Ai-KhanoumFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAi-Khanoum

Coin ofEucratides I(171145BC), one of the Hellenistic rulers of ancient Ai-Khanoum.

Shown within Afghanistan

AlternatenameAy Khanum

LocationTakhar Province,Afghanistan

RegionBactria

Coordinates371010N692330ECoordinates:371010N692330E

TypeSettlement

History

Founded3rd century BC

AbandonedPossibly between 145 and 120BC

PeriodsHellenistic

CulturesGreek

Site notes

ExcavationdatesBetween 1964 and 1978

ArchaeologistsPaul Bernard[disambiguation needed]

ConditionRuined

Ai-KhanoumorAy Khanum(lit. Lady Moon inUzbek,[1]possibly the historicalAlexandria on the Oxus, also possibly later namedorEucratidia) was one of the primary cities of theGreco-Bactrian kingdom. Previous scholars have argued that Ai Khanoum was founded in the late 4th century BC, following the conquests ofAlexander the Great. Recent analysis now strongly suggests that the city was founded c. 280 BC by theSeleucidkingAntiochus I.[2][3]The city is located inTakhar Province, northernAfghanistan, at the confluence of theOxusriver (today'sAmu Darya) and theKokchariver, and at the doorstep of theIndian subcontinent. Ai-Khanoum was one of the focal points of Hellenism in the East for nearly two centuries, until its annihilation by nomadic invaders around 145BC about the time of the death ofEucratides.[4]The site was excavated through archaeological searches by a French DAFA mission underPaul Bernard[disambiguation needed]between 1964 and 1978, as well as Russian scientists. The searches had to be abandoned with the onset of theSoviet war in Afghanistan, during which the site was looted and used as a battleground, leaving very little of the original material.Contents[hide] 1Strategic location 2A Greek city in Bactria 2.1Architecture 2.2Sculptural remains 2.3Epigraphic remains 2.4Artifacts 3Trade with the Mediterranean 4Contacts with India 5Numismatics 6Nomadic invasions 7Significance 8See also 9Notes 10References 11External linksStrategic location[edit]

Ai-Khanoum was located at the extreme east ofBactria.The choice of this site for the foundation of a city was probably guided by several factors. The region, irrigated by the Oxus, had a rich agricultural potential. Mineral resources were abundant in the back country towards theHindu Kush, especially the famous so-called "rubies" (actually,spinel) fromBadakshan, andgold. Lastly, its location at the junction betweenBactrianterritory and nomad territories to the north, ultimately allowed access to commerce with the Chinese empire.A Greek city in Bactria[edit]Numerous artifacts and structures were found, pointing to a high Hellenistic culture, combined with Eastern influences. "It has all the hallmarks of a Hellenistic city, with a Greek theatre, gymnasium and some Greek houses with colonnaded courtyards" (Boardman). Overall, A-Khanoum was an extremely important Greek city (1.5 sq kilometer), characteristic of theSeleucid Empireand then theGreco-Bactrian Kingdom. It seems the city was destroyed, never to be rebuilt, about the time of the death of theGreco-BactriankingEucratidesaround 145BC.Ai-Khanoum may have been the city in which Eucratides was besieged by Demetrius, before he successfully managed to escape to ultimately conquer India (Justin).Architecture[edit]

Corinthiancapital, found at Ai-Khanoum in the citadel by the troops of CommanderMassoud, 2nd century BC.The mission unearthed various structures, some of them perfectly Hellenistic, some other integrating elements of Persian architecture: Two-miles long ramparts, circling the city A citadel with powerful towers (20 11metres at the base, 10meters in height) and ramparts, established on top of the 60meters-high hill in the middle of the city A Classical theater, 84meters in diameter with 35 rows of seats, that could sit 4,000-6,000 people, equipped with three loges for the rulers of the city. Its size was considerable by Classical standards, larger than the theater atBabylon, but slightly smaller than the theater atEpidaurus. A huge palace in Greco-Bactrian architecture, somehow reminiscent of formal Persian palatial architecture Agymnasium(100 100m), one of the largest of Antiquity. A dedication in Greek toHermesandHerakleswas found engraved on one of the pillars. The dedication was made by two men with Greek names (Triballos and Strato, son of Strato). Various temples, in and outside the city. The largest temple in the city apparently contained a monumental statue of a seatedZeus, but was built of the Zoroastrian model (massive, closed walls instead of the open column-circled structure of Greek temples). A mosaic representing the Macedonian sun,acanthusleaves and various animals (crabs, dolphins etc...) Numerous remains of ClassicalCorinthiancolumns Architecturalantefixae, Ai-Khanoum. Sun dial within two sculpted lion feet.Sculptural remains[edit]

Stuccoface, Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BCVarious sculptural fragments were also found, in a rather conventional, classical style, rather impervious to the Hellenizing innovations occurring at the same time in the Mediterranean world.Of special notice, a huge foot fragment in excellent Hellenistic style was recovered, which is estimated to have belonged to a 5-6meter tall statue (which had to be seated to fit within the height of the columns supporting the Temple). Since the sandal of the foot fragment bears the symbolic depiction ofZeus'thunderbolt, the statue is thought to have been a smaller version of theStatue of Zeus at Olympia.Also found among the sculptural remains were: A statue of a standing female in a rather archaicchiton The face of a man, sculpted instucco An unfinished statue of a young naked man with wreath Agargoylehead representing the Greek cook-slave A frieze of a naked man, possibly the godHermes, wearing a chlamys Ahermaicsculpture of an old man thought to be a master of thegymnasium, where it was found. He used to hold a long stick in his left hand, symbol of his function.Due to the lack of proper stones for sculptural work in the area of Ai-Khanoum, unbakedclayandstuccomodeled on a wooden frame were often used, a technique which would become widespread in Central Asia and the East, especially inBuddhist art. In some cases, only the hands and feet would be made in marble. Sculpture of an old man. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC. Bust of the same man. Frieze of a naked man wearing achlamys. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC. Same frieze, seen from the side. Hellenistic gargoyle. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC.Epigraphic remains[edit]Various inscriptions in Classical, non-barbarized, Greek have been found in Ai-Khanoum. On a Heron (funerary monument), identified in Greek as the tomb of Kineas (also described as theoikistes(founder) of the Greek settlement) and dated to 300-250BC, an inscription has been found describing Delphic precepts:

"Pas n kosmios ginou (As children, learn good manners)hbn enkrats, (as young men, learn to control the passions)mesos dikaios (in middle age, be just)presbuts euboulos (in old age, give good advice)teleutn alupos. (then die, without regret.)"The precepts were placed by a Greek named Clearchos, possiblyClearchus of Solithe disciple ofAristotle, who, according to the same inscription, had copied them fromDelphi:"These wise commandments of men of old- Words of well-known thinkers - stand dedicatedIn the most holy Pythian shrineFrom there Klearchos, having copied them carefully, set them up, shining from afar, in the sanctuary of Kineas"

Stone block with the inscriptions of Kineas. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC. Remains of somepapyrusmanuscripts, the imprint of which were left in the thin earth of brick walls, containing unknown philosophical dialogues on the theory of ideas, thought to be the only surviving remain of anAristoteliandialogue, possibly theSophist, whereXenocrates, another philosopher, present his theory of ideas.[5] Various Greek inscriptions were also found in the Treasury of the palace, indicating the contents (money, imported olive oil...) of various vases, and names of the administrators in charge of them. The hierarchy of these administrators appears to be nearly identical to that in theMediterraneanGreek areas. From the names mentioned in these inscriptions, it appears that the directors of the Treasury were Greek, but that lower administrators had Bactrian names.[5]Three signatories had Greek names (Kosmos, Isidora, Nikeratos), one a Macedonian or Thracian name (Lysanias), and two Bactrian names (Oxuboakes, Oxubazes).One of these economic inscriptions relates in Greek the deposit of olive oil jars in the treasury:"In the year 24, on ....;an olive oil (content);the partially empty (vase) A (contains) oil transferred fromtwo jars by Hippiasthe hemiolios; and did seal:Molossos (?) for jar A, and Strato (?) for jar B (?)"[5]The last of the dates on these jars has been computed to 147BC, suggesting that Ai-Khanoum was destroyed soon after that date.Artifacts[edit]

Plate depictingCybelepulled by lions, a votive sacrifice and theSun God. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC.NumerousGreco-Bactriancoins were found, down toEucratides, but none of them later. Ai-Khanoum also yielded unique Greco-Bactrian coins ofAgathocles, consisting of six Indian-standard silverdrachmsdepicting Hindu deities. These are the first known representations ofVedic deitieson coins, and they display earlyAvatarsofVishnu:Balarama-SamkarshanaandVasudeva-Krishna, and are thought to correspond to the first Greco-Bactrian attempts at creating an Indian-standard coinage as they invaded northern India.Among other finds: A round medallion plate describing the goddessCybeleon a chariot, in front of a fire altar, and under a depiction ofHelios A fully preserved bronze statue ofHerakles Various golden serpentine arm jewellery and earrings Some Indian artifacts, found in the treasure room of the city, probably brought back by Eucratides from his campaigns A toilet tray representing a seatedAphrodite A mold representing a bearded and diademed middle-aged manVarious artifacts of daily life are also clearly Hellenistic:sundials, ink wells, tableware. Bronze Herakles statuette. Ai-Khanoum. 2nd century BC. Bracelet with horned female busts. Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BC. Stone recipients from Ai-Khanoum. 3rd-2nd century BC.Trade with the Mediterranean[edit]The presence ofolive oiljars at Ai-Khanoum indicates that this oil was imported from the Mediterranean, as its only possible source would have been theAegean BasinorSyria. This suggests important trade contacts with the Mediterranean, through long and expensive land routes.[6]Contacts with India[edit]

The Indian plate found in Ai-Khanoum, thought to represent the myth ofKunala.As the southern part ofAfghanistanup to theHindu Kush(Paropamisadae) seems to have been occupied by theMauryan Empirebetween 305BC until the reconquest byDemetriusin 180BC, Ai-Khanoum was in effect a frontier town, located just a few kilometers from Indian dominions, for more than a century.Several Indian artifacts were found among the archaeological remains of Ai-Khanoum, especially a narrative plate made of shell inlaid with various materials and colors, thought to represent the Indian myth ofKuntala.[7]

The equatorialsun dialadjusted to the latitude ofUjjain, Ai-Khanoum, 3rd-2nd century BC.Greek coins were also found, bearing the first known representation of IndianVedic deities: the earlyAvatarsofVishnu,Balarama-SankarshanaandVasudeva-Krishna.The various sun-dials, including a tropical sundial adjusted to the latitude ofUjjainfound in the excavations also suggest that some transmission intoIndian astronomymay have happened, due to the numerous interactions with theMauryan Empire, and the later expansion of theIndo-Greeksinto India.[8]Numismatics[edit]

Gold stater of theSeleucidkingAntiochus I Soterminted at Ai-Khanoum, c. 275BCE. Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus. Reverse: NudeApolloseated onomphalos, leaning on bow and holding two arrows. Greek legend: BAIE ANTIOXOY (of King Antiochos). monogram of Ai-Khanoum in left field.

The symbol found on a brick in Ai-Khanoum.ManySeleucidandBactriancoins were found at Ai-Khanoum, as were ten blankplanchets, indicating that there was a mint in the city.[9]Ai-Khanoum apparently had a city symbol (a triangle within a circle, with various variations), which was found imprinted on bricks coming from the oldest buildings of the city.The same symbol was used on various Seleucid eastern coins, suggesting that they were probably minted in Ai-Khanoum. Numerous Seleucid coins were thus reattributed to the Ai-Khanoum mint rather recently, with the conclusion that Ai-Khanoum was probably a larger minting center than evenBactra.[10]The coins found in Ai-Khanoum start with those ofSeleucus, but end abruptly with those ofEucratides, suggesting that the city was conquered at the end of his rule.Nomadic invasions[edit]The invading Indo-European nomads from the north (theScythiansand then theYuezhi) crossed the Oxus and subdued Bactria about 135BC. It seems the city was totally abandoned between 130 and 120BC following theYuezhiinvasion. There is evidence of huge fires in all the major buildings of the city. The last Greco-Bactrian kingHelioclesmoved his capital fromBalkharound 125BC and resettled in the Kabul valley. No coins of Heliokles have been found in Ai-Khanoum, suggesting the city was destroyed at the end of the reign of Eucratides. The Greeks continued to rule various parts of northern India under theIndo-Greek Kingdomuntil around 10 CE, when their last kingdom was conquered by the Indo-Scythians. Only a few decades later, theYuezhiunited to form theKushan Empireand expanded in northern India themselves.As with other archaeological sites such asBegramorHadda, the Ai-Khanoum site has been pillaged during the long phase of war in Afghanistan since the fall of the Communist government.Significance[edit]

Ai-Khanoum was located at the very doorstep of India.The findings are of considerable importance, as no known remain of theGreco-BactrianandIndo-Greekcivilizations had been uncovered in the East (beyond the abundant coinage) until this discovery, leading some to speak about a "Bactrian mirage."This discovery gives a new perspective on the influence of Greek culture in the East, and reaffirms the influence of the Greeks on the development ofGreco-Buddhist art.An almost life-sized dark green glassphalluswith a small owl on the back side and other treasures are said to have been discovered at Ai-Khanoum, possibly along with a stone with an inscription, which was not recovered. The artifacts have now been returned to theKabul Museumafter several years in Switzerland by Paul Bucherer-Dietschi, Director of the Swiss Afghanistan Institute.[11]