Mosaics from the Bronze Age Necropolis in Gonur Depe, Turkmenistan

Abstract

Unique mosaic composition of the end of the third millenium BC from the “Royal Necropolis” of Gonur Depe is describing. Some walls of the underground “hypogea” and so-called “ostensories” as well small originally wooden boxes found in them were decorated by fgurative mosaics. These mosaics combine two techniques – painting and inlays (tesserae), which were made from the specially prepared minerals. They also presented the earliest example of using the technique of cutting the edges of the tesserae. Analogies of the images between Gonur Depe and Mari palace in Syria are underlined.

Keywords

• figurative mosaics
• mosaic technology
• cutting the edges of tesserae
• funeral rights
• elite graves