National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

The problem of the relation of Transcaspia in prehistoric times to other
regions of Asia, and especially to Europe, is all the more important because the
pottery of Anau and its ornamentation show throughout a non-European char-
acter. The painting of pottery begins to play a part in Europe in the younger
periods of its older phases of culture. Moreover, the style of decoration of Old
Anau differs entirely from the Old European systems. Indeed, with its rows
of erect-standing triangles, which form the foundation of the "tent-ornamentation,"
it stands in direct opposition to the system of horizontal and vertical ornament,
which we can follow as an Old European peculiarity through all the prehistoric
epochs of Europe.

Now, if we seek in Asia parallels to the pottery of Anau, we are confronted,
it is true, by wide gaps in the knowledge of the oldest culture epochs of the neigh-
boring continent. Only in Persia, in the very old Tell of Susa, where De Morgan*
has exposed several superimposed cultures, have discoveries been made which
might be compared with the cultures of Transcaspia. In the deepest layers of
the hill, 24.9 meters below its summit, there occurred a finely painted pottery
which, according to De Morgan, was even wheel-made (De Morgan, plates XVII
to XX). The layers lying above this are characterized by a coarser pottery, which
is also painted (plates XXI, XXII), and which marks the decay of the older group.†
We have, therefore, to regard the painting of pottery as an essential characteristic
of the oldest cultures in Persia as well as in Turkestan. More than this can not
be said, for the decorative motifs and the style of painting have nothing in common.
No opinion can be given as regards form, because, unfortunately, in De Morgan's
publication importance is given only to the decoration. However, the oldest
culture groups of Susa and Anau can not be widely separated in time, for in the
Tell of Susa also, artefacts of flint were of constant occurrence in the lower and
lowest layers. Generally speaking, as regards the occurrence of flint, the hills
of Susa and Anau show much similarity, for De Morgan found it present in all
the layers and concluded (p. 191) that artefacts of silica were either used during
the historical epochs in Susa or had found their way into younger layers through
disturbance of the earth-masses. There is no way of determining which of these
views is correct.

The prehistoric relation of Central Asia to Europe appears in an entirely dif-
ferent light when we examine further the elements of culture and the social peculi-
arities of Old Anau. Of these the first to attract our attention is the burial custom.