Archaeologists working in Kyrgyzstan have identified a previously undocumented stone statue dating to the Turkic period near the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, adding a new artefact to the region’s rich collection of early medieval monuments.
The sculpture was identified in the Dzhuuku River valley on the southeastern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul during an international archaeological expedition conducted from 22 to 29 August.
Researchers discovered the statue while surveying a complex containing nine Turkic enclosures, archaeological features associated with the Turkic populations that inhabited Central Asia during the early medieval period.
Rather than removing the sculpture, the team documented it using photogrammetry and left it in its original location for safekeeping.
Alexey Tishkin, head of the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography and Museology at Altai State University, said transferring the statue to a nearby museum could ultimately provide better protection.
He suggested that the sculpture could be moved to the museum in the village of Orgochor, where it could be preserved and displayed alongside information explaining its archaeological context.
Digitally preserving Turkic monuments
The discovery was made during an expedition organised by the Great Altai Research Centre for Altaic and Turkic Studies at Altai State University in collaboration with J. Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University.
The Kyrgyz side of the research was supervised by archaeologist Temirlan Chargynov, while other participants included Altai State University professor Vadim Gorbunov and Kubatbek Tabaldyev of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University.
A major objective of the project is to systematically document surviving Turkic stone monuments and create detailed three-dimensional representations of them.
The resulting data will contribute to the virtual museum project “Greater Altai – the Homeland of the Turks”, which aims to bring together digital records and 3D models of archaeological objects connected with Turkic heritage.
Photogrammetry allows researchers to produce highly detailed three-dimensional models from large numbers of overlapping photographs. The technique can preserve information about an artefact’s shape, surface and condition without physically disturbing it.
The newly discovered Issyk-Kul statue was recorded using the technique while remaining in situ.
More than 80 stone sculptures examined
The expedition extended beyond the newly discovered monument.
Researchers worked with the National History Museum of Kyrgyzstan, which has acquired two Turkic stone sculptures during the past year. The team carried out photogrammetric recording of those objects as well as other statues already on display.
At the Burana Tower Archaeological and Architectural Museum Complex, specialists examined more than 80 stone sculptures.
The researchers also documented sculptures held by the Kalen Zhetimishbaev Historical and Genealogical Museum in Orgochor.
Together, the surveys are providing a larger body of comparable digital evidence for studying the appearance, construction and regional variations of Turkic stone monuments.
Mysterious dragon stele also documented
Another significant object examined during the expedition was a fragment of a stone stele from a Buddhist temple depicting two intertwined dragons.
Researchers conducted photogrammetry on the fragment for the first time.
Similar stone monuments have been documented in Central Mongolia, including at the famous memorial complexes associated with Bilge Khagan and Kül-Tegin, two of the most important figures of the Second Turkic Khaganate.
However, the Kyrgyzstan example presents an intriguing difference.
The stele apparently lacks the distinctive tamga, or emblem, associated with the Ashina clan, the ruling dynasty of the early Turkic khaganates.
Researchers believe the absence of the symbol could indicate that the monument was never completed. Alternatively, it may have been created for a different purpose from the better-known Mongolian examples.
Further investigation will be required to establish its date, function and relationship to other Turkic monuments across Central Asia.
New 3D models planned
Following the expedition, archaeologists updated their database of Turkic archaeological heritage with the newly recorded material.
The next phase will involve converting the photogrammetric data into detailed 3D models and producing computer renderings of the sculptures and other monuments.
Researchers will then prepare descriptions and scientific publications examining the objects and their wider archaeological significance.
The newly discovered statue in the Dzhuuku River valley will form part of that growing digital record, providing researchers with another piece of evidence for the Turkic communities that once occupied the landscape surrounding Lake Issyk-Kul.
Sources : Altai State University
