, which were built around an inner courtyard. The foundations and lower parts of the walls were made of ordinary stone, while the upper parts of the walls were made of rammed earth (pisé).

The walls of this latest layer were largely not based on the remains of earlier constructions, of which remains could also be found. Therefore, the building structures of these older layers differed considerably in terms of floor plan. In the older layers, whose walls were made of bricks and stones, the remains of numerous buildings were found at the western excavation site, which were arranged along a road running in north-south direction and which contained numerous craft workshops. In the eastern excavation, too, the remains of several rooms were found, some of which were covered with a layer of ash, which indicates a fire. The oldest layers of the two excavation sites have been dated to the Greco-Bactrian or the early Kushana period on the basis of coins.

Older part

About 600 meters further north is an acropolis about 200 by 150 meters, which archaeologists have classified as even older and therefore called the "old royal city". This site is located on a rocky plateau, which towers over the area about 20 meters and offers natural defense on three sides. Immediately to the northwest of this plateau, the Ghorband flows into the Pandschir , the course of which continues past the elevation to the east. This circumstance represented a further protection against possible attackers. The plateau adjoining to the south was shielded by a simple but strongly fortified wall built on the south and east sides, which is still partially preserved. The wall was partly made of bricks, which, unlike the defensive wall of the other complex, had no markings. However, no building remains could be found within this complex, as the place has recently been repopulated and the land has been used for agriculture. The modern name of this plateau is Burj-i 'Abdullah.

Treasure of grief

Fragments of a Roman glass vase with a battle scene.
Heracles, male figure with shouldered club, in front of a hunted boar. Plaster cast
Joseph Hackin examines an ivory carving from room no.13.
Indian ivory work found in Begam

Within the building complex, Ria Hackin discovered two walled-up rooms (No. 10 and No. 13) that were filled with art objects. The inventory became known as the Bewam's Treasure . Room 13 was once decorated with wall paintings showing a number of pillars. The objects found here are of the most diverse origins and have caused various discussions about their original function to this day. Above all, the question of why and when these objects were deposited in two sealed chambers remains controversial. Several groups of objects can be distinguished:

  • Ivory carvings that once depicted inlays in furniture. These carvings are all Indian in style.
  • Glass vessels, some in animal shape, some in simple shapes and painted or decorated with elaborate patterns. Most of the glass vessels are blown and come from the east of the Roman Empire.
  • Numerous stucco medallions, all in a purely Hellenistic style.
  • Stone vessels
  • Bronze work such as vases, weights, cosmetic containers, statuettes of Greek or Greek-Egyptian deities
  • Chinese lacquer work, which, however, is poorly preserved

Dating

Bronze statuette of the young Alexander .

The date of the treasure and especially the time when it was collected and placed in the sealed rooms are controversial. The oldest object in the treasure is a coin belonging to the Greco-Indian king Hermaios , who was probably built in the first century BC. Ruled, whose exact reign is uncertain. The latest object is a coin of the Cushan ruler Vasudeva I , who ruled in the third century AD.

meaning

The treasure stands out due to the high quality of the objects found. Only a few of them have been produced locally, most of them come from India or the Roman Empire, and Alexandria is often assumed to be the place of production. The actual material value of the treasure is low. There was hardly any gold work or precious stones. Hence there are two views on the function of the treasure. The excavator assumed that it was the treasure and the treasury of the Cushan rulers, while more recent considerations have been to regard the treasure as a merchant's collection.

literature

  • Joseph Hackin, J. Hackin: Recherches archéologiques à Anbam. Chant No. 2 (1937 ). (= Mémoires de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan. Volume 9). Paris 1939.
  • Sanjyot Mehendale: Bewam: At the Heart of the Silks Roads. In: Friedrik Hiebert, Pierre Cambon (Ed.). Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul . National Geographic, Washington 2008, ISBN 978-1-4262-0295-7 , pp. 131-143.
  • Michael Menninger: Investigations into the glasses and plaster casts from the find in Begam / Afghanistan. Ergon Verlag, Würzburg 1996, ISBN 3-928034-96-0 .
  • Beat Rütti: Bewam, 356 AD In: Mille Fiori. Festschrift for Ludwig Berger. (= Research in August. Volume 25). 1998, pp. 193-200.
  • Beat Rütti: The Phasos beaker from Bescham - a late antique figurine. In: Rosemarie Lierke: Antique glass pottery . Zabern, Mainz 1999, pp. 129-137.
  • Pierre Cambon: Alexandria of the Caucasus, Capital of the Kushan Empire. In: Friedrik Hiebert, Pierre Cambon (Ed.): Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul . National Geographic, Washington 2008, ISBN 978-1-4262-0295-7 , pp. 144-209.
  • Carl Ritter : The Stupa's (Topes) or the architectural monuments on the Indo-Bactrian Royal Road and the Colosse of Bamiyan . Nicolaische Buchhandlung, Berlin 1838 ( online at Google Books).
  • Martha L. Carter: Sorry . In: Ehsan Yarshater (ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica . Volume 4 (1), Paragraph a047, as of December 15, 1989, accessed on June 9, 2011 (English, including references)

Web links

Commons : Art from Bescham  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Abdul Wasey Feroozi, Zemaryalai Tarzi, Nadia Tarzi: The Impact of War upon Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage. PDF file; 8.8 MB, with high resolution images or PDF file; 434 kB, lower resolution , from: Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) website, p. 13, March 2004, accessed June 17, 2009.
  2. ↑ Sanjyot Mehendale: Bewam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.1.1, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/begramchapter1_1.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  3. ↑ Sanjyot Mehendale: Bewam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.1.2, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/begramchapter1_1.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  4. ↑ Sanjyot Mehendale: Bewam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.1.3, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/begramchapter1_1.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  5. ↑ a b Sanjyot Mehendale: Begram Ivory and Bone carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.2.4, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/BegramChapter1_2.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  6. ↑ a b c d P. Cambon, In: Hiebert / Cambon (ed.). Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum. Pp. 146-147.
  7. ↑ a b c Sanjyot Mehendale: Begam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.2.3, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/BegramChapter1_2.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  8. ^ Samuel Beal ( Xuanzang ): Si-yu-ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World. K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1906, (online) , pp. 56-57.
  9. ↑ MK Dhavalikar. In: Robert L. Brown (Ed.): Ganesh: Studies of an Asian God: Studies of an Indian God . New York 1991, ISBN 0-7914-0656-3 , pp. 52-53.
  10. ↑ Sanjyot Mehendale: Bewam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.2.1, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/BegramChapter1_2.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  11. ↑ a b c Sanjyot Mehendale: Begam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.2.2, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/BegramChapter1_2.htm, accessed on June 25, 2009.
  12. ↑ a b c d e f Sanjyot Mehendale: Begam Ivory and Bone Carvings. on: Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI.org), 2005, Chapter 1.3.1, http://ecai.org/begramweb/docs/BegramChapter1_3.htm, accessed on November 28, 2009.
  13. ↑ Pierre Cambon, in: Hiebert / Cambon (ed.): Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum. P. 149.
  14. ↑ Sanjyot Mehendale, In: Hiebert / Cambon (ed.). Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum. Pp. 142-43.

Coordinates: 34 ° 59 ′ 33 ″  N , 69 ° 18 ′ 42 ″  E