Tillya Tepe Gold Ornaments and Accessories (lesson and activities)
Students examine how artifacts found at Tillya Tepe reflect artistic and cultural exchange along the Silk Road. Students will learn how a nomadic group in Central Asia incorporated motifs from the eastern Mediterranean to China with their own to create items with composite styles and function. They will learn how many of the objects were made with gold, engraved with patterns, modeled into geometric shapes and mythical creatures—composite animals and fish forms, and embellished with semi-precious stones. Students will combine the cultural and artistic symbols of ancient Afghanistan to create their own ornament or accessory.