Khalchayan and Historical Links to the Numismatic and Iconographical Evidence in Central Asia: Some Suggestions for Chronology

Abstract

The archaeological site of Khalchayan may have been a settlement, palace or a reception hall of the nomad Yuezhi, located near the modern town of Denov in the Surxondarya region of southern Uzbekistan, north of the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus). The proposed chronology of Khalchayan has not found universal acceptance and has been the subject of much scholarly debate. Russian and Uzbek archaeologists such as Pugachenkova (1966; 1971), Litvinsky (2010) and Rtveladze (2011) have tended to date Khalchayan to the first century BCE based on the Parthian figures appearing in the central scene on the western wall, attributing them to the period of Phraates IV (38-2 BCE). Pugachenkova argued that the palace at Khalchayan was built by Heraios, the first Kushan ruler, and dated the site to the Hellenistic period. Although other suggestions have been made for some of the individuals portrayed in the statuary (notably by Grenet 2012 and Mode 2013), there is to date no single study that has attempted an interpretation for all of the various scenes found at the site. Therefore, the objective of this study is to provide an explanation of the attribution and chronology of the sculptural friezes from the central hall of Khalchayan by combining the iconography with numismatic evidence in order to establish the historical context of this important site.