The Warrior on Claps from Tillya Tepe

Among the objects excavated in 1978 at site of Tillya Tepe (Northern Afghanistan) by Soviet-Afghan archaeological expedition led Victor I. Sarianidi, twin golden clasps from Burial III attract special and instant attention any military historian or a researcher ancient arms armour. The identity personage(-s) on has quite rarely been studied. Scholars are usually satisfied with generic term “warrior”. Kazim Abdullaev identified personage as Ares-Alexander. Jeannine Davis-Kimball Enaree, castrated priest one epiphanies Great Goddess. Patryk Skupniewicz supported latter identification associating personages North Indian, mainly Gandharan iconography Skanda Kartikeya who, war-god, was an Indian equivalent Ares. This article establishes correspondence between images representations enthroned armed goddesses which common related to discussed clasps. goddess Iranian Arshtat Kushan coins. warrior depicted should be interpreted portrayal Arshtat, whose image borrowed Athena. is shown seated throne griffin-shaped legs known already Achaemenid times pose developed late Hellenistic period, line date entire site.