Storing oil in Nisa

ОТ КОПЕТДАГА ДО ОКСА Исследуя древнюю Центральную Азию МАРГИАНСКАЯ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ЭКСПЕДИЦИЯ Т Р У Д Ы ТРУДЫ МАРГИАНСКОЙ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ ЭКСПЕДИЦИИ Том 9 Редакционная коллегия: В.А. Алёкшин, Е.В. Антонова, Н.А. Дубова (главный редактор), Р.Г. Мурадов, Р.М. Сатаев, А.А. Тишкин, А.В. Фрибус TRANSACTIONS OF THE MARGIANA ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION Volume 9 Editorial board: V.A. Alyokshin, E.V. Antonova, N.A. Dubova (editor in chief), R.G. Muradov, R.M. Sataev, A.A. Tishkin, A.V. Fribus N.N. Miklukho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS Institute for the History of Material Culture RAS Margiana Archaeological Expedition FROM THE KOPET DAGH TO THE OXUS Exploring Ancient Central Asia Studies in Honor of Victor N. Pilipko Edited by Ruslan Muradov, Aleksei Fribus and Nadezhda Dubova MOSCOW ● STARYI SAD ● 2023 Институт этнологии и антропологии имени Н.Н. Миклухо-Маклая РАН Институт истории материальной культуры РАН Маргианская археологическая экспедиция ОТ КОПЕТДАГА ДО ОКСА Исследуя древнюю Центральную Азию Сборник статей в честь В. Н. Пилипко Составители и редакторы: Р. Г. Мурадов, А. В. Фрибус и Н. А. Дубова МОСКВА ● СТАРЫЙ САД ● 2023 УДК 902 ББК 63.4 О 80 Утверждено к печати Учеными советами Института этнологии и антропологии РАН и Института истории материальной культуры РАН Р е ц е н з е н т ы: кандидат исторических наук В.П. Никоноров, Санкт-Петербург кандидат исторических наук Н.С. Бяшимова, Ашхабад От Копетдага до Окса: Исследуя древнюю Центральную Азию. Сб. статей в честь В.Н. Пилипко / Ред.-сост.: Р.Г. Мурадов, А.В. Фрибус, Н.А. Дубова / Институт этнологии и антропологии им. Н.Н. Миклухо-Маклая РАН; Институт истории материальной культуры РАН. М.: Старый сад, 2023. – 216 с. (Труды Маргианской археологической экспедиции. Т. 9). From the Kopet Dagh to the Oxus: Exploring Ancient Central Asia. Studies in honor of Victor N. Pilipko / Eds. R.G. Muradov, A.V. Fribus, N.A. Dubova / Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS; Institute for the history of Material Culture RAS. Moscow: Staryi Sad, 2023. – 216 p. (Transactions of the Margiana Archaeological Expedition. Vol. 9). ISBN 978-5-89930-171-1 DOI: 10.33876-978-5-89930-171-1-1-216 Этот том — подарок к 80-летию российского археолога, доктора исторических наук Виктора Николаевича Пилипко. Традиционно такой сборник составляют работы друзей и коллег юбиляра — известных археологов, искусствоведов, культурологов, историков из Москвы, Ташкента, Ашхабада, Стамбула, Турина, Парижа, Лондона и других городов. Здесь и научные статьи по археологии и истории Центральной Азии в диапазоне интересов учёного, и воспоминания, и фотографии. Представлен полный список научных публикаций, а также перечень экспедиций и творческих поездок В.Н. Пилипко по состоянию на 2022 год. Издание предназначено для историков, археологов, искусствоведов. This volume is a gift for the 80th anniversary of the Russian archaeologist, Doctor of Historical Sciences Viktor Nikolaevich Pilipko. Traditionally, such a collection is made up of the works of friends and colleagues of the hero of the day - famous archaeologists, art critics, culturologists, historians from Moscow, Tashkent, Ashgabat, Istanbul, Turin, Paris, London and other cities. Here are scientific articles on archeology and the history of Central Asia in the range of interests of the scientist, and memoirs, and photographs. A complete list of scientific publications is presented, as well as a list of expeditions and creative trips of V.N. Pilipko as of 2022. The publication is intended for historians, archaeologists, art critics. © Институт этнологии и антропологии РАН, 2023 © Институт истории материальной культуры РАН, 2023 © Коллектив авторов, 2023 СОДЕРЖАНИЕ Мурадов Р. Г., Дубова Н. А. От составителей ................................................................................................................................... 8 Ртвеладзе Э. В. К юбилею Виктора Николаевича Пилипко ............................................................................................. 10 Мкртычев Т. К. Еще раз о ритонах из Старой Нисы ............................................................................................................. 12 Сатаев Р. М. Редкие встречи .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Перечень экспедиций и творческих поездок В.Н. Пилипко ............................................................................................ 19 Список опубликованных работ д.и.н. В. Н. Пилипко ........................................................................................................... 26 Абдуллаев К. Некоторые особенности в декорировке костюма античной Бактрии и Парфии .............................................................................................................................................. 51 Бабаев А. Б. К вопросу исторической топографии средневекового города Абиверда ..................................... 58 Болелов C. Б. Древнее гончарство в Бактрии (эпоха эллинизма) ................................................................................ 68 Двуреченская Н. Д., Двуреченский О. В. Три линии обороны на западе Северной Бактрии в эпоху эллинизма .......................................................................................................................... 84 Компарети M. Об общей иконографической основе иранского бога ветра в доисламской Центральной Азии и Марция Корнатора в средневековой Северной Италии ........................................................................................................................................................................ 89 Лаптев С. В. Настенные росписи из Старой Нисы и античный канон фресковой живописи в Центральной Азии .................................................................................................. 97 Липполис К., Морано Э. Хранение масла в Нисе ....................................................................................................................105 Луилье Ж. Культурное разнообразие и эволюция керамического производства в доахеменидский и ахеменидский периоды в Центральной Азии ............................................................115 Мурадов Р. Г. Археологические материалы по раннему христианству в Северной Парфии и Маргиане ......................................................................................................................................124 Мурадова Э. А. История исследования памятников раннежелезного века Туркменистана .........................................................................................................................146 Наймарк А.И., Атаходжаев А.Х. Три парфянских медяка из Согда ............................................................................161 Нурмухамедова Ш. З., Субхонов Ф. Ш. К истории развития античной военной архитектуры Бактрии, Хорезма и Согда .................................................................................................176 Ольбрыхт М. Автократор Филопатор, царь Парфии .........................................................................................................184 Паппалардо Э. Старая Ниса и греческое искусство в переходный период.............................................................189 Пушнигг Г. Парфянский Мерв ..........................................................................................................................................................202 Ртвеладзе Э. В. Старая Ниса и Кампыртепа – границы одного владения? ...........................................................210 Список сокращений .............................................................................................................................................................................214 Об авторах .................................................................................................................................................................................................215 CONTENTS Muradov R. G., Dubova N. D. Editorial ...................................................................................................................................................8 Rtveladze E. V. On the anniversary of Viktor Nikolayevich Pilipko ........................................................................................10 Mkrtychev T. K. Once again about rhytons from Old Nisa ..........................................................................................................12 Sataev R. M. Rare encounters .................................................................................................................................................................15 List of expeditions and creative trips of V. N. Pilipko ..................................................................................................................19 List of published works by V. N. Pilipko ............................................................................................................................................26 Abdullaev K. Some features in the decoration of the costume of ancient Bactria and Parthia ..................................51 Babaev A. B. To the question of the historical topography of the medieval city of Abiverd ........................................58 Bolelov S. B. Ancient pottery in Bactria (the era of Hellenism) ...............................................................................................68 Dvurechenskaya N. D., Dvurechensky O. V. Three lines of defense in the west of Northern Bactria in the Hellenistic era ..........................................................................................................................84 Compareti M. On the Common Iconographic Basis of the Iranian Wind God in Pre-Islamic Central Asia and Marcius Cornator in Medieval Northern Italy .................................................89 Lapteff S. V. Murals from Old Nisa and Greco-Roman Fresco-Painting Canon in Central Asia ...................................97 Lippolis C., Morano E. Storing Oil at Nisa ....................................................................................................................................... 105 Lhuillier J. Cultural diversity and evolution of ceramic production during the pre-Achaemenid and Achaemenid periods in Central Asia ............................................................................ 115 Muradov R. G. Archaeological materials on Early Christianity in Northern Parthia and Margiana ..................................................................................................................................... 124 Muradova E. A. The history of the study of the sites of the Early Iron Age of Turkmenistan .................................. 146 Naymark A., Atakhojaev A. Three Parthian Coppers from Soghd ........................................................................................ 161 Nurmukhamedova Sh. Z., Subkhonov F. Sh. On the history of the development of the ancient military architecture of Bactria, Khorezm and Soghd .................................................................. 176 Olbrycht М. Autokrator Philopator, King of Parthia ................................................................................................................. 184 Pappalardo E. Old Nisa and Greek art in transition ................................................................................................................. 189 Puschnigg G. Parthian Merv ................................................................................................................................................................ 202 Rtveladze E. V. Old Nisa and Kampyrtepa – borders of one possession?.......................................................................... 210 List of abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................................... 214 About authors ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 215 Виктор Николаевич Пилипко STORING OIL IN NISA Carlo Lippolis, Enrico Morano1 Summary. An interesting group of ten ostraca dating back to the Parthian period comes from two rooms of the so-called south-western Building, in Old Nisa (Turkmenistan). These ostraca record quantities of oil stored in the north-eastern sector of the building and provide information on methods of storage and the chronology of relevant structures. Key words: Old Nisa, south-western Building, oil, storage practices. Резюме. Интересная группа из десяти остраков, относящаяся к парфянскому периоду, происходит из двух комнат так называемого Юго-Западного корпуса в Старой Нисе (Туркменистан). Эти остраки регистрируют количество масла, хранившегося в северо-восточном секторе здания, и предоставляют информацию о методах хранения и хронологии соответствующих сооружений. Ключевые слова: Старая Ниса, Юго-Западный корпус, масло, способы хранения. T DOI: 10.33876-978-5-89930-171-1-105-114 his1contribution, dedicated to the esteemed colleague V.N. Pilipko on the occasion of his 80th birthday, focuses on a series of ostraca from the south-western corner of Old Nisa (SW Area - Sector I of the Italian-Turkmen excavations: Fig. 1).2 The structures brought to light in this area belong to a large complex situated along to the fortification walls and divided into two adjoining and connecting buildings, conventionally called ‘south-western Building’ and ‘eastern Building’ in the preliminary excavation reports (Fig. 2). 1. Context of discovery The south-western Building consists of a large central quadrangular courtyard encircled by one or two rows of rooms,3 which were originally destined for production and/or storage activities.4 The so-called eastern Building, on the other hand, probably had a different function, 1 Paragraph 1. by C. Lippolis, paragraph 2. by E. Morano, paragraph 3. by both authors. 2 The excavations in this part of the citadel of Old Nisa have not been completed yet. After a three-year suspension of fieldwork, archaeological activities resumed in 2019 with the investigation of an underground water system located at the south-western corner of the south-western architectural complex (Lippolis, 2019), before they were stopped once again by the pandemic. 3 It is possible to ascribe the external row of rooms on the northern and eastern sides of the south-western Building to a later expansion of its original nucleus concentrated around the central courtyard. 4 These activities could encompass food processing (as testified by the grindstones found in various rooms), firing activities (as documented by numerous ovens and fireplaces) and the manufacturing of gypsum stucco (in the north-western corner of the complex) (Lippolis, 2013). since the features of its three east-west aligned rooms, each presenting two columns, seem to suggest a representative and/or residential character.5 The limits of this large complex6 are clear only on its western and southern sides, which run parallel to the fortification walls, while they remain uncertain to the north and the east, where soundings have revealed traces of mud-brick walls extending well beyond the excavated area.7 The drafting of the final report on the excavation of the south-western complex, which will better define the characteristics of the various sectors within the excavated area, is currently in progress. For insights into storage practices at Nisa and for a preliminary report see Lippolis, Manassero, 2015 and Lippolis, 2013, respectively. In previous works, the western quadrant (quadrangular courtyard and surrounding rooms) has been interpreted as an area essentially designated for the storage of goods, but also connected with manufacturing processes (see note 4), while, regarding the rooms of the eastern Building, it has been proposed that, in spite of their functional association with the nearby storerooms, they had a more residential or representative character and were potentially linked to the officer in charge of the administration of the storerooms. As already mentioned in note 3, the structures exposed by the excavations in this sector can likely be attributed to different building phases (two main ones), which saw the progressive northward and eastward expansion of the complex with respect to the original nucleus built from the south-western corner of the fortification walls. 6 The excavations have covered an area of 80x65 m so far. 7 The state of preservation of the structures on these two sides is very precarious, with only the foundations or impressions of walls surviving in some places. This is due both to strong erosion (to the east) and to mechanical damage caused by the transit of heavy vehicles for the transport of soil removed during old and recent excavations (to the north). 5 106 Carlo Lippolis, Enrico Morano Fig. 1. General plan of Old Nisa (C. Bonfanti 2021) Общий план Старой Нисы (C. Bonfanti 2021) Storing oil in Nisa Fig. 2. Old Nisa, south-western Building, schematic layout (C. Bonfanti, 2021) Старая Ниса, Юго-Западный комплекс, помещение 32 (C. Bonfanti, 2021) Fig. 3. Old Nisa, south-western Building, room 32 (Archive: CRAST) Старая Ниса, Юго-Западный комплекс, помещение 32 (Архив CRAST) 107 108 Carlo Lippolis, Enrico Morano Fig. 4. Old Nisa, south-western Building, plan of rooms 32 and 32a with distribution of the ostraca and khum (C. Bonfanti, 2021) Старая Ниса, Юго-Западный комплекс, помещения 32 и 32а с расположением острака и хума (C. Bonfanti, 2021) The ostraca considered here have the common characteristic of mentioning oil as the content of large storage jars. With the exception of ostracon CH10.o5 (see below and note 17), they all come from two adjacent and connecting rooms (Room 32 and Room 32a) located in the north-eastern sector of the large complex of storerooms forming the south-western Building, which was excavated by the Italian-Turkmen archaeological expedition8 between 2008 and 2015. Room 32 and Room 32a came to be delimited with the erection of walls M80 and M81. Room 32a is a corridor with a length of 9,5 m and a width of 1,35 m, which communicates with the eastern sector of the complex through two openings9 and with the adjacent Rooms 8 The Italian-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition has been active in Old Nisa since 1990, is sponsored by the Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino (CRAST), the University of Torino and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and works in collaboration with the National Department for Protection, Research and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. 9 The south-eastern passage in wall M14 has been entirely cleared. More uncertain is the presence of another passage in the same wall, at the opposite end of the corridor, which might have been filled during a later phase, in a sector where structural collapses have complicated the reading of structures. 31 and 32, to the west (along wall M80), through two other passages. The southern passage, which is 84 cm wide, leads to a rectangular room (Room 32), whose dimensions correspond approximately to 2,5x4,1 m (Fig. 3). Other rooms housing storage jars are found in the eastern wing of the south-western Building, which appears to have been at least partially constructed in a second building phase. Worthy of note is, in particular, Room 33, located immediately south of Rooms 32 and 32a (but not adjoining them) and characterised by the presence of more than forty holes in the floor for the lodging of small, medium and large jars. With regard to Room 32 and Room 32a, hollows for the housing of khums and sparse body sherds belonging to these containers were detected in association with the second floor level. Many of the excavated ostraca come from inside these holes (at times partly dug into the virgin soil) or from their immediate proximity, and particularly from the collapse layer covering the second floor level (Fig. 4). An important consideration concerns the arrangement of the khums, which, more than elsewhere, appears to be orderly and carefully planned. Indeed, as evidenced by the hollows in the floor, khums would have been neatly placed along Storing oil in Nisa the walls, mainly on the sides of Room 32a, but also, although less systematically, along wall M80, in Room 32. This agrees with what was recorded during the excavation, namely the original existence of a single, larger room (or perhaps an open space?), which was later subdivided into Rooms 31, 32 and 32a through the construction of walls M80 and M81 (the terminus ante quem for this second building phase can be partially established based on the dates reported on some of the ostraca discussed here, see below). As confirmation that these two walls belong to a later phase compared to the others in the same sector (such as wall M4 and wall M14), the choice of building material appears unusual in their preserved upper part, as they are both made of reddish brick fragments, earth and gravel, while their lower part consists of courses of the same bricks that are traditionally used in Nisa. Moreover, their base lies on the latest floor level recorded in the sector and not on the virgin soil, as is the case for wall M4 and wall M14. The stratigraphic sequence in the rooms considered here sees a first level (US648, elevation = 358,01 m), which may correspond to the earliest floor level (or a preparatory layer?), resting directly on the virgin soil and consisting of pressed clay. In Room 31 and Room 32a, this was covered by a levelling layer of soft clay, on which the second floor (US570, elevation = 358,17 m) was set, flush with walls M80 and M81, which therefore relate to the latest building phase documented in this sector. This second floor was sealed by two collapse layers (US540 and US541, the latter concentrated at the south-eastern corner of Room 32a) including fragments of khums, ostraca and sealings.10 Above these strata, there was a thick layer of clay devoid of materials extending up to the top of the preserved walls and corresponding to an abandonment layer of windblown sediment, which is frequently observed in Nisa. Finally, the top of the walls was covered by two superficial strata: a soft, dusty layer and the topsoil. A total of twenty-four ostraca emerged during the excavation of Room 32a and Room 32. Some of these were found in proximity to the holes for the insertion of khums (sixteen recorded) identified in the floors of the two rooms. Among the recovered ostraca, seven from Room 32a and three from the adjacent Room 32 contain the word ‘oil’. Mentions of oil, although already attested from Old Nisa, are not very frequent. In the over 2700 published ostraca, there are only four more or less explicit references to this product. Only two of the ostraca included in the series “Parthian Economics Documents from Nisa”11 deal with MŠḤʾ- ‘oil’; in particular, the term appears in ostraca no. *2629 (Nova 355 int.)12 and no. 2642 10 Four fragments of clay sealings (CH12 S01-S04) come from Room 32a. One of these displays a concave side that appears consistent with the impression of the rim of a storage jar. The seal impressions registered on these sealings, when present, are not legible. 11 Diakonov, Livshits, 2001. 12 Ibidem. P. 173: /1/ To Afzarut (?) 1 h. of linseed (?), /2-3/ 3 k. 2 ah. 3 x. of wine, 2 . . . of vinegar, 3 k. of oil. To Human (?) /4/ 3 k. 1 ah. of wine, 1 ah. of oil, /5/ 1 ah. of vinegar. 109 (Nova 306)13 from Old Nisa. Two other ostraca from the site, published by V.N. Pilipko and V.A. Livshits,14 originate from the Central Building Complex. On these, the content of jars is referred to as WMŠ(Ḥ), translated as ‘and butter’(ostracon no. 10, from the Tower Temple),15 and as šrp (equal to Parthian čarb), rendered as ‘fat’ (ostracon no. 13, from the Building with the Square Hall), respectively.16 The usage of the arameogram MŠḤʾ, which mainly indicates olive oil in the Semitic tradition, could lead to think that this was indeed the product stored in jars in Nisa. In general, however, mentions of olive oil or relative findings are quite rare in Central Asia.17 For example, the third-century AD Chinese historical text “Weilüe”, by Yu Huan, does not list olive oil among the Roman goods reaching China from the West, even though this does not represent conclusive evidence of an absence of this product in the area. In this context, a recent finding in Kafyr Kala (Uzbekistan) by a Japanese team of the Tezukayama University of Nara, is of particular interest, albeit ascribable to a later historical period. This discovery, which currently awaits final publication, is relevant to a ‘royal pantry’ containing jars that were likely destined for the storage of wine and olive oil in the palace of the Sogdian ruler Tarhun.18 All the other ostraca from Rooms 32 and 32a are poorly legible or completely illegible and, therefore, the occurrence of the term ‘oil’ on at least some of them cannot be excluded a priori. In any case, it does not seem far-fetched to propose that this sector of the building, and particularly Rooms 32 and 32a, was mainly (if not exclusively) used for the storage and preservation of oil. It is also worth mentioning that the designation ʿṬYQ MŠḤʾ, ‘old oil’, is here documented for the first time at Nisa (ostraca CH12.o1, CH12.o2, CH12.o3, CH12.o5 and CH12.o11). 13 Diakonov, Livshits, 2001. P. 174: “The document appears to be a register of deliveries of flour and oil, but line 6 contains an unexpected ʿLYMK ‘thy servant’. Or to be read ʿL YMN ‘for (the) days’, cf. ʿL YWMʾ in no. 2628?”. Ostracon no. 2635 is not included here, as, excluding Livshits’ published note (“Record of totals of receipts and issues of wine and oil”), none of its signs seems to clearly refer to oil (line 2 contains the signs ʾR . ŠH, which, however, are simply rendered as “designation of a product” in note 3), see Diakonov, Livshits, 2001. P. 173-174. See also Diakonov et al., 1951 and Bader, 1996. 14 Livshits, Pililko, 2004. 15 Ibidem, P. 167-168. Here MŠḤʾ is translated as ‘butter’, while in a former publication (Diakonov, Livshits, 2001) it is always rendered as ‘oil’. Concerning the translation of this term, it seems preferable to opt for ‘oil’ rather than ‘butter’, as, in the ostraca presented here, the relative unit of measurement is that used for liquids (i.e. mari). Moreover, the adjective that sometimes accompanies this term, ʿTYQ (‘old’), seems appropriate if associated with ‘oil’, but not with ‘butter’. Indeed, it can perhaps be hypothesised that the expression ‘old oil’ referred to oil from previous years’ harvests, or to a product not destined for human consumption, such as the oil used as fuel for oil lamps. 16 Ibidem, P. 171. 17 Spengler III, 2019. P. 216: Russian olives (Elaeagnus spp.) are still cultivated in the foothills of Uzbekistan and in the Khorezm Oasis, along the southern coast of the Aral Sea, where these olive trees appeared as early as the 4th or 3rd century BC. 18 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1404912/look-remains-of-royalpantry-uncovered-in-samarkand and http://www.asahi.com/ ajw/articles/14254419?fbclid=IwAR3JgAicg567rOcMetULb5u4Q uL-y0hfhiYLXRFtB6fcHXcFKLPZWYQRtws. 110 Carlo Lippolis, Enrico Morano Fig. 5. Ostracon CH10.o5 острак CH10.o5 Fig. 6. Ostracon CH12.o1 острак CH12.o1 Fig. 7. Ostracon CH12.o2 острак CH12.o2 Fig. 8. Ostracon CH12.o3 острак CH12.o3 Fig. 9. Ostracon CH12.o5 острак CH12.o5 111 Storing oil in Nisa Fig. 10. Ostracon CH12.o11 острак CH12.o11 Fig. 11. Ostracon CH12.12 острак CH12.12 Fig. 13. Ostracon CH12.o19 острак CH12.o19 Fig. 12. Ostracon CH12.o16 острак CH12.o16 Fig. 14. Ostracon CH12.o22 острак CH12.o22 Fig. 15. Ostracon CH12.o24 острак CH12.o24 112 Carlo Lippolis, Enrico Morano A further aspect of interest, briefly mentioned above, is the presence of dates on some of these ostraca. Four of the ostraca from Room 32a bear indication of the following years of the Arsacid Era: 200 (CH12.o1), 160 (CH12.o2), 180 (CH12.o3) and 161-169 (CH12. o19).19 Similarly, three ostraca from Room 32 mention the years 162 (CH12.o11), 161 (CH12.o12) and 162 (CH12.o16).20 Thus, the documented chronological span seems to extend approximately from 88 BC, terminus ante quem for the second building phase in this sector (with the construction of walls M80 and M81 and the creation of Rooms 31, 32 and 32a), to 48 BC (date reported exclusively on one ostracon).21 Among the ostraca listed here, ostracon CH10.o5 (the first of the list) is the only one that does not belong to the aforementioned group, as it comes from a different context, Room 30, which is about 25 m away from Rooms 32 and 32a. 2. Ostraca from the north-eastern sector of the south-western Building (SW Area, Sector I) CH10.o5 (Fig. 5) 11.3x11.4x2 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 30, US (= SU) 162. Ostracon, from a sherd of a khum. Side A: 3 lines, incomplete (top right corner broken off). /1/ H](YTY?) MŠḤʾ /2/ III k III /3/ [.....](ʿL Š)[NT I C ](XX XX) X III /1/ brought(?) oil /2/ 3 ... 3 k. /3/ (for the year 1)53(?) CH12.o1 (Fig. 6) 11.9x6.8x1.1 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 541. Ostracon, from the base of a vessel (jar?). Side A: 4 lines, clearly legible. /1/ B ḤWTH Z[NH] /2/ ʿTYQ MŠḤʾ /3/ mry III III III k III /4/ QʾYLt ʿL ŠNT II C /1/ In this jar /2/ old oil /3/ 9 mari 3 k. /4/ accounted for the year 200 CH12.o2 (Fig. 7) 10x9.5x1.7 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 540. Ostracon, from a body sherd of a khum. Side A: 6 lines, clearly legible. /1/ (ŠNT I C XX XX XX) B ḤWT(ʾ) /2/ ZNH ʿTYQ MŠḤʾ 19 For what concerns Room 32a, these years correspond to 48/47, 88/87, 68/67 and 87/78 BC(?), respectively. 20 For what concerns Room 32, these years correspond to 86/85, 87/86 and 86/85 BC, respectively. 21 A different, older date is apparently recorded on ostracon CH10. o5, which comes from a disturbed context in Room 30, north-west of the sector considered here. The ostracon, in truth poorly legible, bears indication of the year (1)53 (although the reading of the date is uncertain), which would correspond to 95/94 BC. /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ mr(y) X III III (III) k I ZY QʾYLW mtrbwzn SPRʾ /1/ Year 160 in this /2/ jar old oil /3/ 19 mari /4/ 1 k. which was taken into account /5/ Mihrbōžan22 /6/ scribe CH12.o3 (Fig. 8) 16.9x8.9x2.8 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 540. Ostracon, from the base of a khum; white slip (or more likely gypsum). Side A: 5 lines, legible. /1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ B ḤWT(H) [ZNH] (ʿTYQ) MŠḤʾ (...) III H III k II ŠNT I C XX XX XX XX (III H IIII)[ .] /1/ in [this] jar /2/ old oil /3/ ... 3 h. 2 k. 2 /4/ year180 /5/ 3 h. 4 ... CH12.o5 (Fig. 9) 7.7x8.4x1 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 540. Ostracon, from a body sherd of a vessel (jar?). Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 4 lines, clearly legible. /1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ B ḤWTH (ZNH) ʿṬYQ MŠḤʾ mry III I k II ʾH I QʾYLt /1/ In this jar /2/ old oil /3/ 4 mari 2 k. /4/ 1 ah. accounted CH12.o11 (Fig. 10) 7.5x5.4x2.1 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32, US (= SU) 540. Ostracon, from a body sherd of a khum. Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 6 lines, partially legible. /1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ (ŠNT I C) XX XX XX II B (ḤWTʾ) ZNH [ʿ](T)[YQ MŠḤʾ...](.) (...)[......](QʾY)LW mtrbwzn SPRʾ /1/ year 162 /2/ in this jar /3/ ol[d oil?] /4/ [...] accounted /5/ (for) Mihrbōžan23 /6/ scribe CH12.o12 (Fig. 11) 9.1x11.1x1.2 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32, US (= SU) 540. Ostracon, from a body sherd of a vessel (jar?). Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 3 lines, clearly legible. 22 On this name, see Livshits, 2010. P. 110. N. 352. The scribe Mihrbōžan is also mentioned in CH12.o11, see below. 23 See above, on CH12.o2. Storing oil in Nisa /1/ B ḤWT24 ZNH MŠḤʾ /2/ mry X III II HʿLT25 /3/ ʿL ŠNT I C XX XX XX I /1/ in this jar oil /2/ 15 mari delivered /3/ for the year 161 CH12.o16 (Fig. 12) 13.2x9.4x1.8 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32, US (= SU) 571. Ostracon, from a body sherd of a khum. Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 7 lines, clearly legible. /1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ /7/ ŠNT C XX XX XX II B ḤWTʾ ZNH (..)tk/n MŠḤʾ mry X III II (ZY) QʾYLW mtrbwzn SP(Rʾ) /1/ year 162 /2/ in this jar /3/ ?? oil /4/ 15 mari /5/ which has been taken into account (for) /6/ Mihrbōžan26 /7/ scribe CH12.o19 (Fig. 13) 11.4x9.4 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 540 (passage leading to room 34). Ostracon, from a body sherd of a globular jar. Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 3 lines, mostly clearly legible. /1/ B ḤWTH ZNH /2/ MŠḤʾ mry X III III (..) /3/ QʾYLW ʿL ŠNT I C XX XX XX (I....) /1/In this jar /2/oil mari 16 /3/ accounted for the year 16(.)27 CH12.o22 (Fig. 14) 9.5x9.8x0.8 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 540. Ostracon, from a fragment of a roof tile or ceramic drainpipe (?). Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 3 lines, legible. /1/ B ḤWT(H) ZNH (MN d/r)myt MN /2/ kwzry hwmny MŠḤʾ /3/ (mry)X ʾH III I /1/ In this jar from Dāmyāt/Rāmyāt28 from /2/ Human29 from Kōzar30 oil /3/ 10 mari 4 ah. The final ʾ or H is missing. A mistaken spelling for HNʿLT? 26 On this name, see Livshits, 2010. P. 110. N. 353. 27 After the three signs for ‘20’ there is space for about 6 characters. Perhaps the year could be 166. 28 The word d/rmyt, which can be read either as Dāmyāt or Rāmyāt, is attested elsewhere at Nisa; see Diakonov, Livshits, 2001. P. 190; Livshits, 2010. P. 82. N. 182. 29 See: Livshits, 2010. P. 91. N. 237 30 The reading of the relevant signs is uncertain, but if kwzr is accepted as the correct interpretation, the word can be taken to refer to an estate whose name is largely documented at Nisa; see: Livshits, 2010. P. 191. N. 829. 24 25 113 CH12.o24 (Fig. 15) 9.4x10.4 cm. SW Area, Sector I, Room 32a, US (= SU) 540 (passage leading to room 32). Ostracon, from a body sherd of a khum. Inscription located on the outer surface. Side A: 2 lines, partially legible and likely incomplete. /1/ B ḤW(Tʾ ZN)H MŠḤʾ /2/ m(ry) (....ʿL) [...]31 /1/ In this jar oil /2/ ... mari for ... 3. Concluding remarks In conclusion, the available archaeological data and the information provided by the group of ostraca presented in this paper allow to reconstruct a rather accurate picture of the organisation and function of the north-eastern sector of the south-western Building. A large room, originally enclosed by walls M4 to the west, M30 to the north, M14 to the east and M57 to the south, was at a some point subdivided into three rooms through the construction of two walls, M80 and M81, ascribable to the same building phase as the second floor level identified in the area. During this phase, to be dated to the beginning of the 1st century BC according to the years reported on some of the ostraca, large jars (khums) were neatly arranged along the walls of Rooms 32 and 32a, while no traces of storage activities have emerged in Room 31. The orderly arrangement of the khums along walls M80 and M81, which, as already mentioned, were erected in a second building phase, constitutes evidence that the jars are to be related to this later structural intervention. At least a dozen of the storage jars in Rooms 32 and 32a contained oil, although it is not clear of which type. The years reported on the ostraca from these two rooms seem to indicate that they had been used specifically for the storage/conservation of oil for a rather long period, corresponding to at least forty years, between 88/87 BC and 48/47 BC.32 Furthermore, the specific indication ʿṬYQ MŠḤʾ - ‘old oil’ appears here for the first time at Nisa. Finally, the collation of all these data raises the question of the chronological attribution of the entire south-western complex and its different building phases. Indeed, an absolute date for its erection is not available at this stage; however, since the construction and use of Rooms 32 and 32a are to be dated to the very beginning of the 1st century BC, the original layout of the complex can reasonably be placed in the 2nd century BC. Accordingly, it is possible to attribute the south-western complex to one of the first building phases at Old Nisa. 31 After ʿL, which translates as ‘for’, either the space is left blank or the text is broken off. 32 Ostracon CH10.o5 is excluded, as it is perhaps slightly older and comes from a different context (see note 21). 114 Carlo Lippolis, Enrico Morano BIBLIOGRAPHY Bader, 1996 – Bader A. Parthian ostraca from Nisa: some historical data // La Persia e l’Asia centrale. Da Alessandro al X secolo. International Conference, Rome, 9–12 November 1994. Roma: Atti dei Convegni Lincei. P. 251–276. Diakonov et al., 1951 – Diakonov I.M., Diakonov M.M., Livshits V.A., Masson M.E. Nalogovye Parfjanskie dokumenty II veka do n. e. iz Nisy, (Materialy Juzhno-Turkmenistanskoj Arheologicheskoj Kompleksnoj Ekspedicii. Vol. 2). Moskva-Leningrad: Izd-vo AN SSSR, 1951. 64 p. Diakonov, Livshits, 2001 – Diakonov I.M., Livshits V.A. 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