Tillya Tepe

Nomads from the northern steppes, which stretch from the Black Sea to Mongolia, overran Bactria around 145 bc, bringing an end to the Greco-Bactrian kingdoms that had flourished there. The first evidence of this nomadic presence in the region was found at Tillya Tepe, a name meaning "hill of gold." Excavated in 1978 by a Soviet-Afghan team of archaeologists, the site contained the tombs of a nomadic chieftain and five female members of his household, who had been buried in the first century bc or the first century ad. The graves contained what is popularly known as the Bactrian Hoard: thousands of gold objects and ornaments that had been sewn onto the burial shrouds and clothing of the deceased. The nomads brought with them weapons, horse trappings, and jewelry decorated in the animal style of the steppes, which features images of both real and fantastic animals, often in combat or intricately entwined. Yet the finds at Tillya Tepe reveal a culture that was more refined, eclectic, and Hellenized than had been expected. After reaching Bactria, nomadic artists became influenced by objects that had traveled the Silk Road, resulting in a synthesis of Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, and Siberian styles.