Dilberjin Tepe, also Dilberjin or Delbarjin, is the modern name for the remains of an ancient town in modern (northern)
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The town was perhaps founded in the time of the
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...
. Under the
Kushan Empire
The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, i ...
it became a major local centre. After the
Kushano-Sassanids the town was abandoned.
Archaeological remains
The town proper was about in size. Dilbarjin had a city wall built under the Kushan rule. In the middle of the town there was a round citadel, built at about the same time. In the north-east corner of the town was excavated a temple complex. Here were found many wall paintings, some in a purely Hellenistic style. Originally the temple was perhaps dedicated to the
Dioscuri
Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, f ...
, of which a mural in Hellenistic style has been recovered. A long inscription in the
Kushan language
The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, wikt:貴霜, 貴霜 ) was a Sync ...
was also discovered, dated to the early great Kushans, around the period of
Kanishka I
Kanishka I (Sanskrit: कनिष्क, '; Greco-Bactrian: Κανηϸκε ''Kanēške''; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐 '; Brahmi: '), or Kanishka, was an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign (c. 127–150 CE) the empire r ...
, on paleographic grounds, as it seems slightly younger than the inscription of
Surkh Kotal. Outside the city walls there were still substantial buildings. Finds include inscriptions in
Bactrian, most of them too destroyed to provide any historical information. There were fragments of sculpture and many coins.
Wall paintings
![Kushano-Sasanian Vahrām (Bahram) I Balkh mint Struck under Kidarite king Kidara circa CE 350-365](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Kushano-Sasanian_Vahr%C4%81m_%28Bahram%29_I_Balkh_mint_Struck_under_Kidarite_king_Kidara_circa_CE_350-365.jpg)
The paintings of Dilberjin Tepe belong to the 5th-6th century CE, or even as early as the 4th century CE according to some authorities, based on numismatic evidence.
The paintings have some similarity with those of
Balalyk Tepe, and some from
Bamiyan.
A comparison with
the swordsmen at
Kizil Caves
The Kizil Caves ( zh, t=克孜爾千佛洞, s=克孜尔千佛洞, l=Kizil Caves of the Thousand Buddhas; ug, قىزىل مىڭ ئۆي, translation=The Thousand Red Houses; also romanized Qizil Caves, spelling variant Qyzyl; Kizil means 'red') ar ...
would also suggest a date from the 5th century to the early 6th century CE. The same authors consider that the paintings at
Balalyk Tepe are about a century older than the paintings at Dilberjin, dating from the end of the 6th century to the early 7th century CE.
These murals are general thought to represent
Hephthalites
The Hephthalites ( xbc, ηβοδαλο, translit= Ebodalo), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during th ...
, with their characteristic tunics with a single lapel folded to the right, cropped hair and ornaments.
A famous mural shows a row of warriors in kaftan, relatively similar to
the mural from Kyzyl.
A much later fresco showing an Indian scene, with
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
and
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
on the bull
Nandi
Nandi may refer to:
People
* Nandy (surname), Indian surname
* Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe
* Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi
* Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...
, has been dated to the 8th century CE.
Coinage
Coins of many periods were found at the site, including Hephthalite coins, but those of the
Kushano-Sasanians
Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom (also called Kushanshahs, KΟÞANΟ ÞAΟ ''or Koshano Shao'' in Bactrian, or Indo-Sasanians) is a historiographic term used by modern scholars to refer to a branch of the Sasanian Persians who established their rule in ...
and the
Kidarites
The Kidarites, or Kidara Huns, were a dynasty that ruled Bactria and adjoining parts of Central Asia and South Asia in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Kidarites belonged to a complex of peoples known collectively in India as the Huna, and in Euro ...
were the most numerous from the early Sasanian period to have been found on the site.
About 72 such coins were found, belonging to
Ardashir I
Ardashir I (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭥𐭲𐭧𐭱𐭲𐭥, Modern Persian: , '), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new emp ...
,
Peroz I
Peroz I ( pal, 𐭯𐭩𐭫𐭥𐭰, Pērōz) was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 459 to 484. A son of Yazdegerd II (), he disputed the rule of his elder brother and incumbent king Hormizd III (), eventually seizing the throne after ...
,
Hormiz I, as well as each type of the
Varahran I, that is, the coins first struck under Varahran, and then those struck on the model of Varahran by the
Kidarite
The Kidarites, or Kidara Huns, were a dynasty that ruled Bactria and adjoining parts of Central Asia and South Asia in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Kidarites belonged to a complex of peoples known collectively in India as the Huna, and in Euro ...
rulers
Kirada
Kirada (Brahmi: ''Ki-ra-da'', ruled 335-345 CE), is considered by modern scholarship as the first known ruler of the Kidarite Huns in the area of Gandhara in northwestern India, possibly at the same time as another Kidarite ruler named Yosada.
...
,
Peroz Feroz or Firuz is a Persian name meaning 'victorious', derived from the middle Persian name Peroz or Piruz. Related names are Phiroze, Feroze, and Parviz.
It may refer to:
People (historical)
* Peroz I (), Sasanian king of Iran
* Peroz II (), Sa ...
and
Kidara I
Kidara I (Late Brahmi script: ''Ki-da-ra'') fl. 350-390 CE) was the first major ruler of the Kidarite Kingdom, which replaced the Indo-Sasanians in northwestern India, in the areas of Kushanshahr, Gandhara, Kashmir and Punjab.
Reign
Kidara hi ...
.
These coins suggest that the murals themselves should be dated to the late 4th century CE or early 5th century CE at the latest.
File:Dilberjin Tepe, Dioscuri mural.jpg, Remains of the Dioscuri mural at the entrance (left side of the mural).
File:Dilberjin frescoe, 5th-6th century.jpg, Dilberjin fresco, 5th-6th century.
File:Dilberjin frescoe fragment.jpg, Dilberjin fresco fragment.
File:Dilberjin portrait.jpg, Dilbergin fresco royal figure
File:Dilberjin attendants.jpg, Dilberjin attendants
File:Dilberjin Tepe, cup bearers.jpg, Cup bearers.
File:Dilberjin Tepe, Shiva Parvati and the Guard.jpg, Shiva and Parvati on the bull Nandi, with Guard.
File:Dilberjin Tepe, Athena Anahita.jpg, Athena Anahita.
File:Dilberjin Tepe, Athena Anahita in profile.jpg, Athena Anahita in profile.
See also
*
Tavka Kurgan
Tavka Kurgan is an ancient fortress and archaeological site near Shirabad, Uzbekistan. It is especially famous for some frescoes dated to the 5th-6th century CE, several of them located in the Archaeological Museum of Termez. One of these painti ...
*
Penjikent
, image_skyline = Pajakent Bazaar1.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Panjakent Bazaar
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Tajikistan#West Asia
, pushpin_relief = yes
, pushpin_label_position =
, pushp ...
*
Dalverzin Tepe
Dalverzin Tepe is an ancient archaeological site founded by the Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom and located near to the modern city of Denau in the Surxondaryo Region of Uzbekistan. The city was founded in the 3rd century BC and rose to prominence in t ...
*
Kara Tepe
Kara Tepe is a Buddhist archaeological site in the Central Asia region of Bactria, in the Termez oasis near the city of Termez in southern Uzbekistan. The foundations of the site date to the 1st century CE, with a peak of activity around the 3r ...
*
Fayaz Tepe
Fayaz Tepe, also Fayoz-Tepe, is a Buddhist archaeological site in the Central Asia region of Bactria, in the Termez oasis near the city of Termez in southern Uzbekistan. Located 15 km west of Termez off the main M39 highway. Bus number 15 runs pa ...
*
Balalyk tepe
References
Sources
*Warwick Ball: ''Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan : Catalogue des sites archéologiques d'Afghanistan'', Paris 1982, p. 91-92
*
* И. T. Кругликова, ''Дилъбепджин'', Москва 1974
* И. T. Кругликова, Г.A.Пугаченкова, ''Дилъбепджин'', Москва 1977
*
External links
DELBARJĪN on Iranicaonline.org
{{Authority control
Archaeological sites in Afghanistan
Kushan Empire