URVA
/ KHAIRIZEM - 2
Ayaz
Kala :
Aerial
view of the Ayaz Kala Complex during winter. With kala 1 (top of
the photo), notice the semi-elliptical watch towers all around the
outer walls, and the gate-house at the bottom of the kala i.e. beside
the outside south wall. The ruins of the palace beside kala 2 can
be seen to the left of the kala at the base of the hill. The building
within kala 3 can be seen at the top right-hand corner of the kala.
Photo courtesy Google Earth.
About fifty kilometres east of Gyaur Kala in a straight line, stand
some of the larger fortress in Khvarizem - the three Ayaz kalas,
kala meaning fortress.
The
three kalas stood guard over an oasis and a fertile plain that existed
in the first millennium BCE, and provided refuge for the inhabitants
when the countryside was under attack by invaders.
While
the region around the Ayaz Kala complex is today the semi-arid desert,
over two thousand years ago, the Akcha Darya river created a fertile
basin and an oasis. The Ayaz Kala lake to the north of the complex
was at that time part of the river.
The
fortress complex consists of three separate structures :
Ayaz
Kala 1 - The upper level fortress,
Ayaz Kala 2 - The mid level fortress, and
Ayaz Kala 3 - The lower level fortress.
Of
these, Ayaz Kala 1 is the oldest of the three and dates back to
the 4th century BCE.
Ayaz Kala 1 :
Ayaz Kala 1, the highest of the three in the complex, was constructed
in the 4th century BCE on a flat section of a limestone hill that
commanded a view of the surrounding plains. The height of the hill
is approximately 100 m. The fortress had been used for over five
hundred years.
Ayaz
Kala 1. Photo credit: o spot at Flickr
There
is no evidence of any permanent buildings having been constructed
inside of the fort even though the space within the fortress is
quite large. There is, however, evidence of a water storage tank
to store collected water.
Arched corridor between Ayaz Kala 1's outside & inside
walls Photo credit: SisAnnick at Panoramio
For
this reason, the fortress is designated as a refugee for local residents
rather than one that housed a resident garrison, permanent residents
or a palace complex. Presumably, occupants of the fort and those
who sought to take refuge within its walls could have used temporary
dwellings such as yurts.
The
structure is about 180 x 150 metres (600 x 500 feet) in size. The
outer ten-meter high walls employed a double wall construction,
with the inner and outer walls were separated by a two-meter arched
corridor (see left). The roof of the corridor formed a platform
on which archers and other defenders could stand. The upper part
of the outer wall had slits through which the defenders could fire
their arrows.
After
its construction, the fortress continued to be strengthened, and
by the early third century BCE. Forty five semi-elliptical watch
towers that were not part of the original construction were added
beside the outer walls the outer walls. There were functional purpose
and they also served as reinforcements for the outer walls.
The
entrance gateway to the fortress was located at the southern wall.
The gateway was a square structure that protruded beyond the outer
walls and had an inner and outer gate between which was an inspection
chamber. The outer gate was placed at the side of gateway structure
and was flanked and supported by two towers. The design required
visitors to enter from the side alongside the outer wall. This method
of entry allowed the defenders to overlook and observe all who entered,
both when the visitors were outside the walls and after they entered
the inner inspection chamber. The inspection chamber could have
served as a screening and holding room before visitors were cleared
to pass through the inner gate. It was overlooked by the ramparts
where archers could have positioned themselves to protect against
hostile entry.
Ayaz
Kala Fortresses 1 (upper level) and 2 (mid-level) as seen from 3
(lower level). Photo credit: lensfodder at Flickr
Ayaz
Kala 2 :
View of the plains and Ayaz Kala 2 from the upper Ayaz kala
1 Photo credit: zz77 at Flickr
Since
the site has not be systematically excavated or scientifically dated,
it is not known when Ayaz Kala 2 was constructed, though it is thought
to be the most modern of the three kalas. Estimates of when different
parts of the kala were built range from the 4th to 8th centuries
CE. The palace-fort complex could have remained in use until, say,
the Mongol invasions of the 13th century CE.
The
site is a complex within itself, consisting of a fort, a palace
and a residential area. The fort was built atop a conical hillock
to the southwest of Kala 1. The picture to the left is a view of
the fort from Kala 1 - Kala 1 being located at a higher elevation.
The palace was situated below the fort at the base of the hill and
was destroyed by two separate fires. To the south of the palace
are the ruins of a village-like dwellings that appear to have encircled
the base of the hillock.
Ayaz
Kala 2 complex Image at History and Culture of Khwarizm History
of the Civilizations of Central Asia Volume 3, UNESCO, 1996, by
E. E. Nerazik & P. G. Bulgakov
Kala 2 is the smallest of the three kalas. The gatehouse to the
kala is located at the southern wall at the head of a ramp that
leads down to the ruins of a palace complex below.
Palace
Layout Reconstruction from E. E. Nerazik's In the Lower Reaches
of the Oxus and Jaksartes
The relatively small size of the kala has led to the theory that
rather than being a military fort, the kala was a fortified residence
of a feudal landlord. By the 4th to 8th centuries CE a system of
feudal landownership had developed similar to the British lords
or French nobility. The landowners were called dehqan (the Persian
poet Ferdowsi was thought to have been born into a dehqan family),
and their agricultural estates were called rustaq. They ruled over
a group of serfs (who tilled the lord's land), craftsmen, soldiers
and labourers.
Many
of the dehqan lived in donjons - relatively small square-shaped
fort-like structures that consisted of palatial homes surrounded
by a defensive wall. The donjons were usually situated at the head
of the canal that watered their agricultural lands.
In
the last seventy years, the ruins of most donjons have been destroyed
beyond any trace by farmer tilling the land on which the donjons
were built. However, one ruin known as Yakke Parsan, has survived
10 kilometres due south of the Ayaz Kala complex.
The
walls of Ayaz Kala 2 were built using rectangular mud bricks placed
on a foundation of compacted clay known as paksha. The battlements
- the upper parts of the outer walls or the parapets appear to have
been crenulated, that is, they were given a scalloped or a notched
wavy edge. The parapet also had a row of arrow slits running around
the entire perimeter.
The
almost square entrance gatehouse was on a lower level than the main
fort. The fort itself contained a number of rooms, one of which
at the north eastern end had a high vaulted ceiling.
Ayaz Kala 3 :
Measuring 260 x 190 metres, Ayaz Kala 3 (see Google Earth satellite
photograph above), a garrisoned fort, was the largest of the three
kalas. It was surrounded by agricultural fields. There is evidence
of old farmsteads and field boundaries. Kala 3's location would
have made in far more accessible than kala 1 in an emergency such
as a sudden attack. Kala 3 contains a fortified building in its
northeast corner that dates to the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. The
outer walls may have been built later - between the 1st and 2nd
centuries CE. This kala, located as it were at the edge of the plains,
would have complimented kala 1 in defending the area and providing
refugee.
It
was constructed in the shape of a parallelogram with square towers
at each corner and rectangular towers defending each side. The entrance
was in the middle of the western wall and was defended by a strong
defensive tower.
As
with kala #1, a large part of the interior was an open space. The
space could have been used for human and animal refuge during a
raid or invasion. A fortified building located in the north east
corner contained forty small rooms divided into four groups by two
cross-shaped central corridors. Corridors also ran around the sides
of three of the outer walls. The fourth wall of the building was
joined to the north wall of the fortress.
Two
excellent resources are the UNESCO document CentralAsianEarth -
Ayaz Kala and David and Sue Richardson's page: Ayaz Qala.
Toprak
Kala :
Layout
plan of the Toprak Kala site
Looking southwest from the heights of Ayaz Kala, a person can see
the Elik Kala (fifty fortresses) oasis and in its midst - the fortress
of Toprak Kala. Toprak Kala (also spelt Topraq Qala or Turpak Kala),
a local name meaning clay fortress, was where the rulers, Shakhs,
and nobility of Khvarizem had their residences. It was also an administrative
and religious centre, if not the capital of Khvarizem. The rise
of Toprak Kala appears to coincide with the decline of Kazakl'i-yatkan,
some fourteen kilometres to the southwest.
The
Toprak Kala site contains :
- A planned fortified city-citadel complex,
- An adjacent palace-temple complex to the north, and
- Alarge open walled enclosure connected with the palace-temple
complex.
The city could have held about 2,500 residents.
The
dating of Toprak Kala is facilitated by the discovered of written
records on wood, leather and tablets. The dates that have been determined
lead archaeologists to the conclusion that Toprak Kala was built
sometime between the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Archaeologists
tell us that the palace was vacated around in 4th century CE, coinciding
with the establishment of the Afrighid dynasty in 305 CE. The rest
of the city was in use until the 6th century when it fell into disuse.
After that, squatters occupied the premises until the 13th century.
City-Citadel & High Palace Complex :
City-Citadel / High Palace Complex reconstruction model
Citadel / palace in the foreground Photo credit: Nukus Museum
This precisely aligned rectangular site is about 500 by 350 metres
in size, with the four corners aligned to the four cardinal points
of the compass. The walls were taller than 10 metres in height,
reinforced by sixty three rectangular towers and surrounded by a
moat. As with Ayaz Kala, the walls and towers had a lower arched
passage and an upper archers' gallery.
The
site appears to have been fortified residential area or city. It
was traversed by a central thoroughfare leading to the north end
from the fortified gate. At right angles to this thoroughfare were
alleyways that divided the city into ten symmetrical blocks: nine
residential-commercial blocks, each with between three and six housing
and commercial units, and one block with the main temple. The residential-commercials
blocks contained centres that manufactured bronze items, ceramics,
textiles and weapons.
At
the end opposite the gate, to the left in the north-western corner,
was an citadel with an elevated palace that is called the high palace.
To the right a large water reservoir.
The citadel and its 25 m. tall towers dominated the skyline of the
city. It was separated from the rest of the city by an inner fortification
wall. The citadel contained 102 rooms that included a throne room,
halls, a fire temple, and a high palace built on a raised 14 m.
high platform. An archive or library was located in the south-western
corner of the citadel.
Citadel
/ High Palace ruins Photo: Miles Hunter at Flickr
The
outer walls of the citadel were decorated with niches and projections
and were painted with alabaster whitewash, giving the whole structure
an appearance similar to that of a Mesopotamian ziggurat.
Windows.
Image credit: CyberFair school project
The palace had several halls that archaeologists have named based
on the artefacts and artwork found in them.
Throne hall (courtyard). Artist's reconstruction by Rapoport
and Nerazik. Image at karakalpak.com
The Throne Hall. The Throne Hall was located 30 m. from the entrance
and was not a hall but a large courtyard covered along the sides.
The central covered area had three arches that face the open courtyard
and is thought to be the throne room. On either side are two further
covered areas called ayvans.
Hall of Kings. Artist's reconstruction by Rapoport and Nerazik.
Image at karakalpak.com
The Hall of Kings. The Hall of Kings is the largest covered hall,
and is so named because the walls of the hall contained 23 or 24
bays or alcoves, each with a clay figure in a seated position, presumed
to be that of a previous Khvarizem kings.
Panel
of dancing figures - Hall of Dancing Masks Image credit: CyberFair
school project
There
was an fire altar on one side of the hall. The main wall has a centre
portion that is recessed and has three alcoves and images. The centre
alcove also had what is thought to be the figure of a woman in pink
clothing, holding the hand of a child.
The
conclusions arrived at by archaeologists and others regarding the
identity of other figures are in the usual fashion, unsupported,
highly imaginative, speculative, and often absurd.
The
Hall of Dancing Masks. The Hall of Dancing Masks was located next
to the throne room and had a central podium. In this room, there
panels depicting a life size dancing couple, in the centre of each
wall, surrounded by niches containing standing figures (see drawing
at the right). Fragments uncovered in the ruins of the room suggest
that the figures wore masks - hence the somewhat dramatic name.
Four
columns that rose from the corners of the podium supported the ceiling.
A decorated wall in the Hall of the Stags. Image: CyberFair
school project
The Hall of Stags. The walls of the Hall of Stags were decorated
sets of five decorative panels. The centre panel had a bas-relief
figure of a stag. In a panel above the stag, was a frieze depicting
a griffin (see drawing at the left), and in the panels on the sides,
were images of trees.
A decorated wall in the Hall of the Warriors Image credit:
CyberFair school project
The
Hall of Warriors. The walls of the Hall of Warriors had life-sized
bas-reliefs of dark skinned men framed by stylized rams' horns surrounded
by smaller bas-reliefs of men in armour. Rams' horns were a popular
method of framing used at several sites. Some have suggested that
the images depict military victories.
The
Hall of Victories. The walls of the Hall of Victories had repeated
bas-reliefs of a king sitting on a throne and flanked by two female
figures. The archaeologists who worked on the site speculated that
the females figures with deities associated with victory.
Palace-Temple
Complex & Attached Enclosure :
A hundred metres north of the High Palace in the City-Citadel complex
is the nine hectares site containing the Palace-Temple complex.
The Palace-Temple complex consisted of twelve palace-like residences
and temple structures built on relatively low platforms.
Two
of the temples were connected on their west side by long walls enclosing
a processional way to a large, open, 1,250 by 1,000 metre, rectangular
walled enclosure. There is no evidence that any structures were
built within the compound, nor is there any evidence that any agricultural
activity. The walls surrounding the enclosure were, however, massive.
Possible uses for a walled open space include a sports field for
the entertainment of the residents, and a military training field
and parade ground. Today, most of the site has been ploughed under
for agricultural use.
Tamga signs :
Tamga
signs Image credit: CyberFair school project
Tamga
Signs :
Each brick used in Toprak Kala's construction has an embedded sign
called a tamga. The meaning of the signs is not known - they could
be signs used in the building to locate the bricks, the manufacturer's
mark or the like.
Construction Techniques :
The two complexes were pre-planned and built very rapidly, even
by today's standards, at one time in one go.
The
builders used clay with natural stone interspersed for added strength
as well as and clay bricks.
Documents :
Toprak Kala's written records Image credit: CyberFair school
project
In the south-eastern corner of the citadel was an archive where
records and other administrative tablets and documents were discovered.
Soviet-era
archaeologist Sergey Tolstov examines a 2nd-3rd century CE Khvarizem
/ Chorasmian wood document Image credit: CyberFair school project
and Transoxiana 12
The
tablets contained lists of soldiers supplied by the country's nobility
or lords (indicated by the Aramaic ideogram BYT'); some names are
labelled "present for the first time.". The majority of
the soldiers seem to have been slaves rendered by the ideogram ¿BDn.
The ratios of slaves to free men in four households were 17:4, 12:3,
15:2, and 3:1 respectively. The owner of each slave was carefully
recorded, whether the male head of the house, his wife, or one of
the children.
Some
documents were written on wood. These documents mainly concerned
taxation.
Other
palace archive administrative documents include 116 written on leather
regarding the delivery and receipt of foodstuffs and other provisions.
Some of the documents are dated using Khvarizem's calendar. The
days and months are named according to the Zoroastrian calendar.
The year of the dates compute to between 188 and 252 CE of the Gregorian
calendar.
In
two documents the recipient of offerings is designated as ÷LHY÷,
meaning king or kings. This has led to speculation that Khvarizem
was ruled by two kings simultaneously, each with different functions.
Excavation & Poor Site Management :
Soviet archaeologist S. P. Tolstov's expedition from the Institute
of Ethnography of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, first came up
the site in 1938. He returned to survey the site in 1940. Excavations
had to wait for the conclusion of the second world war.
Yuriy
Aleksandrovich Rapoport and Elena Evdokimovna Nerazik continued
working the site and published their findings in the two monographs
contained Works of the Khorezm Archaeological-Ethnographical Expedition
at Moscow. Volume 12 - Toprak Kala City, was published in 1981 and
Volume 14, Toprak Qala, was published in 1984.
Regrettably,
as was the case with most Soviet era archaeologists, their interest
seemed to be in making discoveries and then abandoning the sites,
leaving them unprotected and exposed to the harsh environment and
unregulated foot and animal traffic. The methods some used, including
bulldozers were boorish. The excavated ruins have become badly eroded
over the past thirty years. In would have been better if the ruins
had remained uncovered until an excavation incorporating preservation
could have been planned. We owe these archaeologists no thanks.
We have no idea what priceless treasures and information their recklessness
has caused.
If
any artwork such as murals had survived on the walls - they have
been destroyed by the elements or through human carelessness.
Source
:
http://www.heritageinstitute.com/
zoroastrianism/khvarizem/page3.htm