An archaeological study built in the 3rd century BC. e. fortress Uzundara showed that it was part of a single fortification system of the Seleucid state, which protected its northern borders from nomadic raids. Scientists called it the Great Bactrian Wall - by analogy with the much more famous and large-scale Chinese fortress. This is described in a press release from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, received by the editorial office of Indicator. Ru.
The Uzundara fortress was located in Bactria - a state that existed on the territory of modern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. During the construction of Uzundara - it was the end of the 3rd century BC. e. - Bactria was part of the Seleucid state, which was formed after the death of the empire of Alexander the Great. The fortress was located in the Boysun mountains, which, as scientists found out, were the natural border of the state at that time. The data they collected showed that all the gorges of this mountain range, convenient for the cavalry, were controlled by fortresses tied into a single defensive line that defended the Seleucid state from the northern nomads: Sakas and Yuezhi. The walls included in this system were from 100 to 3000 meters long. The unity of the fortifications is indicated bythat all the surveyed fortresses are the same in terms of construction material, size and stone processing.
In the fortress of Uzundara, according to the assumptions of archaeologists, the Greco-Macedonian garrison was located, which defended the northern borders of the state from outside attacks and confirmed the power of the Seleucid dynasty in the region. Such structures could both defend against nomads, and transmit signals of an attack using smoke or fire. It was established that the fortress consisted of a diamond-shaped main quadrangle, a triangular citadel (phylacterion) surrounded by powerful double walls with an internal gallery about nine meters wide, and outrigger walls, which were reinforced with thirteen rectangular bastions-towers, three of which were also outboard.
The basis of the phylacterion was the central building (rocky complex) - a room with two voluminous basements. One of them, 10 by 5 meters in size and 4 meters deep, was sheathed from the inside with lead plates on bronze nails and lead rivets. Also in the basement, waterproofing (bitumen coating of the walls) and water drain were provided. It is assumed that in this room, in case of a siege, food supplies and ice were stored, from which the warriors could get water. Outside the fortress there was a trading platform where local residents brought goods needed by the soldiers of the garrison. There were grounds and courtyards around the rocky complex. About 12 utility and residential premises adjoined the fortress walls from the inside along the perimeter.
During the excavations, archaeologists have found several unique parts of iron helmets, armor plates, weapons, about 200 coins and various fragments of ceramics. The analysis of the finds led to the conclusion that the fortress existed for only about 150 years. A large number of arrowheads and spearheads found in one place indicated that it was there that the fortress was stormed. And the fact that the weapon, which was very valued at that time, remained intact, was a sign that there was simply no one to take it.
“For one and a half hundred years, the Greek culture in the east has practically not changed: the same forms of ceramic vessels, fish plates, bowls exist in almost unchanged form. Therefore, many researchers refuse the opportunity to trace changes within these one and a half hundred years. For the first time, we had the opportunity to conclusively divide this time into sub-stages, and not on any one type of materials. Thus, Uzundara's materials make it possible to study and reconstruct all spheres of life of the Seleucid and Greco-Bactrian fortresses,”concluded Nigora Dvurechenskaya, head of the Bactrian detachment of the Central Asian archaeological expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.