Anau culture facts for kids
Compartmented seals of eagle, monkey, and goddess. Provenance: Turkmenistan or northeast Iran; early Bronze Age, c. 2200-1800 BC, bronze - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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| Geographical range | Southern Turkmenistan |
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| Period | Chalcolithic (circa 4000 BC -) |
The Anau culture was an ancient farming society in Central Asia. It was mainly located in southern Turkmenistan. This culture started around 4000 BC, during the Chalcolithic period. It came after the Jeitun culture, which was from the Stone Age. The Anau culture is named after its most important site, Anau, Turkmenistan.
The Namazga culture existed at the same time as the Anau culture. Pottery similar to early Anau pottery (called Anau IA) has been found far away. For example, it was found at Shir Ashian Tepe in Iran.
Exploring the Anau Site
The settlement at Anau began around 4500 BC. This was during the Neolithic period, before people started using copper. This means Anau is older than Namazga-Tepe, the main site of the Namazga culture.
The Anau site has two large mounds, one to the north and one to the south. Archaeologists started exploring here in 1890. Researchers like Raphael Pumpelly and others have studied the site over many years.
The very bottom layers of the north mound show how people in the area started using copper. This important time is known as Anau IA. Newer digs at Monjukli Depe also helped us understand the history of the Anau culture.
The northern mound also has items from the Copper Age and the Bronze Age. Archaeologists found copper tools and beautiful blue Lapis lazuli stones. These stones must have been traded from far away. The southern mound also has remains from the Iron Age.
While Anau IA pottery is a bit like Jeitun pottery, there are also many differences. Jeitun pottery often used plant material to strengthen it. Anau IA pottery used a lot of sand and small pieces of other pottery.
Anau IA pottery also looks similar to pottery found at Tepe Sialk in Iran. Similar pottery has been found across the Iranian plateau and in northeastern Iran.
Scientists found bones of domesticated pigs, called Sus vittatus, at Anau. It seems these pigs appeared suddenly, suggesting they were brought in from somewhere else. This type of pig was first tamed in Southeast Asia.
Early Copper Age Discoveries
The Early Copper Age period, called Anau IB, came after Anau IA. This time period is similar to the Namazga I period. It was when the settlement at Namazga first began.
During the Anau IB-Namazga I period, the population grew a lot. People also made big steps forward in their culture and economy. Older settlements became much larger, growing to about 10-15 hectares. Many new settlements also started during this time.
Mysterious Stamp Seal
Archaeologists found a puzzling stamp seal at Anau. This seal might be the first sign of a local written language in the area. It is believed to be from around 2300 BC.
Bronze Age seals from Altyndepe are very similar to the Anau seal. Two stamp seals found at Altyndepe have the same size as the Anau seal.
These seals also look like ones from Tepe Hissar and Tepe Sialk in Iran. In those places, seals with geometric patterns go back to 5000 BC. Some experts even see possible links between the Anau seal and ancient Chinese symbols.
See also
