Kara Tepe

Kara Tepe is a Buddhist archaeological site in the Central Asia region of Bactria, in the Termez oasis near the city of Termez in southern Uzbekistan.[1][2][3] The foundations of the site date to the 1st century CE, with a peak of activity around the 3rd and 4th centuries during the Kushan period, before experiencing a fatal decline around the 5th century CE, probably with the invasion of the Kushano-Sassanian, whose coinage can be found on the site.[1]

Kara Tepe
Kara Tepe, West, Round Stupa 100-600 CE
Kara Tepe
Location of Kara Tepe
Kara Tepe
Kara Tepe (Uzbekistan)

Site

The site of Kara Tepe is located on a slight height, a few hundred meters from Fayaz Tepe. The site is formed some outdoor constructions together with several caves dug in the hill, covering a surface of 7 hectares, in a type similar to those seen in Gandhara.[1] It is the only troglodyte group found in Central Asia. This Buddhist complex is located on military ground and is generally inaccessible.

  • North court
  • Genral view, northern area
  • Inside a cave

Artefacts

Many niches were found that sheltered sculptures of gold or ceramic Buddhas, and awnings rested on impressive colonnades.[1] Remarkably, some of the Buddha statues are surrounded by a full halo, which became current in Turkestan and East Asia after the Kushan period.[1][2] A Brahmi inscription was also recovered from the site.[4]

  • Terracotta head (200-400 CE)
  • Relief (200-400 CE)
  • Terracotta head
  • Frieze of an elephant
  • Lid of a pot
  • "Greek" column base

See also

References
  1. Dani, Ahmad Hasan; Litvinovskiĭ, Boris Abramovich (1999). History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 549-550. ISBN 978-81-208-1540-7.
  2. Rhie, Marylin Martin (2010). Early Buddhist Art of China and Central Asia, Volume 3: The Western Ch’in in Kansu in the Sixteen Kingdoms Period and Inter-relationships with the Buddhist Art of Gandhāra. BRILL. p. 34. ISBN 978-90-04-19019-1.
  3. Muzio, Ciro Lo. The Legacy of Gandhāra in Central Asian Painting". p. 116.
  4. Hinüber, Oskar von (1980). A Brahmi-inscription from Kara-Tepe.
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