The Study of the Mosaic Decor Technique and the Reconstruction of the Compositions of the 3rd Millennium BC from the “Royal Necropolis” of Gonur Depe

Bronze Age (2300-1500 BC) site Gonur was discovered in early 1970-s by prof. Victor I. Sarianidi as a result of many years of archaeological researches in southeastern Karakum desert in Turkmenistan as well as almost 200 other settlements of Margush country. The work, both on the site in ancient delta of Murghab rover and with the collections offinds made there and stored in the museums of Mary and Ashgabat, is carried out by the Russian-Turkmen Margiana archaeological expedition as a part of the Cooperation Agreement between the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the RAS and the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. In 2004 and 2009 “Royal cemetery” with hypogea tombs with fragments of mosaic decor preserved in them was discovered at Gonur Depe (Sarianidi, Dubova 2013). These findings were one of the most significant in the history of studying of antiquities of Turkmenistan. The collection of Gonur mosaics is diverse and huge: friezes with griffins, compositions with snakes, complex ornamental patterns made upof several details of complicated shape and many more individual tesserae were found in a separate form. Among the important finds are unique mosaic decoration of the “ostensories” (large wooden boxes, where most valuable funeral gifts were stored), preserved mostly in fragments, but without losing their artistic value. Since 2011, the study and restoration of the collection of Gonur mosaics has been carried out by specialists of the State Scientific-Research Institute of Restoration (Moscow) in conjunction with the State Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan. In the process of analyzing, studying, systematizing and preserving of individual disparate elements of mosaic tesserae restorers drew attention to some technological features, which, subsequently, became keys to unraveling the compositional solutions of the ancient Margush masters. Much work has been done to study the best-preserved “Friezes with Griffins”. Variants of reconstruction of ancient compositions made of mosaic details and complemented by polychrome painting are made based on the performed studies. In the laboratories of physical and chemical researches of the Institute of Restoration and in the chemical-technological laboratory of the Grabar Art Conservation Center (Moscow) a series of analyzes of samples of mosaic materials were conducted. Analytical studies of tesserae materials, tesserae mounting solution, pigments and decorative coatings were performed (Veresotskaya 2016: 317-318; Dubova et al 2019). The conducted studies made it possible to understand the technical and technological features of manufacturing, decoration, the assembly and mounting system of Gonur mosaics. And although there is still a lot of work in this direction, important conclusions have already been made in studying the technological features of mosaics. Every year the study, conservation and restoration of the mosaic collection of Gonur Depe continues with the large help of the National department for protection, investigation and restoration of historical and cultural monuments of Turkmenistan and is complemented by new discoveries. It has not been possible to find such diverse mosaics made using complex technological methods of decoration on any other monument of world culture up to now.

Keywords:

Mosaic Decor Technique , Royal Necropolis , Gamar Depe , 3rd Millennium BC