The beginning of the I mln B.C.-IV c B.C.
The first half of the I mil. B.C. is considered as a period of great changes in financial, political and cultural life of Bactrian land, that joined the territories Surkhan oasis, Southern Tajikistan and Northern Afghanistan. This process was directly related with the invention of making iron implements. The people of the region discovered iron at the end of the Bronze Age, that’s during XIII-XII cc B.C. at the same period with Helts, one of the most ancient nationalities of the Ancient East. Making iron implements in wide range corresponds to the VII-VI cc B.C.
The Early Iron Age in Bactrian land is considered to be the period of developing the cities with two parts. Djondavlattepa(in Sherabad Oasis), Hayitobodtepa (lower sides of the Surkhan river), Kiziltepa (Mirshodi Oasis) which functioned as region’s center, consisted of 2 constituent parts, that’s a citadel and internal town.
Administrative structures and the residence of rulers were situated in the citadel (Arch). Both parts in their turn were surrounded by strong fortification. In this period round (Tallashkantepa 2) or rectangular square (Bandihontepa) strong military fortresses were constructed as well. Mirshodi,Kizilcha and Kuchuktepa (Muzrabad) are a group of villages relating to the Early Iron epoch.
At the time of Bactrian kingdom crafts was developed in the region as well as town-building and architecture. A stone image of a man found in Mirshodi, spears with three-edges, crescent-shaped iron and stone sickles, mortars with pestles are the vivid evidence of it. One of the main features of pottery of the VI-IV cc was that the majority of ceramic vessels starting from big jugs for keeping grain and water to small ones were made in potter’s wheel having jar-shaped forms.
