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Monjukli Depe
Monjukli Depe is an ancient settlement in south Turkmenistan, at the northern edge of the Kopet Dag mountains. Excavations reveal occupation from the late Neolithic period, starting about 6200 BC, to the early Chalcolithic period. The earliest layers belong to the Jeitun culture of Turkmenistan. The prehistoric settlement lies in an arid alluvial plain, which is bordered in the north by the Karakum desert and in the south by the slopes of the Kopet Dag.[1] The mountains also mark today's political border with Iran. About two kilometers northwest of the site runs the dry bed of Meana river, where the modern village of Miana, Turkmenistan is located. The large Bronze Age settlement of Altyn Depe is located about 2km to the northeast. ExcavationsThe first excavations by Aleksandr A. Marushchenko took place in 1959, and were later continued by his colleague O. K. Berdiev. The results of this first investigation were compiled in a preliminary report. In 2010, the potential of the excavation site was recognized by Susan Pollock and Reinhard Bernbeck, and this led to five further excavation campaigns (2010–2014) on site. ChronologyThe location is important for establishing the regional chronology, because here the Neolithic layers are followed by the Chalcolithic. However, in 2010, the subsequent excavations have found a long settlement break between the end of the Neolithic settlement (layers XV, 6200–5600 BCE) and the Chalcolithic resettlement (layers IV to I, 4650–4340 BCE).[2] Based on this, the "Meana horizon" was defined here, which appears to be limited regionally to the Kaka District of Turkmenistan, and precedes the Anau culture IA phase. Chalcolithic settlementLayers IV to I were excavated over a large area. They contain standardized houses with a square floor plan, and pillars in the middle of rooms.[3][4] In the top two layers, an enclosed open space was identified, in which, judging by the animal bones found here, the banquets took place. In the lowest layer IV, a house with a wall painting was found portraying two persons, also featuring some abstract patterns. The residents of Monjukli Depes lived from herding and agriculture. Sheep and goats were dominant among the herd animals. Cattle, as well as their skulls, played an important role in the banquets. In so far as the wild animals, remains of gazelles and onagers were found. Barley and wheat were important in arable farming, with the analyzes potentially indicating simple irrigation. Very little ceramic was produced in the Chalcolithic Monjukli Depe. On a general level, there are ceramic parallels to the Sialk II / Cheshme Ali horizon of the Iranian highlands. See alsoNotes
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