JOURNEY TO THE ANCIENT CITY OF CRAFTSMEN ULUG-DEPE

One of the most interesting historical monuments of the Akhal velayat is the Ulug-Depe settlement, which is located in the Kaakhkа etrap. Its uniqueness is that it has the deepest archaeological layers in all of Central Asia, helping scientists to reveal the secrets stored in the earth from the early Eneolithic to the Iron Age (IV-I millennium BC).

The settlement was actively engaged in handicraft production. A wide assortment of bazaars sold various products of weavers, blacksmiths, potters, artistically painted items, which still amaze with the skill of execution.

Many artifacts from the excavations of Ulug are kept in the storerooms of the State Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan. Among them is a small pot painted with a geometric pattern of a light shade, as well as an elegant terracotta cup with a brown floral ornament, thinly applied almost over its entire surface. It is felt that the craftsmen who made these items had a rich imagination and enviable aesthetic taste.

Tableware made of the alabaster mineral was also widely used by the inhabitants of Ulug-Depe. The cups with smooth edges and rounded bottoms, made by stone-cutters, gleamed beautifully with the matte yellow shades of the stone. They were easy to use and durable to use. Alabaster is quite common in nature and is easy to process. According to the existing legend, it got its name thanks to the goddess Bast - a deity that bestows joy. Alabaster products were considered a sign of wealth and good taste. By the way, according to legend, alabaster also had healing properties.

The craftsman decorated the items baked in the kiln with terracotta decorative inserts with a characteristic carpet pattern, painting them with paints of mineral and plant origin. As a rule, these were red and dark tones popular with local residents from ancient times. The terracotta mosaic could be used to decorate the walls of palaces, as well as decorate various caskets and tabernacles.

The ancient artisans and the better half of humanity did not forget. Almost every woman could boast of a set of cosmetics in front of her friends. In those days, women used thin bronze applicators for antimony, elegant cosmetic bottles for incense. The ladies' necks were decorated with beads made of specially selected stones with white veins running in a spiral. The master creatively selected the material, taking care of the aesthetic side of the finished product.

The weaving in the castle mound was also of a high standard. The fact that wool fabrics were widely used by the population is evidenced by the surviving tools of weavers - these are numerous spinning wheels of various shapes and types.

The terracotta figurine of a horse, found during the excavations of Ulug-Depe, surprises with the high development of the art of small plastic arts at that time. Despite its modest size, a luxurious uncut mane, eyes, and small ears are clearly visible in the horse's head. We must pay tribute to the ancient sculptor - he had a keen eye, skillful hands and knowledge of horse anatomy. The presence of carts and cart in the economy of the settlement at that time is confirmed by a terracotta toy wheel. According to authoritative scientists, a wheel with scratched spokes was part of a ceremonial or war chariot. The very discovery of this artifact once again confirms that many centuries ago, in the ancient lands of Turkmenistan, our ancestors were among the first to tame and domesticate a horse.

The museum collection possesses precisely well-preserved samples of zoomorphic plastic - clay and terracotta figurines of a dog, a goat. Such toys indicate that even then the children were not left without parental care and attention.

Ulug-Depe was built and developed for almost 4 thousand years. A solid period by historical standards, as well as the hard work and talent of local artisans contributed to the formation of Ulug-Depe as a city of masters of our distant ancestors who lived on the fertile land of our Motherland. They left their memory in the form of priceless products of folk applied art, vivid examples of which can be seen today in the halls of the State Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan.

Nuryagdy Babaev,

chief specialist of the scientific department of the State Museum of Fine Arts

Journey to the ancient city of craftsmen Ulug-Depe (turkmenistan.gov.tm)