5.5 Conclusion
A close review of the individual pillars of the ‘treasure’ hoard theory, begins to suggest that there may well be room for a different interpretation of the nature of the finds in rooms N°s 10 and 13 and, consequently of the nature of the settlement at Begram in general. The assertion that the objects in room N°s 10 and 13 were a royal ‘treasure’ has remained current at least in part because it might explain the otherwise confounding one or two century difference between the proposed dates of a few individual pieces. As discussed in length in this chapter, however, these wide differences in the contended dates of a few pieces all can effectively be rebutted, leaving instead a consistent pattern of 1st century CE dates for all the objects of the Begram finds.
A favorable comparison of the three ivory statuettes of female figurines standing on makaras, discovered in room N°10 at Begram, with ivory statuettes found at Pompeii, and Bhokardan and Ter, India, and ivory combs at Taxila similar in style to the Begram plaques, support a 1st century CE date for the Begram ivory and bone carvings. Likewise, the majority of the ivory and bone plaques and bands from Begram can be, and have been, attributed closely to the styles of 1st century CE Mathura.
The majority of the Roman finds can be dated with reasonable certainty to the 1st century CE, and even where a single objects could be dated later or earlier, a first century CE date has not been excluded.
Of particular importance with regard to the question of dating are the fragments of Chinese lacquers. Though few in number, these lacquer piece have been greatly undervalued as indicators for assigning a first century date to the Begram finds. Similar finds of lacquer pieces which can be precisely dated in the 1st century CE have been made in Korea, Mongolia and China. The Begram lacquers thus can be attributed with a high degree of certainty to the art of the Han dynasty during the 1st century CE.
Copyright © 2005 Sanjyot Mehendale, Jeanette Zerneke, and the Regents of U.C. unless otherwise noted.
Contents of the publication are protected by copyright and can not be downloaded or copied for commercial uses without written permission of ECAI, the publisher.
Website Maintained by:
Information
Systems and Services,
International and Area Studies,
UC Berkeley
