Ulug Depe
Encyclopedia
Ulug Depe is an ancient Bronze Age
site in the foothills of the Kopet Dag
Mountains in the Karakum Desert
of Kaka District
(Kaahka) in the Ahal Province
of south-eastern Turkmenistan
. It covers around 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) and lies on a mound at a height of about 30 meters.
, its oldest layers are dated to around 5,000 years ago. In the early Bronze Age, Ulug Depe was a flourishing agricultural town, located on the fertile belt along the northern foothills of the Kopet Dag mountain range. In the late 1960s, the Soviet archaeologist, V. I. Sarianidi revealed the importance of Ulug Depe, with the occupation of the site ranging from the Neolithic (6th millennium BC) to the Achaemenid period (1st millennium BCE).
The site has been extensively excavated by the French Center of Archaeological Excavations in conjunction with the National Department for Preservation, Studying and Restoration of History and Culture Monuments of Turkmenistan, led by Olivier Lecomte since 2001. The excavation of the site has also been joined by specialists of the state historical-cultural preserve Abiverd and archaeologists from other countries, including students of the Paris University. In 2007 the mission was joined by the Archaeological Research Laboratory and Guimet National Museum with field work funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is now recognized as a key site for studying the interaction between Central Asia
, Elam
, Mesopotamia
and the Indus Civilization given its location.
seeds, revealing much about the system of large settlements of ancient farmers who lived in the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountains including other settlements of Kara Depe, Namazga Depe, Altyn Depe, Yylyn Depe etc. The artifacts discovered in Ulug Depe are on display at the Ak Bugdai Museum in Ashgabat.
Study conducted in October 2007 by Frédérique Brunet and Jerome F. Dray revealed nine main phases of occupation in Ulug Depe. Further pottery including vases were discovered dating to the Namazga III
and Namazga IV chronological periods.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
site in the foothills of the Kopet Dag
Kopet Dag
The Kopet Dag, Kopet Dagh, or Koppeh Dagh , also known as the Turkmen-Khorasan Mountain Range is a mountain range on the frontier between Turkmenistan and Iran, extending about 650 km along the border, east of the Caspian Sea. The highest peak of the range in Turkmenistan is southwest of the...
Mountains in the Karakum Desert
Karakum Desert
The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara Gum is a desert in Central Asia. It occupies about 70 percent, or 350,000 km², of the area of Turkmenistan....
of Kaka District
Kaka District
Kaka District is a district of Ahal Province in Turkmenistan.In ancient times the area was a fertile agricultural plain to the north of the Kopet Dag mountain range. A number of important bronze age sites exist in the area, such as the Ulug Depe.-References:...
(Kaahka) in the Ahal Province
Ahal Province
Ahal Province is one of the welayat of Turkmenistan. It is in the south-center of the country, bordering Iran and Afghanistan along the Kopet Dag Range. Its area is and population 939,700...
of south-eastern Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
. It covers around 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) and lies on a mound at a height of about 30 meters.
History
Located near DushakDushak
Dushak is a small town in the Karakum Desert on the rim of the Kopet Dag mountains of Ahal Province, Turkmenistan.-Geography:It lies on the M37 highway which connects the town to Ashgabat in the west and Tejen in the east and is also connected by rail on the Trans-Caspian railway. The settlement...
, its oldest layers are dated to around 5,000 years ago. In the early Bronze Age, Ulug Depe was a flourishing agricultural town, located on the fertile belt along the northern foothills of the Kopet Dag mountain range. In the late 1960s, the Soviet archaeologist, V. I. Sarianidi revealed the importance of Ulug Depe, with the occupation of the site ranging from the Neolithic (6th millennium BC) to the Achaemenid period (1st millennium BCE).
The site has been extensively excavated by the French Center of Archaeological Excavations in conjunction with the National Department for Preservation, Studying and Restoration of History and Culture Monuments of Turkmenistan, led by Olivier Lecomte since 2001. The excavation of the site has also been joined by specialists of the state historical-cultural preserve Abiverd and archaeologists from other countries, including students of the Paris University. In 2007 the mission was joined by the Archaeological Research Laboratory and Guimet National Museum with field work funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is now recognized as a key site for studying the interaction between Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, Elam
Elam
Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq...
, Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
and the Indus Civilization given its location.
Discoveries
Of major note is a fortified mud brick citadel with buttressed walls, which dominates the lower part of the ancient city, dated to pre-Achaemenid times. An operation began in 2004 to help uncover relics relating to the occupation of this site, producing figurines and other clay objects. The archaeologists have discovered a set of geometric ornaments and stone figures with depictions of the goddess of fertility. They also discovered ancient grapeGrape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
seeds, revealing much about the system of large settlements of ancient farmers who lived in the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountains including other settlements of Kara Depe, Namazga Depe, Altyn Depe, Yylyn Depe etc. The artifacts discovered in Ulug Depe are on display at the Ak Bugdai Museum in Ashgabat.
Study conducted in October 2007 by Frédérique Brunet and Jerome F. Dray revealed nine main phases of occupation in Ulug Depe. Further pottery including vases were discovered dating to the Namazga III
Namazga-Tepe
Namazga-Tepe or Namazga-depe, is a Bronze Age archaeological site in Turkmenistan, some 100 km from Aşgabat, near the border to Iran...
and Namazga IV chronological periods.
External links
- Turkménistan - Ulug Depe (Includes photos and a reconstruction of the ancient city)
- La mission archéologique Franco-Turkmène