The finds of Tillia Tepe have to be viewed in the context of BB Lal’s views on the chronology of Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex, relative to Sarasvati civilization. http://www.scribd.com/doc/12588333/BB-Lal-Distortions-in-Indian-historyhttp://www.archaeologyonline.net/indology/2007/19th%20Century%20Paradimgs.pdf Let not the 19th century paradigms continue to haunt us - BBLal  tagar = to be stopped or impeded; to impede (Ka.lex.) [cf. the motif of a person holding back tigers or bulls on either side]. P. thakkṇā (whence tr. thākṇā, ṭhākṇā ‘to stop, interrupt’)(CDIAL 13737) Vikalpa grapheme: Kashmiri. tagāra तगार (=) । स्थालीविशेषः, अल्पखेयम् a platter, pail, bucket, tub, trough;
a mason's mud- or lime-pit (cf. rabi-to, p. 823b, l. 5).
Rebus: tagr.a = large, massive, strong; tagoj = strength (Santali.lex.) Ma. takaran huge, powerful as a man, bear, etc. (DEDR 3000) [In the context of metallurgy: takaram 'tin' (Ta.) Kuwi (Isr.) ṭagromi tin metal, alloy. / Cf. Skt. tamara- id. (DEDR 3001) ] Two gold ornaments (like medallions) of Tillia Tepe (Bactria from Musee Guimet ) show glyphs comparable to the Sarasvati hieroglyph of a woman holding back two rearing jackals. The jackals are stylised in a curved ending (making it appear like a dragon) which is a mollusc glyph. The mollusc glyph (curved ending) has been explained as hangi 'snail'; rebus: sanghi 'belonging to the sangha.' The contest glyph has been explained rebus: kol 'tiger, jackal' (Santali); rebus: kol, kolami 'smithy, forge'. The Sarasvati hieroglyph on Harappa molded tablet (shown below) indicates a female holding back the rearing jackals. kola 'woman' (Nahali.Assamese); rebus: kol 'smithy, forge'. The depiction is that of a smith, metal-smelter, kol (as in Koles, Munda-speakers of Ganga basin and Santal Paraganas of West Bengal).Tillia tepe, 1st century BCE. Musee Guimet.The ornaments also depict ‘nandipada’ hieroglyph in the hanging strands. The ‘nandipada’ glyph has been explained as a dharma hieroglyph. http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/hieroglyphs
"Il semble qu'on ait là la plus ancienne représentation du Zoroaster, selon une modalité qui n'est pas encore celle de l'iconograhie boudhique traditionnelle" (French): "It seems this might be the earliest representation of the Buddha, in a style which is not yet that of traditional Zoroastrian iconography", in Afghanistan, les trésors retouvés, p. 280. Tilliatepe. Gold crown. 1st-2nd century CE. Found in Grave 6. Afghan National Museum– MK 04.40.50. Ficus religiosa leaf glyphs (which also occur on Sarasvati hieroglyphs). River goddess», standing on a makara Afghanistan, Begram, site II, chamber 10 1st cent. Ivory 45 x 26 cm Afghan National Museum– MK 04.1.14
"A high degree of cultural syncretism pervades the findings, however. Hellenistic cultural and artistic influences appear in many of the forms and human depictions (from amorini to rings with the depiction of Athena and her name inscribed in Greek), attributable to the existence of the Seleucid empire and Greco-Bactrian kingdom in the same area until around 140 BC, and the continued existence of the Indo-Greek kingdom in the northwestern Indian sub-continent until the beginning of our era. This testifies to the richness of cultural influences in the area of Bactria at that time." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythian See: Lost and Stolen Images: Afghanistan Part of the Huntington Archive, an important site with Images of Bamiyan (colossal Buddhas and cave paintings) as well as objects photographed in the Kabul Museum in 1970. More links at http://www.lib.unc.edu/art/afghanart.html Afghanistan
1969-1974 (Dr. Volker Thewalt). A major image
site for the collections in the Kabul Museum,
Bamiyan, etc. Color and b&w images of monuments
and sculpture, photographed decades ago, that may now
be lost forever. |
Tillia Tepe (Bactria) |
