RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 27 2007
Remains of ancient civilisation discovered on the bottom of a lake
16:35 | 27/ 12/ 2007
MOSCOW. (Nikolai Lukashov for RIA Novosti) – An international
archeological expedition to Lake Issyk Kul, high in the Kyrgyz
mountains, proves the existence of an advanced civilization 25
centuries ago, equal in development to the Hellenic civilizations of
the northern coast of the Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) and the
Mediterranean coast of Egypt.
The expedition resulted in sensational finds, including the discovery
of major settlements, presently buried underwater. The data and
artefacts obtained, which are currently under study, apply the
finishing touches to the many years of exploration in the lake, made
by seven previous expeditions. The addition of a previously unknown
culture to the treasury of history extends the idea of the patterns
and regularities of human development.
Kyrgyz historians, led by Vladimir Ploskikh, vice president of the
Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences, worked side-by-side with Russian
colleagues, lead by historian Svetlana Lukashova and myself. All the
Russians involved were experienced skin-divers and members of the
Russian Confederation of Underwater Sports. We were responsible for
the work done under water. Scuba divers ventured into the lake many
times to study its bottom.
Last year, we worked near the north coast at depths of 5-10 metres to
discover formidable walls, some stretching for 500 meters-traces of a
large city with an area of several square kilometers. In other words,
it was a metropolis in its time. We also found Scythian burial
mounds, eroded by waves over the centuries, and numerous well
preserved artifacts-bronze battleaxes, arrowheads, self-sharpening
daggers, objects discarded by smiths, casting molds, and a faceted
gold bar, which was a monetary unit of the time.
Lake Issyk Kul has played a tremendous role since the inception of
human history due to its geographic location at the crossing of
Indo-Aryan and other nomadic routes. Archeologists found traces of
many religions here-Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam. Somewhere in the vicinity was Chihu, the metropolitan city
of a mighty state of Wusung nomads, which ancient Chinese chronicles
mentioned on many occasions.
The Great Silk Road lay along the lake’s coast until the 18th
century. Even today, the descendants of caravan drivers recollect
their ancestors’ stories about travelling from Asia to Europe and
back.
Tamerlane built a fortress on one of the lake islets to hold
aristocratic captives and keep his treasures. The famous Asian
expeditions of Russian explorers Dmitry Przhevalsky and Pyotr
Semyonov-Tianshansky started from that spot.
The latter left us an enticing mystery. When he visited Venice in
1850, he looked at the Catalan Atlas of 1375 and came across a
picture of a lakeside monastery with the caption: "The spot is named
Isikol. Here is a monastery of Armenian brethren, which is rumored to
possess the relics of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist."
Semyonov-Tianshansky embarked on a relentless but vain search for the
shrine. To all appearances, the monastery was engulfed by water.
Hydrologists have not to this day sufficiently studied the unique
lake with regular shifts in its water level. Some changes are
gradual, others sudden and disastrous since they are caused by
earthquakes and torrents of water rush from lakes higher up in the
mountains. Floods recede sooner or later, and people come back to the
shores-only to become the victims of other floods 500-700 years
later.
Throughout the years of their partnership, Russian and Kyrgyz
archeologists discovered and examined more than ten major flooded
urban and rural settlements of varying ages. Their ample finds
generously add to present-day ideas of everyday life in times long
ago.
Some artifacts are stunning. A 2,500 year-old ritual bronze cauldron
was found on the bottom of the lake. The subtlety of its
craftsmanship is amazing. Such excellent quality of joining details
together can be presently obtained by metalwork in an inert gas. How
did ancient people achieve their high-tech perfection? Also of superb
workmanship are bronze mirrors, festive horse harnesses and many
other objects. Articles identified as the world’s oldest extant coins
were also found underwater-gold wire rings used as small change and a
large hexahedral goldpiece.
Side by side with the settlements are remnants of ritual complexes of
times immemorial, dwellings and household outbuildings. Later
expeditions will study them.
The information collected there allows us to conjecture that local
people had a socio-economic system hitherto unknown to historians. As
a blending of nomadic and settled life, it either gradually evolved
into something different or-more likely-was destroyed by one of the
many local floods. Legends confirm the latter assumption.
Nikolai Lukashov, a member of the Russian Confederation of Underwater
Sports, took part in the the Issyk Kul expedition.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not
necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.