AIRTAM - THE DYNASTIC TEMPLE OF KING HUVISHKA
The article provides a new reading and interpretation of the monumental Bactrian inscription written on the base of a sculpture block found in 1979 at the site of Airtam, located 18 km west of Termez, on the right bank of the Amudarya river. Contrary to the conventional and long held scholarly opinion, which has regarded the cult complex at Airtam as Buddhist, it is now clear from our reading of the inscription that its character was rather different - that is, it was a dynastic temple devoted to the cult of the Kushan king Huvishka. The author''s view is substantiated by the absence of any terms designating Buddhist cult constructions in the wording of the inscription, referring, in particular, to the building of the Airtam temple. On the contrary, all the terms used in the inscription are of Old Iranian and Avestan origin. The text gives the date of the inscription as Year 4 of Huvishka''s reign, and contains a number of previously unknown words and phrases in the Bactrian vocabulary, the exact meaning of which is not yet very clear.