Orlat Battle Plaque\'s Importance

[Alanus]

Thanks for the imput, Lysimachos. Much appreciated.

I too have long been fascinated by this plaque. Thanks to all for the information here. I just wanted to add my thoughts. First, I'm not entirely sure about the timeline re: the Yuezhi laid out here. Craig Benjamin* has a somewhat different timeline for the battles and movements of the Yuezhi, summarized here (all dates BCE):

176 - First raid of Xiongnu against Yuezhi in Gansu.
173 - Yuezhi defeat the Wusun in battle.
162 - Final defeat and expulsion of Yuezhi from Gansu. Part of the Yuezhi migrate to Ili valley and defeat/expel the local Sakas, who move south and eventually become known to us as the Indo-Scythians.
132 - Wusun attack Yuezhi and drive them from Ili valley.

Benjamin's timeline differs from others, but the gist is a full generational war that was finally won by the Wusun (aided by the Huns). I believe this final battle-- the most important-- is the one shown on the Orlat plaque.

Since the plaques were found near Samarkand, which is (I think) Yuezhi territory rather than that of the Wusun.... If we are to date the plaques to this period and had to pick one of the battles listed above, I might choose the Yuezhi defeat of the Sakas.

Whatever we call them, the Saka/Wusun/Sarmatians/Alans took over the Samarkand area in the mid-2nd century BC and held it until the 2nd century AD. There are Saka arrowheads in old Samarkand graneries, and not far from the city we have the famed Sarmatian burial of the "Koktepa Princess," buried in the 1st century AD with a Han Dynasty mirror. (see Grenet, Archaeology Odessey, Oct. 2003)

On another note, do we know that the artists who created these plaques always show west as left and east as right? This could affect the identification of the battle as well.

All steppe cultures used the sun for "navigation." The Saka and Sarmatians orientated graves north to south. We know how they viewed the sun's movement from the design of the oldest Indo-European symbol, the swastika-- (see attachment below) It's on a bronze ring dated to the exact time-period under discussion. The symbol represents the sun as a chariot wheel, and it "rolls" counterclockwise, right to left, or east to west, with an orientation facing north. This is the same orientation depicted on the plaque.

I believe the plaque commemorates the last and most important battle-- the end of the war. Without a viable argument that this plaque dates to the 3rd to 5th century AD, as some claim, I think the bow cases, the swords, and especially the long sword grips, fall between the 2nd century BC to the earl 2nd century AD.