ÉPUISÉ - Margiana and Protozoroastrism, 1998, 192 p. -

Twenty-five years ago, V. Sarianidis discovered a hitherto unknown civilization of the second millennium BC in the Caracorum desert. The discovery was made in Margiana (Turkmenistan), and the finds from the excavations show that it was directly related to the Near East civilization. The results of the excavations in Margiana are of great importance to our understanding of the ancient civilizations of Asia. In addition to pottery, stone, bone and metal objects, seals, and sculpture, there were also discoveries of monumental buildings, temples and palaces, as well as rich tombs; they are evidence for a unique Central Asia civilization that enjoyed direct relations both with the peoples of the Near East and with the Aegean world.