The burials of Tillya Tepe (the Bactrian Gold)
Six graves of nomad nobles — five women and a man — on a mound near Sheberghan in Bactria held some 20,000 objects, mostly of gold, that mix Greek, Iranian, Indian, Chinese and steppe art, and a gold coin of the Roman emperor Tiberius. They are usually attributed to the Yuezhi or early Kushan elite.
- Date
- between 16 and 100exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Tillya Tepe near Sheberghantoday: Jowzjan Province, Afghanistan · Central and Northern Asia
- Participants
- Yuezhi
- Threads
- The Steppe and Central Asia (1st–5th c.)
- Also known as
- Bactrian Gold; Bactrian Hoard; Tillia Tepe; Golden Hill; Бактрийское золото; Золотой холм
The graves were found in 1978 by a Soviet–Afghan expedition led by Viktor Sarianidi in the mound of Tillya Tepe (“golden hill”), the ruin of a much older temple. The dead were buried with necklaces, belts, medallions and a crown; several skulls show artificial deformation, a custom of Central Asian nomads. Beside Hellenistic images — cupids, a ring with Athena and her name in Greek — lay daggers in the steppe style, Chinese bronze mirrors and Indian carved ivory. The coins include a Parthian silver coin of Mithridates II, an imitation of a coin of Gotarzes I, an Indian gold coin showing a figure turning a wheel — possibly an early image of the Buddha — and an aureus of Tiberius struck at Lugdunum in Gaul in 16–21.
The Roman coin shows that at least that burial took place in the 1st century AD. Older literature, including Russian reference works, dates the necropolis to the 1st century BC, while recent estimates, based on the coins, place it in the 1st century AD. In 1989 the treasure was hidden in a vault of the Central Bank in Kabul; it came to light again in 2003–2004 and since 2006 has been shown in exhibitions around the world.
Connections
Related events
- Kujula Kadphises founds the Kushan Empirebetween 20 and 50 · Central and Northern Asiathe graves are usually attributed to the Yuezhi or early Kushan elite
- Gandharan art: the first images of the Buddhabetween 30 BC and AD 100 · South Asiaone grave held an Indian coin with a figure turning a wheel, possibly an early image of the Buddha
Adjacent events in the thread
- The Xiongnu split into Northern and Southern48 · Central and Northern Asia
- Ban Chao’s campaigns in the Tarim Basin73–102 · Central and Northern Asia
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within a year of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Boudica’s revoltbetween 60 and 61
- Roman conquest of Britain43 – between 83 and 84
- Great Fire of Rome19 July 64 – c. 27 July 64
- Martyrdom of Peter and Paul in Romebetween 64 and 68
- Nero crowns Tiridates I in Rome66
+ 3 events
Eastern Europe
- The Alans appear on the Don and in the North Caucasusbetween 50 and 72
- Plautius Silvanus lifts the Scythian siege of Chersonesusbetween 61 and 66
- Roman–Bosporan War45–49
- Rome recognises Aspurgus as king of the Bosporus14
- Zarubintsy culturec. 200 BC – c. 200
Balkans and Anatolia
- Dioscorides’ De materia medicabetween 50 and 70
- Missionary journeys of Paulc. 46 – between 57 and 58
- Thrace becomes a Roman province46
- Domitian’s Dacian Warbetween 85 and 86 – 89
- Earthquake in Lydia17
+ 1 event
Middle East and Egypt
- Periplus of the Erythraean Sea40s … 70s
- Roman–Parthian War of 58–6358–63
- Reign of Vologases I51–78
- First Jewish–Roman War66 – between 73 and 74
- Siege of JerusalemApril 70 – 8 September 70
+ 3 events
Africa
- Adulis and Aksum in the Periplus40s … 70s
- Nero’s expedition to the sources of the Nilebetween 61 and 62
- Roman annexation of Mauretania40 – between 42 and 44
- Temple of Apedemak at Naqabetween 1 BC and AD 70
- Revolt of Tacfarinas17–24
+ 1 event
South Asia
- Kushans conquer Gandhara and Taxilabetween 50 and 70
- Apostle Thomas in India (tradition)52 (?)
- Gandharan art: the first images of the Buddhabetween 30 BC and AD 100
- Reign of Gondophares, founder of the Indo-Parthian kingdombetween 19 and 20 – c. 46
- Heyday of Indo-Roman trade: Muziris and Arikameduc. 30 BC – c. 250
East Asia
- Envoys of Na receive a gold seal from Emperor Guangwu57
- Buddhism reaches China: the court of Liu Ying at Pengcheng65
- The Book of Han is writtenc. 54 – 111
- Liu Xiu restores the Han: the Eastern Han25
- Battle of Kunyangbetween June and July 23
+ 1 event
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Founding of Funan: Kaundinya and Queen Liuyebetween 1 and 100
- Trưng sisters’ rebellionMarch 40 – 43
- Óc Eo, the port of Funanbetween 1 and 100 – between 601 and 700
- Sa Huỳnh culturec. 1000 BC – c. 200
North America
- Hopewell traditionbetween 200 and 100 BC – c. 500
- Late Basketmaker II erac. 50 – c. 500
Latin America
- Monte Albán II: the Zapotec state expandsc. 100 BC – c. 200
- Emergence of the Moche culturec. 100
- Rise of Teotihuacanc. 1 – c. 250
- Nazca culture and the Nazca Linesbetween 200 and 100 BC – between 500 and 800
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Tillya Tepe
- Wikipedia (Russian): Тилля-тепе
- Wikipedia (Russian): Бактрийское золото
- Сарианиди В. И. Бактрийское золото из раскопок некрополя Тилля-тепе в Северном Афганистане. — Л.: Аврора, 1985.
- Hiebert F., Cambon P. (eds.) Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. — Washington (D.C.): National Geographic, 2008.
- Wikidata: Q4840045