Ossuaries are found throughout nearly all regions of Central Asia. As a key element of pre-Islamic funerary practice, they represent an important source for understanding the religious beliefs of the early medieval populations. A particularly striking example comes from Southern Sogdia (the Kashkadarya Valley), where the majority of ossuary finds originate from its upper reaches, in the Kesh–Shakhrisyabz region. The preservation of bones after their exposure-either through natural decomposition in naus or with the aid of animals and birds was evidently considered essential for their eventual resurrection. For this reason, the bones were collected and placed in vessels, or ossuaries, which in Kesh were typically ceramic boxes of rectangular form and, rarely, oval shape. The walls of the ossuaries were often decorated with various ornamental motifs, commonly vegetal shoots, symbolizing rebirth. Narrative compositions also occur, though far less frequently, and their meanings remain the subject of ongoing scholarly debate. Their appearance on ossuaries is not accidental, as they convey specific religious concepts held by the local population. This article analyzes and interprets the compositions preserved on fragments of three different ossuaries from the Kashkadarya region, which reflect distinctive ideas about the soul’s afterlife. Of particular interest is the presence of horsemen depicted on two fragments, documented for the first time.
| Mualliflar | Bogomolov, Gennadiy |
|---|---|
| Jurnal | O‘zbekiston arxeologiyasi (Археология Узбекистана) |
| Nashr sanasi | 2026-07-21 |
| Jild | 2 |
| Son | 33 |
| Betlar | 54-71 |
| Til | O‘zbek |
Южный Согд., Кеш, Чинва, оссуарии, наусы, возрождение, штампы, медальоны, розетки, перлы, Southern Sogdiana, Kesh, Chinvat, ossuaries, nauses, stamps, medallions, rosettes, pearls, Janubiy Sug‘d, Kesh, Chinvat, ossuariylar, nauslar, qayta tirilish, shtamplar, medalonlar, barglar, perlalar
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O‘zbekiston arxeologiyasi (Археология Узбекистана) — barcha maqolalar