Berdysyčran-depe (turk. Berdysyçran-depe, рус.
Бердысычран-депе) is an ancient Bronze Age settlement located in the former delta of
Tejen River, 60 km south of
Tejen (city),
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
.
Archaeological research
Berdysyčran-depe was surveyed in 2015 by a Turkmen-Polish archaeological expedition of the
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...
, headed by
Barbara Kaim
General characteristics
The total area of Berdysyčran-depe is about 15 hectares. The site consists of two parts. The first, the southern mound, is steeper, with an area of about 1 hectare and a height of 6 metres. The second mound, is a more flattened with a height of 7 metres and covering an area of 2.1 hectares. The area between these hills is densely covered with pottery. The analysis of all collected material allowed to date the site to the Middle, Late and Final Bronze Age (2250-1500 BC), i.e. the time corresponding to the rise, flouring and fall of the Oxus Civilization -
Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex
The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC) is the modern archaeological designation for a particular Middle Bronze Age civilisation of southern Central Asia, also known as the Oxus Civilization. The civilisation's urban phase or In ...
.
Findings
Among the materials collected by archaeologists are fragments of pottery, a typical female terracotta figurine from the
Namazga V period. , fragments of alabaster vessels and badly damaged bronze objects
[
]
Berdysyčran-depe and the settlement of Geoksyur oasis
Berdysyčran-depe was settled during the Namazga V period, which is, after Geoksyur Oasis was abandoned. The site is located 15 km south of Hapuz-depe, which dates back to the Early and Middle Bronze Age.
See also
* History of Central Asia
The history of Central Asia concerns the history of the various peoples that have inhabited Central Asia. The lifestyle of such people has been determined primarily by the area's climate and geography of Asia, geography. The aridity of the region ...
* Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex
The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC) is the modern archaeological designation for a particular Middle Bronze Age civilisation of southern Central Asia, also known as the Oxus Civilization. The civilisation's urban phase or In ...
* South Turkmenistan Complex Archaeological Expedition
Notes
References
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{{coord, 36, 58, 41, N, 60, 59, 13, E, type:landmark_region:TM, display=title
Former populated places in Turkmenistan
Bronze Age Asia