Khalchayan

Khalchayan (also Khaltchaïan) is an archaeological site, thought to be a small palace or a reception hall, located near the modern town ofDenov in Surxondaryo Region of southern Uzbekistan. It is located in the valley of the Surkhan Darya, a northern tributary of the Oxus(modern Amu Darya).

The site is usually attributed to the early Kushans, or their ancestors the Yuezhi. It was excavated by Galina Pugachenkova between 1959 and 1963. The interior walls are decorated with clay sculptures and paintings dated to the mid-1st century BCE. Various panels depict scenes of Kushan life: battles, feasts, portraits of rulers.

Head of a Kushan prince (Khalchayan palace, Uzbekistan).