تحقيقات ايران شناسي: كتيبه بلخي ايرتم

Iranian Studies The Bactrian Inscription of Ayrtam

The Bactrian Inscription of Ayrtam was discovered in 1979, in the eastern side of Tarmad, located in the northern banks of Amodarya River. The inscription is written in Bactrian language, using a modified version of the Greek script. Bactrian language is an extinct Eastern Middle Iranian language which was spoken for a long time in the northern regions of Afghanistan. The language in question was preserved for centuries, even under the extended rule of Alexander and his successors over the Middle East. The name of Bactria, being nowadays just a small province in the northern Afghanistan, can be found in Avesta as well as in the Inscription of Dariush the Great. Contemporary studies and achievements on the Achaemenian Dynasty and their predecessors have actually provided the major decoding keys to the language, culture, and history of Bactria. The Bactrian Inscription of Ayrtam occupies the third place in terms of historical and linguistic importance, after the Bactrian inscriptions of Surkh Kotal and Rabatak. It actually provides some precious informations on the history and language of one of the most important regions of the ancient eastern Persia.