The early sample of silk in Central A sia as disclosed at Sapallitepa site (17-14thcenturies B.C) in Surkhandarya province. However, recently new finds of silk were obtained and they give us possibility to have a new concept on origin of silk weaving in the Ferghana Valley. Still the earliest finds of silk took place in Karabulak burial ground in Southern Ferghana dated back to last centuries BCE and l-2ndcenturies CE. In this burial ground, two thirds of all fabrics is silk cloth. They are different in type: smooth cloth, damask, polychromatic and embroidery. Fragments with depicted seminaked women with mythical drag on sin hands are very interesting. Female deities with serpentine creature sin hands were widely spread in mythology in the ancient world. Some patterns on silk clothes from Karabulak are originated from ornamental art of South-East Asia. Face veils, so-called kerchiefs, eye-flaps, so-called spectacles, votive flasks and clothes are prominent among Karabulak collection of silk goods. The burial ceremony with face veils and eye-flaps is interesting. Its widespread is proved by excavations at Munchaktepa burial ground, where similar elements of burial ceremony being very important for study of religious concept of people in the Ferghana Valley were disclosed.
As we mentioned above, the adults were buried in cane coffins and children in woven baskets. They both were placed in special underground vaults. The grave goods were placed both inside and outside of coffin. It was included clothes made of wool, silk, cotton fabric, foot wear made of leather and such instruments as knives, wooden boot-trees, musical instruments, arms (poniards, bows, arrows), different adornments and household goods (earthen and woodenware). Fruit stones (peach, nut, cherry, almond) and bones of animals, birds were also found inside some pottery. Occasionally,
special tools reflecting a profession of the dead were placed inside cane coffins. According to found materials a coffin of “musician”, “shoemaker”, “weaver” and “hunter” was identified. As grave goods the musical instruments (kushnay and sumay), boot-tree, knives, bows, arrows, spindle whorl and also silk cloth were put in these coffins.
According to specialists’ point of view, basically silk of local production was used for Munchaktepa necropolis. This silk is medium grade and weaved of unevenly spun threads. Polychrome silk of summit type ornamented with vegetation patterns was used as embroidery. In one case the Chinese damask silk with geometrical ornamentation was used in design of plated collar.
Munchaktepa collection is included several intact shirt, woman’s robe and children’s clothes. Remains of two and more dresses worn on one another were found in cane coffins E-4, E-5, E-7 and E-10. In general, underground vaults of Munchaktepa are important treasury to study burial ceremony of not only in the Ferghana Valley, but also entire Central Asia. Some faces of buried people in Karabulak and Munchaktepa were coated with quadrangular veils made of thin silk of high quality. Custom using face veil and eye-fades is one of ritual sin burial practice known in some sites in the Ferghana Valley (burial grounds of Karabulak, Borkorbaz) and Xinjiang (burial grounds of Kara Khodja, Astana, Yar-Khoto). Summarizing face veils from Xinjiang, sinologist E.I. Lubo-Lesnichenko rightly considered them to be Central Asian by origin. However, in Xinjiang (Astana burial ground) and Southern Ferghana (Karabulak burial ground), face veils opposing to Munchaktepa were disclosed together with eye-flaps. In Karabulak small “pillows” made of silk were placed instead of eye-flaps. In burial grounds of Astana and Karabulak, face veils are peculiar: their middle part was made of polychrome silk and fringes were weaved of simple monochrome cloth. And in some face veils from Xinjiang,
there were smooth silk-lined. Chronological comparing ceremony using face veils and eye-fades with other sites, it was revealed that initially this rite was originated in Karabulak and then in Munchaktepa and sites of Xinjiang.
It is assumed that face veils and eye-fade shad two functions: ritual and social. As for ritual, it was aimed to close eyes and face as if “blind” the dead for them not to find way back to the world. According to ethnographers’ data, many people still preserve rite to cover face and eyes of the dead with fabric. This ritual is deeply rooted in history.
The social function reflected position of the dead in society. In this case, face veils and eye-fades were functionally identical to burial mask made of precious metals. Generally, silk cloth was highly valued in the Ferghana Valley. On this point, it is needed to mention Russian traveler Filipp Nazarov’s memoirs. He visited Kokandkhanate in early 19th century and writing about Margilan he quoted one legend: “A building as an open temple is towering in the middle of the town, inside which there is ared silk banner. People of Margilan regard it as the sacred and have a legend that it was belonged to Iskander”