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Duel Outside a Castle. Sogdian mural from Panjakent
CASTLE WALLS
Painting with glue paints on dry loess plaster
First half of the 8th century
Penjikent. Object XXII, room 1
Receipt: from excavations in 1967
The theme of the painting, as one can assume, was some kind of epic narrative, which consisted of a number of separate episodes. This fragment is the outcome of a duel between two characters. The scene takes place at the walls of the castle, to the left of which is a tree with three large leaves. In the foreground are two warriors - one of them, dressed in chain mail, knocked his opponent to the ground, crushing him with his knee. The castle wall depicts the figures of two women throwing stones at the attacker, one stone hit him in the shoulder. Perhaps this scene or the whole narrative is explained by the inscription made on the opening of the passage to the castle. Unfortunately, it is heavily erased and so far only a few words and the name of, apparently, one of the characters have been read.
Photo by Oleg Belaychuk
Referenced as figure 430 in The military technology of classical Islam by D Nicolle
430. Fresco from Piandjikent Reception Hall XII/1, 7th-8th centuries AD, Transoxanian, Hermitage, Leningrad (Aka S, Yaku)