I06 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 10 



found numerous remains of ancient settlements, the material from 

 which can be dated to the end of the first millennium before our era 

 and the first centuries of our era. 



SOGHDIANA 



Grigorev ^^ has summarized the results of excavations since 1936 

 of a series of Soghdian sites in the Zarafshan Valley, The explora- 

 tion by Grigorev and I. A. Sukharev in the Samarkand area, which 

 covered an area of 200 square kilometers between Samarkand and 

 Zarafshan, disclosed the remains of several dozen ancient settlements. 

 The sites of the most ancient period are in the form of a square sur- 

 rounded by buildings, with a high central hill in the middle of the 

 square. All these settlements were located in a now waterless steppe 

 on the banks of dry streams. The most extensive excavations were 

 carried on during 1936-1939 at Tali Barzu, now identified with ancient 

 Riwdad. At this site six cultural strata, from the second quarter of 

 the first millennium B. C. to the beginning of the eighth century A. D., 

 have been identified. 



The earliest stratum, referred to as Tali Barzu I, contained pottery 

 of the type known from various sites in Iran and Turkestan at the 

 beginning of the third millennium B. C. This refers mainly to the 

 stemmed red matte engobe vases from Tepe Hissar and Anau. Other 

 finds included skewer rests ornamented with ram's heads and archaic 

 female figurines dressed in long robes, trousers, high boots, and with 

 "Scythian" caps (probably bnahita). 



Tali Barzu II, attributed to the fifth-sixth centuries B. C., was 

 connected with the large fortified building occupying the entire area of 

 the site, or building complex, containing at least 500 rooms. The 

 outer rooms of the apartment served as the city wall. The corners 

 were fortified with multiple towers. A citadel with loopholes was in 

 the center of the complex. 



Pottery with ribbon ornament and also with handles depicting 

 animals appears for the first time. Of particular interest were the 

 numerous figurines, some dressed in the typical "Scythian" costume, 

 others in mantles with false sleeves flung over the shoulders (cf. 

 ktiseu in Afghanistan), and finally in the costume of the Medes (cf. 

 figurines of a king or satrap in crenelated crown and long robe, 

 reminiscent of the Achemenid kings depicted on the seals in the 

 De Clercq collection). 



The later periods of Tali Barzu were not as rich in finds. Tali 



-2 Grigorev, G. V., in Kratkie Soobshcheniia, No. 6, pp. 24-34. 



