The Eternal Stone 𐰋𐰭𐰏𐰈⁚𐱃𐱁

A letter of Ablai sultan to the Military Governor of Yili Written in Oyrat language using the Todo script.

ᠠᡋᡇᠯᠠᡅ ᠴᡅᡕᠠᡊᡎᡅᡕᡇᠨ ᠠᡏᡋᠠᠯᠠᠷ ᡑᡇ ᡋᠠᠷᡅᡋᡆ ᡐᠠ ᠠᡏᡇᠷ ᡏᡄᠨᡑᡈᡉ ᡋᡅᡔᡅᡎ ᡐᠠᠨᡑᡇ ᡏᡄᠨᡑᡈᡈ ᡋᡄᠯᡎᡄ ᠨᡅᡎᡄ ᡏᡆᠷᡅᠨ ᡅᠯᡎᡄ ᡑᡄᡎ ᡍᡉᡏᡉᠨ ᡐᡈᡈᡎᡄᠯ ᠨᡈᡍᡉᡑ ᡐᠠᡅ ᡑᡈᠷᡋᡉᠯᡄ ᡋᠠᡍᠠᠨ ᡎᡇᡑᡇᠯᡎᡇ ᡏᠠᠯ ᡏᡅᠨᡅ ᠱᡆᡎ ᠱᡆᡎᡑᡆᠷ ᡉᡎᡄᡅ ᡍᡇᡑᡇᠯᡒᡅ ᡍᠠᡅᠷᠯᠠᡎᡐᡇᠨ Abulai Jiyanggiyun ambalar du baribo ta amur mendöö bičig. Tandu mendöö, belge nige morin, ilge-deg kümün töögel nöküd tai dörbüle, bahan qudulqu mal mini šog šogdor ügei hudulči hairlagtun.

The letter from Ablai to the Military Governor and Councillors to ask after your [the officials’] peace. May peace be with you. I have sent a horse as a tribute. My envoy includes four people including attendants. Please permit me to sell a small quantity of livestock.

Noda, J., & Onuma, T. (2010). A collection of documents from the Kazakh sultans to the Qing Dynasty.

Guide through the Old turkic script Old Turkic was usually written from right to left. As a synharmonic language, a number of consonant signs are divided into two "synharmonic sets", one for front vowels and the other for back vowels. Such vowels can be taken as intrinsic to the consonant sign, giving the Old Turkic alphabet an aspect of an abugida script Back and Front harmony pairs:

𐰋 ⁚ 𐰉 - b 𐰓 ⁚ 𐰑 - d 𐰏 ⁚ 𐰍 - (ğ) g 𐰠 ⁚ 𐰞 - l 𐰤 ⁚ 𐰣 - n 𐰼 ⁚ 𐰺 - r 𐰾 ⁚ 𐰽 - s 𐱅 ⁚ 𐱃 - t 𐰘 ⁚ 𐰖 - y 𐰚 ⁚ 𐰴 - (q) k 𐰸 ⁚ 𐰰 - ök/oq

Neutral consonants:

𐰲 - ç 𐰢 - m 𐰨 - nç 𐰭 - ŋ 𐰪 - nʲ 𐰯 - p 𐱁 - ş 𐰕 - z 𐰶 - qı/ıq 𐰡 - lt 𐰦 - nt

Vowels:

𐰀 - a/e 𐰃 - ē/ı/i 𐰆 ⁚ 𐰈 - (u)ö(ü)o

Rule about the first syllable:

The vowels /a/ and /e/ are not written in the first syllable. For example: qara (𐰴𐰺𐰀) “black”, temir (𐱅𐰢𐰼) “iron.” Other vowels (/i/, /ı/, /ö/, /o/, /ü/, /u/) are written with their respective letters: üze (𐰈𐰕𐰀) “above”, türk (𐱅𐰈𐰼𐰚) “Turkish.” If /a/ or /e/ is written in the first syllable, it indicates that the vowel is long: āt (𐰀𐱃) “name” (compare with at (𐱃) “horse”)

Rule for the Following Syllable:

If two consecutive vowels share the same type of labialization (rounded after rounded, unrounded after unrounded—similar to vowel harmony), the second vowel is not written: qılınmış (𐰴𐰃𐰞𐰣𐰢𐰾) “created”, qağan (𐰴𐰍𐰣) “kaghan”, olurup (𐰆𐰞𐰺𐰯) “sitting.” If they differ, the second vowel is written: kiḳşür (𐰚𐰃𐰚𐱁𐰈𐰼) “incite”, eçüm (𐰲𐰈𐰢) “my ancestor.”

Rule for the Last Syllable:

If a word ends in a vowel, it is written: kara “black”, sü “army.”

Sources:

Róna-Tas, András (1987). "On the Development and Origin of the East Turkic "Runic" Script". Kaas, Filip (2017). Corpus of Orkhon Runic Inscriptions.

Territory of the Second Turkic Khaganate according to Runic Inscriptions Otuken as the capital

𐰴𐰍𐰣 : 𐰇𐱅𐰜𐰤 : 𐰘𐰃𐱁 : 𐰆𐰞𐰺𐰽𐰺 : 𐰃𐰠𐱅𐰀 : 𐰉𐰆𐰭 : 𐰖𐰸 qaɣan : ötükän : yïš : olursar : iltä : buŋ : yoq If the Turkish kagan rules from the Ötükän mountains there will be no trouble in the realm

𐰃𐰠 : 𐱃𐰆𐱃𐰽𐰴 : 𐰘𐰃𐰼 : 𐰇𐱅𐰜𐰤 : 𐰘𐰃𐱁 : 𐰼𐰢𐱁 il : tutsïq : yir : ötükän : yïš : ärmiš The place from which the tribes can be (best) controlled is the Ötükän mountains

Eastern border - Shantung and the Ocean

𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰼𐰇 : 𐱁𐰦𐰆𐰭 : 𐰖𐰔𐰃𐰴𐰀 : 𐱅𐰏𐰃 : 𐰾𐰇𐰠𐰓𐰢 : 𐱃𐰞𐰆𐰖𐰴𐰀 : 𐰚𐰃𐰲𐰏 : 𐱅𐰏𐰢𐰓𐰢 ilgärü : šantuŋ : yazïqa : tägi : sülädim : taluyqa : kičig : tägmädim I went on campaigns eastwards up to the Shantung plain; I almost reached the ocean

Southern border - Tibet

𐰋𐰃𐰼𐰏𐰼𐰇 : 𐱃𐰸𐰆𐰔 : 𐰼𐰾𐰤𐰚𐰀 : 𐱅𐰏𐰃 : 𐰾𐰇𐰠𐰓𐰢 : 𐱅𐰇𐰯𐰇𐱅𐰚𐰀 : 𐰚𐰃𐰲𐰏 : 𐱅𐰏𐰢𐰓𐰢 birigärü : toquz : ärsinkä : tägi : sülädim : tüpütkä : kičig : tägmädim I went on campaigns southwards up to Tokuz-Ärsin; I almost reached Tibet

Campaign to the West

𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 : 𐰖𐰃𐰽𐰍 : 𐰽𐰀 : 𐰚𐰠𐱅𐰢𐰔 : 𐰼𐱅𐰾 : 𐰇𐰏𐰔𐰏 :𐰚𐰲𐰀 : 𐰚𐰠𐱅𐰢𐰔 altun : yïšïɣ : aša : kältimiz : irtiš : ögüzüg : käčä : kältimiz We have come this far by climbing over the Altai mountains and we have come this far by crossing over the Irtish

Western border - Syr darya and the Iron Gate

𐰸𐰆𐰺𐰃𐰍𐰺𐰃 : 𐰘𐰨𐰇 : 𐰇𐰏𐰔 : 𐰚𐰲𐰀 : 𐱅𐰢𐰼𐰴𐰯𐰍𐰴𐰀 : 𐱅𐰏𐰃 : 𐰾𐰇𐰠𐰓𐰢 qurïɣarï : yinčü : ögüz : käčä : tämirqapïɣqa : tägi : sülädim I went on campaigns up to the Iron Gate beyond the Pearl River

Northern border - Land of bayirqu

𐰘𐰃𐰺𐰍𐰺𐰆 : 𐰘𐰼 : 𐰉𐰖𐰺𐰸𐰆 : 𐰘𐰃𐰼𐰃𐰭𐰀 : 𐱅𐰏𐰃 : 𐰾𐰇𐰠𐰓𐰢 yïrïɣarï : yir : bayïrqu : yiriŋä : tägi : sülädim northwards I went on campaigns up to the soil of Yir Bayirqu

Campaign on Yenisei (Chik and Kyrgyz)

𐰞𐱃𐰃 : 𐰆𐱃𐰜 : 𐰖𐱁𐰢𐰀 : 𐰲𐰃𐰚 : 𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣 : 𐰶𐰃𐰺𐰴𐰔 : 𐰋𐰃𐰼𐰠𐰀 : 𐰖𐰍𐰃 : 𐰉𐰆𐰡𐰃 : 𐰚𐰢 : 𐰚𐰲𐰀 : 𐰲𐰃𐰚 : 𐱃𐰃𐰀 : 𐰾𐰇𐰠𐰓𐰢 Altı otuz yaşıma çik bodun qırğız birle yağı boltı. Kem keçe çik tapa süledim At the age of twenty-six the Chik people, together with the Kyrgyz, started hostilities (against us). I went on a campaign against the Chik crossing over the Kem

Map by https://t.me/uraanqajmap Text of Bilge Qaghan, Kul tegin and Tonyukuk inscriptions are taken from Tekin, Talat. 1968. A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic

🤩 Второй Восточно-тюркский каганат 🤩 Второй Тюркский каганат (др. тюрк. ‏𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰:𐰃𐰠‎, türük el — «государство тюрков») — средневековое древнетюркское государство на территории Монголии в 682—744 с центром в Отюкене на берегу реки Орхон. Основатель государства — Кутлуг объединил тюркские племена и в результате упорной борьбы с Китаем (Империей Тан) возродил Восточно-тюркский каганат.

Proto-Altaic reconstruction

The Uybat I inscription An ancient monument dating back to the 8th–9th centuries. It was discovered in the land of Khakassia, on the bank of the Uybat tributary of the Yenisei River. This stone monument belongs to the ancient Yenisei Kyrgyz. The monument is classified as a “deer stone” and is believed to be associated with the Okunev culture (2nd millennium BCE). Later, the Old Kyrgyz inscribed writings on this stone in the Old Turkic script

𐰼𐰓𐰢 ⁚ 𐰴𐰭 ⁚ 𐰀𐱄𐰆𐰎𐰀 ⁚ 𐰌𐰼𐰢𐱀𐰀 𐰆𐰣 ⁚ 𐰥𐰃𐰥𐰃𐰾𐰃 ⁚ 𐱄𐰆𐰴𐰕 ⁚ 𐰆𐰍𐰞𐰃 ⁚ 𐰉𐰺 ⁚ 𐰇𐰭𐰥 𐰲𐰉𐱀 ⁚ 𐱄𐰆𐰣 ⁚ 𐱄𐰻𐰴𐰣 ⁚ 𐰌𐰭𐰈𐰾𐰃 ⁚ 𐱅𐰃𐰚𐰁 ⁚ 𐰋𐰼𐱅𐰢 𐰼𐰓𐰢𐰥 ⁚ 𐰇𐰲𐰥 ⁚ 𐰃𐰠𐰥𐰁𐰓𐰀 ⁚ 𐰴𐰻𐰁 ⁚ 𐰴𐰣𐰴𐰁 ⁚ 𐰉𐰺𐰯𐰣 𐰖𐰞𐰉𐰲 ⁚ 𐰉𐰺𐰯𐰣 ⁚ 𐰚𐰠𐰢𐰓𐰭𐰕 ⁚ 𐰌𐰏𐰢𐰕 ärdäm qaŋ a tuγa bermiš a on [†n]inisi toquz oγlï bar üčün čabïš tun tarqan bäŋüsi tikä bertim ärdämin üčün elin[†ä]dä qara qanqa barïpan yalabač barïpan kälmädiŋiz bägimiz

Oh virtuous father! He has been born As he has ten younger brothers and nine sons I have erected a memorial stone to the Čabïš Tun Tarqan Having gone from his realm to the Black King because of his manly qualities, Having gone as an ambassador, you did not return, our Bäg

Rentzsch, Julian; Yıldız, Hülya (2020). "Uybat I" András, Anita, Károly, László (2023). "Uibat I"

The Tiele song The Chile ge (敕勒歌), or Tiele Song, is a Tiele folk song from the sixth century CE or earlier, which has been preserved in Chinese translation. It depicts the beautiful and fertile scenery of the northern steppe. It is said that when the future founder of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Gao Huan (r. 534–547), became disheartened and fell ill after incurring heavy losses and failing to take an enemy city, he ordered his Tiele general Hulü Jin (488–567) to sing the Chile ge to boost the morale of his soldiers. Although some sources write that Hulü Jin composed the Chile ge, the original song had probably existed since long before Hulü Jin’s time

勅勒川, 陰山下. 天似穹廬, 籠蓋四野. 天蒼蒼, 野茫茫, 風吹草低見牛羊

The Tiele Prairie lies at the foot of the Yin Shan Mountain The sky is like a yurt, covering the steppe from all around The sky is blue and the plain is vast The wind bends the grass and cattle and sheep turn up

Joo-Yup Lee (The Turkic Peoples in World History 2023)

📜 Finally: Diwan Lughat al-Turk Manuscript Is Now Officially Available as PDF Link for PDF: https://ekitap.yek.gov.tr/urun/divanu-lugati-t-turk--ikinci-baski-_833.aspx?CatId=273

The Old Mongol calendar (Möcelge) Animal name for the year - Written Mongol word 🐁 - quluγana (ᠬᠤᠯᠤᠭᠠᠨ᠎ᠠ) 🐂 - üker (ᠦᠬᠡᠷ) 🐆 - bars (ᠪᠠᠷᠰ) 🐇 - taulay (ᠲᠠᠤᠯᠠᠢ) 🐉 - luu (ᠯᠤᠤ) 🐍 - moγay (ᠮᠣᠭᠠᠢ) 🐎 - morin (ᠮᠣᠷᠢ᠊ᠨ) 🐑 - qonin (ᠬᠣᠨᠢ᠊ᠨ) 🐒 - becin (ᠪᠡᠴᠢᠨ) 🐓 - takiya (ᠲᠠᠬᠢᠶ᠎ᠠ) 🐕 - noqai (ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ) 🐖 - γaqai (ᠭᠠᠬᠠᠢ) Here are examples of their use in inscriptions:

塔兀来　只⌄勒　拙赤-冝　巴^舌剌温　^中合^舌侖　扯^舌里兀的耶^舌児　槐-因　亦^舌児堅-突^舌児　抹^舌驪剌兀⌄勒=罷[伯]　不^中合　^中合札^舌児赤剌=周 ta'ulai 　jil 　%joci-yi 　bara'un 　qar-un 　ceri'Ud-iyer 　hoy-yin irgen-t#Ur 　morila'ul=bai 　%buqa 　qajarcila=ju In the Year of the Hare (1207), Jochi set out with the right-wing army against the forest peoples, and Buqa went along as a guide

ᠵᠢᠯᠲᠡᠢ ᠬᠤᠯᠤᠭᠠᠨ᠎ᠠ ᠵᠢᠯ ᠲᠥᠷᠦᠭᠰᠡᠨ ᠬᠦᠮᠦᠨ ᠢ, ᠬᠤᠯᠤᠭᠠᠨ᠎ᠠ ᠵᠢᠯᠲᠡᠢ, ᠦᠬᠡᠷ ᠵᠢᠯ ᠲᠥᠷᠦᠭᠰᠡᠨ ᠬᠦᠮᠦᠨ ᠢ, ᠦᠬᠡᠷ ᠵᠢᠯᠲᠡᠢ ᠬᠡᠮᠡᠮᠦᠢ. ᠪᠠᠰᠠ ᠨᠠᠰᠤᠵᠢᠭᠰᠠᠨ ᠬᠦᠮᠦᠨ ᠢ ᠦᠯᠦ ᠲᠠᠭᠠᠯᠠᠮᠵᠢᠯᠠᠨ ᠥᠭᠦᠯᠡᠬᠦ ᠪᠥᠭᠡᠰᠦ, ᠬᠦᠯᠲᠦᠭᠦᠷ ᠬᠥᠭᠰᠢᠨ ᠬᠡᠮᠡᠮᠦᠢ. quluγan-a jil törügsen kümün-i, quluγan-a jiltei, üker jil törügsen kümün-i, üker jiltei kememüi. basa nasuǰuγsan kümün-i ülü taγalamjilan ögülekü bögesü, kültügür kögsin kememüi A person born in the Year of the Mouse is called “mouse-year (person)”; a person born in the Year of the Ox is called “ox-year (person)”. Also, if one speaks of a person who has grown old, they say “aged elder” (kültügür kögsin)

ᠮᠥᠴᠡᠯᠭᠡ 　：　 ᠠᠷᠪᠠᠨ ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ ᠵᠢᠯ ᠢ, ᠨᠢᠭᠡ ᠮᠥᠴᠡᠯᠭᠡ ᠬᠡᠮᠡᠮᠦᠢ. ᠪᠠᠰᠠ ᠬᠦᠮᠦᠨ ᠥᠪᠡᠷ ᠥᠪᠡᠷ ᠦᠨ ᠲᠥᠷᠦᠭᠰᠡᠨ ᠵᠢᠯ ᠳᠦᠷ ᠲᠤᠰᠢᠶᠠᠯᠳᠤᠭᠳᠠᠪᠠᠰᠤ, ᠮᠥᠨ ᠮᠥᠴᠡᠯᠭᠡᠨ ᠦ ᠵᠢᠯ ᠬᠡᠮᠡᠮᠦᠢ. ᠪᠠᠰᠠ ᠵᠢᠯ ᠣᠷᠤᠪᠠ ᠬᠡᠮᠡᠮᠦᠢ. möcelge: arban qoyar jili, nige möcelge kememüi. basa kümün öber öber-ün törügsen jildür tusiyalduγda basu, möcelgen-ü jil kememüi. basa jil oruba kememüi As for the twelve-year cycle, one cycle is called “möcelge.” Moreover, when a person reaches again the year corresponding to their own birth year, that year is called the “möcelge year.”

Although nearly all the terms in the Written Mongolian animal cycle are native Mongolian words there are 5 loanwords, each of which appears to have been borrowed from a Turkic source uker < *ökur (Bulgar) bars < bars (𐰉𐰺𐰽) luu < lü (𐰠𐰈) < luŋ (龍) qonin < qoñ (𐰸𐰆𐰪) becin < beçin (𐰋𐰃𐰲𐰤)

Thanks a lot to @bogdocholun for the help with Bicig and translations ¹ - Vovin, Alexander 2004. Some Thoughts on the Origins of the Old Turkic 12-Year Animal Cycle ² - I used "Full-Text Search" from http://hkuri.cneas.tohoku.ac.jp/ to find examples

Airplane in Tuvan be like: Ujar xeme (flying boat)

Facial reconstruction of a 1,100-year-old woman from a kurgan burial in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan

In the second half of the 1st millennium AD, large Turkic nomadic confederations formed powerful states such as the Kurykans, Khagas, and Tujue, spreading from Transbaikalia across Southern Siberia, the Altai, Tian Shan, and Kazakhstan to the steppes of the Volga, Don, and Ukraine.  The Western Turkic Khaganate included many tribes: Kimaks in the Irtysh and Tobol regions, Kengeres in Central Kazakhstan, Kipchaks in the Urals, and Karluks in Semirechye and the Tian Shan.  The burials of the Turks are very similar across the vast territory of their distribution, differing only in details. Turkic kurgans are small earthen or stone mounds. Burials were carried out in ground pits, sometimes with a side niche, sometimes in a wooden box. The body was laid out extended on the back, with the head oriented to the west or northeast. The grave inventory includes harness equipment, wooden vessels, ceramic items, bones of domestic animals, and iron knives. In male burials, arrowheads are also found, while female burials contain scissors, awls, ornaments, and mirrors.  Anthropological studies show that eastern Turkic groups (e.g., Transbaikalia) had strongly Mongolid traits, while those in Southern Siberia, Central Asia, and the western steppes displayed mixed Europoid-Mongolid features. This mixture did not follow a simple east–west gradient.  According to Valery V. Ginzburg, the Kimaks of Eastern Kazakhstan had large, brachycranial skulls with moderately projecting faces and a combination of Europoid and Mongolid traits. Female skulls were more elongated and showed slightly less facial projection, but also reflected a mixed type. (Ginzburg, Trofimova, 1972)

https://x.com/i/status/2037159950271521239

Found something really interesting today

سُسكَان اُوذقَا تَنکرِی مُنكُز بِيرمَاس Süskän uðqa täŋri müŋüz bermäs

سوزیکین صیرکه خدای مویز برمایدی Süzegen sıyırğa quday müyiz bermeydi

This proverb exists in both the 11th-century Diwan Lughat al-Turk and an 19th-century Kazakh dictionary. Both translates to: "God does not give horns to a butting bull" Kashgari interpreted this as referring to a person whose harmful intentions are restrained by their lack of ability; if such a person were capable, they would cause harm to others

Kashgari M. 2005. Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk (Almaty) Bukin I. M. 1883. Russian-Kazakh and Kazakh-Russian Dictionary (Tashkent)

𐰖𐱁𐰭 ⁚ 𐰴𐰆𐱃𐰞𐰆𐰍 ⁚ 𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰕𐰆𐰣 ∴ 𐰴𐰕𐰴 ⁚ 𐰃𐰠𐰃 !

Arğımaq - Bayıq Hay azamat arıślanday Yawða duşman ayqağan Hay azamat arıślanday Köp yerðərði bayqağan Törðən orın alığıð Harı baldı halığıð Arıślanday batırðarðıŋ Arqahınan qağığıð Hay azamat arıślanday Yawða duşman ayqağan Yüððərində danı balqıy Köp erðərði bayqağan Törðən orın alığıð Harı baldı halığıð Arıślanday batırðarðıŋ Arqahınan qağığıð

Stele of Genghis Khan It is a granite monument dedicated to Yisüngge, the nephew of Genghis Khan. It commemorates his famous archery feat during a gathering of Mongol nobles after the conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire (c. 1224–1225). Discovered in 1802 near the ruins of Khirkhira in Transbaikal, it is especially significant because it contains the earliest known inscription in the Mongolian script.

ᠴᠢᠩᠭᠢᠰ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ ‍ᠢ ᠰᠠᠷᠲᠠᠭᠣᠯ ᠢᠷᠭᠡ ᠳᠠᠣᠯᠢᠵᠦ ᠪᠠᠭᠣᠵᠣ ᠬᠠᠮᠦᠬ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠣᠯᠣᠰ ‍ᠣᠨ ᠨᠣᠶᠠᠳ ‍ᠢ ᠪᠣᠬᠠ ᠰᠣᠴᠢᠭᠠᠢ ᠬᠣᠷᠢᠭᠰᠠᠨ ᠳᠣᠷ ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠩᠭᠡ ᠣᠵᠣᠨᠣᠳᠦᠷ ‍ᠣᠨ ᠬᠣᠷᠪᠠᠨ ᠵᠠᠭᠣᠳ ᠭᠣᠴᠢᠨ ᠲᠠᠪᠣᠨ ᠠᠯᠳᠠᠰ ᠲᠣᠷ ᠣᠨᠳᠣᠣᠵᠯᠠᠭ ‍ᠠ Činggis Qaɣan-i Sartaɣul irge dauliju baɣuju qamuɣ Mongɣol ulus-un noyad-i Buqa Sočiɣai quriɣsan-dur Yisüngge ojunudur-un ɣurban jaɣud ɣučin tabun aldas- tur onduunlaɣ-a

When Genghis Khan, having subjugated the Sartaɣul people set up camp and the noblemen of the entire Mongol nation had gathered at Buqa Sočiɣai, Yisüngge shot an arrow a distance of 335 alds (≈536 m.)

Rachewiltz (2010). Introduction to Altaic philology

Reconstruction of Sakā tigraxaudā 🇰🇿 (𐎿𐎣𐎠 𐏐 𐎫𐎡𐎥𐎼𐎧𐎢𐎭𐎠)

The Massagetae were an Iranic-speaking people related to the Scythians/Saka. They are also known as the Sakā tigraxaudā, meaning “Saka who wear pointed hats” - a reference to the Phrygian-style cap worn by the Scythians, which among the Sakā tigraxaudā took on a very tall and sharply pointed form. The Massagetae are best known for their queen Tomyris and her defeat of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Anthropological studies of the early Saka period in the Aral Sea region link the populations of the 5th-4th centuries BC to the Mayemir and Pazyryk stages of the Altai Mountains (Kiselev, 1951; Rudenko, 1953; Alekseev, 1958), as well as to cranial series of the Saka-Wusun period from Eastern Kazakhstan, Zhetisu, and Kyrgyzstan (Ginzburg, 1954a, b, 1956a, 1960a, c, 1961b; Miklashevskaya, 1964). In this respect, these populations show a slightly stronger morphological affinity with Altaian Saka groups than with early Saka-period crania from Central and Northern Kazakhstan, which often display a somewhat stronger cranial affinity with Andronovo populations. On average, Early Saka period male crania from the Aral Sea region have a medium-large cranial length of 183.5 mm, a large cranial breadth of 147.4 mm, and a large bizygomatic breadth of 141.8 mm. The nasomalar angle averages 142.1°, and the zygomaxillary angle 135.3°, with an orbital height of 34.1 mm - slightly higher than the overall averages for Saka period crania from all regions of Kazakhstan (nasomalar angle 141.8°, zygomaxillary angle 129.8°, and orbital height 34.0 mm). Higher values indicate a flatter facial profile and often greater expression of the epicanthic fold. These traits are expressed much more strongly in female skulls than in male ones at Tagisken and Uygarak (Ginzburg & Trofimova, 1972).

Ancestral Whisper. 2026. Massagete, Uygarak

𐎰𐎠𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎭 𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 [𐏐 𐎹]𐎰/𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎺𐎡𐎴 𐏐 𐎡𐎶𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎹𐎢[𐎭𐎫𐎡𐎶 𐏐] 𐎱𐎿𐎠𐎺𐎮𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎶𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎳𐎼𐎠𐎲𐎼 𐏐 𐎶𐎠𐎶 [𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠/𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎤𐎢𐎴𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠[𐎹𐎰]𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎷𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎺𐏁𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃[𐎠] 𐏐 𐎠/𐎭𐎶𐏁𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎥𐎠𐎰𐎺𐎠 𐏐 𐎴𐎡𐎹𐏁𐎠𐎭𐎹𐎶 [𐏐 𐎫𐎹]𐏁𐎠/𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎰𐏃𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎺 𐏐 𐎠𐎤𐎢𐎴𐎺 𐏐 𐎹[𐎰𐎠 𐏐] 𐎶𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎣𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐏃 θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya Auramazdā yaθā avaina : imām : būmim : yaudatim : pasāvadim : manā : frābara : mām : xšāyaθiyam akunauš adam xšāyaθiya amiy vašnā Auramazdāhā adamšim gāθavā niyašādayam tyašām adam aθaham ava akunava yaθā mām kāma āha

King Darius says: Ahuramazda, when he saw this earth in commotion, thereafter bestowed it upon me, made me king; I am king. By the favor of Ahuramazda I put it down in its place; what I said to them, that they did, as was my desire.

𐏐 𐎹𐎮𐎡𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎶𐎴𐎡𐎹[𐎠𐏃𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎫]/𐎹 𐏐 𐎨𐎡𐎹𐎣𐎼𐎶 𐏐 [𐎠𐏃 𐏐 𐎠]𐎺𐎠 𐏐 𐎭𐏃𐎹𐎠𐎺 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹[𐎺]𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹[𐎰]𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎣𐎼𐎠 𐏐 𐎮𐎡𐎮𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎡[𐎹] 𐏐 𐎥/𐎠𐎰𐎢𐎶 𐏐 𐎲𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠[𐎺]𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎴𐎠𐎿𐎠𐏃𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎺𐎠[𐎫]𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎼[𐎿]𐏃[𐎹𐎠 𐏐] 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎯𐎢𐎼𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎫[𐎡]𐏁 𐏐 𐎱/𐎼𐎠𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎺𐎠𐎫𐎡/𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 𐏐 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎯𐎢𐎼𐎹𐎱𐎡𐎹 [𐏐 𐏃𐎨]𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎠/𐎼𐎿𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎼𐎫𐎼𐎶 𐏐 𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎹𐎩𐎫𐎠 yadipatiy maniyāhaiy tya ciyakaram āha avā dahyāva tyā Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya adāraya patikarā dīdiy tyaiy gāθum baratiy avadā xšnāsāhy : adataiy azdā bavātiy Pārsahyā martiyahyā dūraiy arštiš parāgmatā adataiy azdā bavātiy Pārsa martiya dūrayapiy hacā Pārsā partaram patiyajatā

If now you shall think that "How many are the countries which King Darius held?" look at the sculptures [of those] who bear the throne, then shall you know, then shall it become known to you: the spear of a Persian man has gone forth far; then shall it become known to you: a Persian man has delivered battle far indeed from Persia.

𐏐 𐎰𐎠𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎭𐎠/𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎫 𐏐 𐎫[𐎹 𐏐] 𐎣𐎼𐎫/𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎺 𐏐 𐎻𐎡𐎿𐎶 𐏐 𐎺𐏁𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎤/𐎢𐎴𐎺𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠<𐎶>𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎢𐎱𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎲/𐎼 𐏐 𐎹𐎠𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎣𐎼𐎫𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎤𐎢𐎴[𐎺𐎶 𐏐 𐎶𐎠]𐎶 𐏐 𐎠/𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎬𐎢𐎺 𐏐 𐏃𐎨𐎠 𐏐 𐎥[𐎿𐎫𐎠] 𐏐 𐎢𐎫𐎠𐎶/𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎻𐎡𐎰𐎶 𐏐 𐎢𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎡𐎶𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎭𐏃𐎹𐎠𐎢𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎫 𐏐 𐎠𐎭/𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎩𐎮𐎡𐎹𐎠𐎷𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎫𐎶/𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎭𐎭𐎠𐎬𐎢𐎺 𐏐 θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya aita tya kartam ava visam vašnā Auramazdāhā akunavam Auramazdāmaiy upastām abara yātā kartam akunavam mām Auramazdā pātuv hacā gastā utāmaiy viθam utā imām dahyāum aita adam Auramazdām jadiyāmiy aitamaiya Auramazdā dadātuv

Darius the King says: This which has been done, all that by the will of Ahuramazda I did. Ahuramazda bore me aid, until I did the work. May Ahuramazda protect me from harm, and my royal house, and this land: this I pray of Ahuramazda, this may Ahuramazda give to me!

𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃/𐎠 𐏐 𐎳𐎼𐎶𐎠𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎢𐎺𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎥𐎿/𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎶𐎠 𐏐 𐎰𐎭𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎰𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎼𐎠𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎶𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎺𐎼𐎭 𐏐 𐎶𐎠 𐏐 𐎿𐎫𐎲𐎺 martiyā hyā Auramazdāhā framānā hauvtaiy gastā mā θadaya paθim tyām rāstām mā avarada mā stabava

O man, that which is the command of Ahuramazda, let this not seem repugnant to you; do not leave the right path; do not rise in rebellion!

Pierre Lecoq, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide (1997 Paris)

Darius the Great Inscription A famous Achaemenid royal text carved at Naqsh-e Rostam around 490 BCE. Written in Old Persian cuneiform on the façade of Darius I’s tomb, it has two main parts: one describing his lineage and empire, and another devoted to religion and the worship of Ahuramazda.

𐎲𐎥 𐏐 𐎺𐏀𐎼𐎣 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎹 𐏐 𐎡𐎶/𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎺𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎿𐎶/𐎠𐎴𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎹 𐏐 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐏃/𐎹 𐏐 𐏁𐎡𐎹𐎠𐎫𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎹 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐎶 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎤/𐎢𐎴𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎺𐎶 𐏐 𐎱𐎽𐎢𐎺𐎴𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰/𐎡𐎹𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎺𐎶 𐏐 𐎱𐎽𐎢𐎺𐎴𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎳𐎼𐎶𐎠𐎫𐎠/𐎼𐎶 baga vazraka Auramazdā hya imām būmim adā hya avam asmānam adā hya martiyam adā hya šiyātim adā martiyahyā hya Dārayavaum xšāyaθiyam akunauš aivam parūvnām xšāyaθiyam aivam parūvnām framātāram

A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Darius king, one king of many, one lord of many.

𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎺/𐏀𐎼𐎣 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎭𐏃𐎹𐎢𐎴𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎻𐎡𐎿𐎱𐏀𐎴𐎠/𐎴𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐏃𐎹𐎠𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡/𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎺𐏀𐎼𐎣𐎠𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎯𐎢𐎼𐎡<𐎹 𐏐> 𐎠𐎱𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎻𐎡𐏁𐎫𐎠𐎿/𐎱𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎢𐏂 𐏐 𐏃𐎧𐎠𐎶𐎴𐎡𐏁𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 𐏐 𐎱/𐎠𐎼𐎿𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎢𐏂 𐏐 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎨𐎡/𐏂 adam Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya vazraka xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām xšāyaθiya dahyūnām vispazanānām xšāyaθiya ahyāyā būmiyā vazrakāyā dūraiy apiy Vištāspahyā puça Haxāmanišiya Pārsa Pārsahyā puça Ariya Ariya ciça

I am Darius the great king, king of kings, king of countries containing all kinds of men, king in this great earth far and wide, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, having Aryan lineage.

𐏐 𐎰𐎠𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎧𐏁[𐎠]𐎹/𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎺𐏁𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃𐎠 𐏐 𐎡𐎶[𐎠 𐏐] 𐎭𐏃𐎹𐎠𐎺 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎥𐎼𐎲𐎠𐎹[𐎶 𐏐] 𐎠𐎱𐎫𐎼𐎶 𐏐 𐏃𐎨𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶𐏁𐎠[𐎶 𐏐] 𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎹𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎶𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎠𐎪𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎲[𐎼]/𐏃 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐏁𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐏃𐎨𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎰𐏃𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎺 𐏐 [𐎠]/𐎤𐎢𐎴𐎺 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎫𐎶 𐏐 𐎫𐎹 𐏐 𐎶𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎺𐎮𐎡[𐏁 𐏐] 𐎠𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya vašnā Auramazdāhā imā dahyāva tyā adam agarbāyam apataram hacā Pārsā adamšām : patiyaxšayaiy manā bājim abaraha tyašām hacāma aθahya ava akunava dātam tya manā avadiš adāraiya

King Darius says: By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries which I seized outside of Persia; I ruled over them; they bore tribute to me; they did what was said to them by me; they held my law firmly;

𐏐 𐎶𐎠𐎭 𐏐 𐎢𐎺𐎩 𐏐 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 𐏐 𐏃𐎼[𐎡]/𐎺 𐏐 𐎲𐎠𐎧𐎫𐎼𐎡𐏁 𐏐 𐎿𐎢𐎦𐎢𐎭 𐏐 𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼𐏀[𐎷]/𐎡𐏁 𐏐 𐏀𐎼𐎣 𐏐 𐏃𐎼𐎢𐎺𐎫𐎡𐏁 𐏐 𐎰𐎫𐎦𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎥/𐎭𐎠𐎼 𐏐 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎿𐎣𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎢𐎶𐎺𐎼𐎥𐎠 𐏐 𐎿/𐎣𐎠 𐏐 𐎫𐎡𐎥𐎼𐎧𐎢𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢[𐏁 𐏐] 𐎠/𐎰𐎢𐎼𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎼𐎲𐎠𐎹 𐏐 𐎸𐎢𐎭𐎼𐎠𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎼𐎷[𐎡𐎴] 𐏐 𐎣𐎫𐎱𐎬𐎢𐎣 𐏐 𐎿𐎱𐎼𐎭 𐏐 𐎹𐎢𐎴 𐏐 𐎿𐎣𐎠 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎡[𐎹 𐏐 𐎱]/𐎼𐎭𐎼𐎹 𐏐 𐎿𐎤𐎢𐎭𐎼 𐏐 𐎹𐎢𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎫𐎣𐎲𐎼𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎢𐎫[𐎠]𐎹/𐎠 𐏐 𐎤𐎢𐏁𐎡𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎶𐎨𐎡𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎣𐎼𐎣𐎠 𐏐 Māda Ūvja Parθava Haraiva Bāxtriš Suguda Uvārazmiš Zraka Harauvatiš Θataguš Gadāra Hiduš Sakā haumavargā Sakā tigraxaudā Bābirauš Aθurā Arabāya Mudrāya Armina Katpatuka Sparda Yauna Sakā tyaiy paradraya Skudra Yaunā takabarā Putāyā Kūšiyā Maciyā Karkā

Media, Elam, Parthia, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Drangiana, Arachosia, Sattagydia, Gandāra, India, the haoma-drinking Scythians, the Scythians with pointed caps, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, Egypt, Armenia, Cappadocia, Lydia, the Greeks, the Scythians across the sea, Thrace, the petasos-wearing Greeks, the Libyans, the Nubians, the men of Maka and the Carians.

Reconstruction and genome of Altın adam Iron Age, Eleke Sazy – East Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 (ca. 650–600 BCE) Culture: Tasmola culture mtDNA: J1b1a1e Y-DNA: R1a1a1b2a2a3b Genetic profile: Combination of MNG_Khovsgol_BA and RUS_Krasnoyarsk_MLBA ancestry Closest Modern Populations: Various Turkic groups among others.

ESZ001,0.091058,-0.107646,0.061094,0.053295,-0.035699,0.011156,0.000235,-0.007846,-0.013703,-0.026971,-0.014128,-0.003747,-0.001189,-0.025460,0.011129,0.010740,-0.003520,0.005068,-0.002263,0.005378,-0.015847,0.011747,-0.005300,0.009519,0.003113

Ancestral Whisper. 2026. Saka Golden Man, Eleke Sazy Gnecchi-Ruscone B. M., Khussainova E., Kahbatkyzy N., Musralina L., Spengler R. N., Krause J., Jeong C. 2021. Ancient genomic time transect from the Central Asian Steppe unravels the history of the Scythians