Pages: 329-334

The objects of Achaemenid import are a rarity in the territory of Semirechye. One such item was found in Ala Tau burial ground (4th century BC) in 2015. Fragments of a decorative leg of a throne have been found in an elite burial in kurgan no.3. It is the only find of such kind in the territory of Semirechye. A comparison with the steppe Eurasian and Near and Middle East analogies has allowed to establish the place of origin and chronology of the find. The find marks the relationship between the Achaemenid elite and Saka tribes which directly interacted with north-eastern satrapies. Most likely, the Saka tribes got this throne as a military trophy or a gift. The mutiny in Bactria which has followed after Xerxes I’s death quite possibly could intensify the relations between the Achaemenid and Saka elites. The throne could be a gift of Vishtaspa, the governor of Bactria, to Saka leaders. Traces of repair noticed on the leg suggest that the throne was in use for a long time. Perhaps it passed from generation to generation during the century that separate the Bactrian mutiny from the moment of burial.

Keywords: Semirechye, Iran, Achaemenid period, Saka, elite, burial, import, throne

Information about authors:Yerlan Amirov (Karaganda, Kazakhstan). Archeological Research LLP. Aksai-2 microdistrict, 19, flat 13, Almaty, 050031, Republic of Kazakhstan
E-mail: [email protected]
Meiram Seitkaliyev (Almaty, Kazakhstan). Archeological Research LLP. Aksai-2 microdistrict, 19, flat 13, Almaty, 050031, Republic of Kazakhstan
E-mail: [email protected]