Early Villagers of Southern Turkmenistan
View of Yilgynle-depe from south-west
About the Project
General Information
The long-term project is led by Dr. N.F. Solovyova, Director of the Center for Rescue Archaeology, under continually renewed cooperation agreements between the IHMC RAS, and the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. The research focuses on the Meana-Chaacha micro-region in the eastern piedmont zone of the Kopetdag, which played a crucial role in the emergence and development of early agricultural cultures.
The main research site is Yilgynly-depe – an archaeological site from the Chalcolithic period. In the 1980s and 1990s, the site’s layout was studied, and currently, stratigraphic investigations of the settlement’s construction layers are ongoing.
Description of the Site
Excavations at Yilgynly-depe, a multi-layered tell-type site located in the Kopetdag piedmont region, about 240 km southeast of Ashgabat and 110 km northeast of Mashhad, have been conducted over 24 seasons (1985–1991, 1993–1995, 1997, 1999, 2006-2009, 2011-2015, 2018, and the spring field season of 2019) (Solovyova 2008: 7-13).
The settlement existed for approximately one and a half to two thousand years, from the early-middle 5th millennium BCE to the transition between the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE (Solovyova 2014a: 31-32). It emerged in the early Chalcolithic (Namazga-I) and reached its peak during the developed Chalcolithic (Namazga-II), before gradually declining by the beginning of the late Chalcolithic (Namazga-III) (Berezkin, Solovyova 1998: 86). This decline coincided with significant changes in material and spiritual culture, evidenced by the spread of the “Geoksyur complex” with its innovations in figurine iconography, ceramic production, and burial customs (Berezkin, Solovyova 1996: 103-104).
Currently, the settlement is a weathered mound with gentle slopes, covering approximately 14 hectares and rising about 12-14 meters above the present alluvial plain. The northern part of the mound transitions into the main settlement area extending southwards. The cultural layer of the settlement includes about 20 construction horizons, formed by the repeated building of new houses on the ruins of old ones. It is highly likely that cultural deposits extend beyond the visible boundaries, as no sterile layers have been found in any excavation.
A series of radiocarbon dates for Yilgynly-depe, published in the early 1990s (Berezkin 1993: 12-16), and more recent determinations, indicate that the site’s age may be younger by approximately three to five hundred years. This discrepancy remains unexplained, especially as similar systematic deviations are not observed in the Bronze Age layers of Altyn-depe, 65 km west of Yilgynly-depe.
The Chalcolithic community of Yilgynly-depe was quite large, possibly up to two thousand people, with a rich and developed material culture, particularly related to housing and domestic life. The economy was based on agriculture and animal husbandry, with wheat and barley (soft dwarf wheat, hulled and naked barley) as the primary crops. The livestock mainly comprised small ruminants, supplemented by hunting (paleo-zoological analyses by A.K. Kasparova).
The settlement’s material culture is exceptionally rich. The quality of everyday architecture is impressive, with spacious and well-finished living quarters, well-maintained and large courtyard areas, surpassing contemporary sites in the region (Masson 1989: 18). Ritual spaces were characterized by their spaciousness, well-thought-out architectural details, and high-quality interior finishes.
Research on six construction horizons at Stratigraphic Trench 3 has provided comprehensive descriptions of Chalcolithic household structures and highlighted the consistent division of space for ritual activities, living, and domestic purposes over centuries. Religious sanctuaries, large clean courtyards, and designated areas for daily household needs and living rooms were thoughtfully planned and meticulously maintained.
The builders of Yilgynly-depe were highly skilled in working with clay, the primary construction material. They used clay for leveling construction sites, making adobe bricks, forming decorative elements, and crafting furniture. Walls were plastered with colored “plaster” (a mixture of ground charcoal, ochre, or gypsum with clay), and sometimes, the main wall of a sanctuary featured graffiti-like ornamentation. Clay hearths, altars, stoves, tables, and benches, often painted bright red with ochre, were built after the completion of plastering.
The residents of Yilgynly-depe meticulously adhered to long-established building traditions and innovatively adapted their techniques to new requirements, demonstrating their advanced construction skills.
The presence of numerous copper artifacts indicates a high level of metallurgical development (Solovyova, Yegor’kov, Galibin, Berezkin 1994: 31-34). The abundance of copper items is unique for the Chalcolithic period in Southern Turkmenistan and neighboring regions.
Stone carving also reached a high level, evidenced by the production of stone statues by Yilgynly-depe craftsmen (Masson 1989: 148; Masson, Korobkova 1989).
The community’s prosperity is reflected in the creation of numerous non-utilitarian objects. The material aspects of the spiritual life of Yilgynly-depe inhabitants are remarkably rich and colorful. Wall paintings, interior details of ceremonial rooms, and clay anthropomorphic sculptures demonstrate the high artistic skills of the community (Solovyova 2005).
Research literature
Березкин Ю. Е. Энеолитические святилища Йылгынлы-депе // Известия Академии Наук Туркменской ССР. Серия общественных наук. №6. Ашхабад, 1989: 20-24.
Березкин Ю. Е. Святилища меднокаменного века на юге Туркменистана // Природа, №7 М., 1990: 55-59.
Березкин Ю. Е., Соловьева Н. Ф. Символы власти в акефальном обществе. Скамьи, кресла и бык на юге Центральной Азии // Символы и атрибуты власти. СПб., 1996: 102-118.
Ганялин А. Ф. Холм Йлгынлы-депе // Труды Института истории, археологии и этнографии АН ТССР. Том 15, Ашхабад, 1959: 15-29.
Коробкова Г. Ф., Шаровская Т. А.. Каменные изделия Йылгынлы-депе // Отчет по гранту РГНФ «Энеолитическое поселение Йылгынлы-депе», 1998.
Куфтин Б. А. Полевой отчет о работе XIV отряда ЮТАКЭ по изучению культуры первобытнообщинных оседло-земледельческих поселений эпохи меди и бронзы в 1952 году // Труды Южнотуркменистанской археологической комплексной экспедиции. Том VII, Ашхабад, 1956: 260-290.
Массон В. М. Йылгынлы-депе – новый центр энеолитической культуры Южного Туркменистана // Известия Академии Наук Туркменской ССР. Серия общественных наук, №6, Ашхабад, 1989: 15-20.
Соловьева Н. Ф. Новые исследования на поселении Йылгынлы-депе // Археологические открытия 1993 года. М, 1994: 207-208
Соловьева Н. Ф. Йылгынлы-депе: продолжение исследований на раскопе 3 // Изучение древних культур и цивилизаций. СПб, 1994а: 16-20
Соловьева Н. Ф. Уникальное энеолитическое святилище в Каракумах // Природа, 4, 1994б: 69-72.
Соловьева Н. Ф. Исследования на юго-востоке Туркменистана // Изучение культурных взаимодействий и новые археологические открытия. СПб, 1995: 30-32
Соловьева Н. Ф. Илгынлынская настенная живопись // Новые археологические открытия и изучение культурной трансформации. СПб, 1996: 21-25.
Соловьева Н. Ф. Стенопись Йылгынлы-депе // Археологические вести, № 5, СПб., 1998: 124-130.
Соловьева Н. Ф. Каменные статуи Йылгынлы-депе // Степи Евразии в древности и средневековье. СПб, 2002: 236-240
Соловьева Н. Ф. Антропоморфные изображения и культовые комплексы Южного Туркменистана поры среднего энеолита (по материалам раскопок Илгынлы-депе). Автореферат диссертации на соискание ученой степени кандидата исторических наук, СПб, 2005.
Соловьева Н.Ф. Антропоморфные изображения Туркменистана поры среднего энеолита (по материалам поселения Илгынлы-депе), Санкт-Петербург, 2008
Соловьева Н. Ф. Архитектура ритуальных комплексов Йылгынлы-депе // Искусство и архитектура Туркменистана. Научные сообщения, №3, Ашхабад, 2014: 161-193.
Expedition Participants (2007-2023)
Project Leader: N.F. Solovyova
Field Leader: E.K. Blokhin
Laboratory: E.V. Bobrovskaya, V.V. Odintsova, N.V. Silaeva
Participants: A.K. Kasparov (paleozoology), A. Kazarnitsky (physical anthropology), T. Sharovskaya (traceology), A. Kulish, F. Aminov, K. Kuzina, D. Filimonova, E. Grizik, N. Novoselova, A. Nesterov, A. Nosov, K. Kasimov, Yu. Razzak, A. Mityukov, Yu. Marchenko, K. Khrebtikova, D. Chibina, S. Solovyev, S. Mateveev, M. Voronov, A. Vikulenkov, D. Petrishcheva, A. Duvakin, N. Baranov, A. Gorodilov, D. Yelshin
The expedition extends heartfelt thanks for invaluable support to Mukhammad Annaevich Mamedov, Ruslan Muradov, Ahmed Khalmuradov, Adjar Kuliyev and his family, the Rejepov family, and all the residents of the village of Meana, who have warmly participated in our work.
The expedition would not have been possible without the logistical and financial support of JSC “Vozrozhdenie Turkmenistan.”