VII–IX centuries – The Early-Medieval
This period Kultobe is the settlement and protected with defensive wall. On Kultobe were discovered the Early-Medieval ruins that were household-craft buildings, living rooms and one massive construction with the plan close to the sacred buildings of the pre-Islamic period.
About 30 rooms dating to the IX–X centuries were discovered in the eastern part of the settlement.
These rooms are located along the main street. In this part layers belonging to the IX–X centuries and also remaining of the defensive walls were found.
The unique finding is the ancient pottery two-tier furnace that has a number of particularities that are common for that historical period.
Overall, this period is the prerequisite for the future city development as the spiritual, cult and political-administrative center.
Artifacts
Kultobe artifacts of the present period are very interesting and informative samples. They are ritual samples, coins, a big number of ceramic fragments and etc. Among them the cassolete take special place with magnificent paintings designed with not well-studied traditional graphic art of the Central Asia.
On Kultobe settlement small complex of glazed ceramics was found. The pieces features different sizes ceramic bowls on round-shaped pallets, glazed along the white engobe. This glazed ceramics complex is characterized by exquisite ornament and balanced color.
Another unique kultobinian artifact is a ceramic “boot” formed cassolete It is a massive cone-shaped piece, covered with a dense red-brown engobe and glazing.
The form of the cassolette experts associated with the ancient religious ideas of the "cult of the foot/footstep". The approximate dating of the cassolette the X–XI centuries.
Cassolete has a cylindrical shape, expanded to the top. The height of the jar is 11–11.5 cm, the base diameter – 7.2 cm, the rim diameter – 8.5 cm and the hole diameter – 1.1 cm.
The painting technique on the cassolette is relevant to the “Kangar ceramics” dated by the VII–IX centuries. On the cassolette appear unknown animals that are compositionally painted up to the top.
“Interpretation” idea of the cassolette composition is the part of the future.
Here the Turgesh khaganat coins were found. The coins are casted in bronze and one of the most valuable artifacts found in the excavations. One of the coins is dated by VIII century. On the one side the sign “Mister Turgesh khagan” and on the other side unclear picture, probably the stamp-tamga.
This find gives a reason to believe that the ancient settlement was indeed the capital and the trade center, was one of the stops of the Great Silk Road that put the basis for international relations between East and West.
On Kultobe typical silver dirhem bukharkhudat type with the Arabic-Sogdian ornamental script was found. Kultobenian dirhem has the sign “al-Makhdi” in Arabic language, sogdian part of the bilingual very deformed.
