Prehistoric India to 1000 B.C. c10.51

c10.51

The answer seems to depend largely on two things: the concept of cultures zoned outwards in date from the centres of higher civilization, and the relationship likely to exist between the barbarians of the steppes and the rich townsmen of the fertile river-plains. If we look to the north and west of Sumer in Early Dynastic times and the next eight or nine centuries, we can see that, round the edge of the civilized world, as it then existed, are a number of barbarian tribes in various forms of local ‘Bronze Ages’: These stretch from Asia Minor to South Russia and the Caucasus and, as I think, eastwards to the other side of the Caspian. From time to time these people buried their kings or chieftains with enormous pomp and with as much treasure as they could amass. Such tombs have been found, for instance, at Alaca Hüyük in Asia Minor, and at Maikop and Tsarskaya in South Russia; less ‘royal’ but similar are the graves in Hissar III, while at Turang Tepe there was found, a century ago, a great hoard of objects (known as the ‘Treasure of Asterabad’) which were quite likely the furnishings of such another princely tomb as that of Maikop. At Troy, the famous treasures from the second (or third) settlement are quite comparable in general terms. In all these finds were gold and silver vessels and other objects (many showing strong Sumerian affinities), and fine bronze or copper tools and weapons. The evidence, from these burials and treasures of warriors (from which one can exclude, as under dispute, Hissar III and Turang Tepe), is quite reasonably consistent as between about 2300 and 2000 B.C., but not earlier.