Artifact. A dumbbell in the shape of two snakes

The artifact expected to be featured in the exhibition of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan was discovered in 1894 at the Mugtepa site near the village of Tul in the Sokh District of the Fergana Region. In academic literature, it is referred to as the “Sokh find”. The artifact is made of chrysotile and measures 27 cm in height, 24 cm in width, 4.5 cm in thickness, and weighs 4.806 kg.

The age of this artifact, which remains a topic of scholarly debate, dates back to the 3rd–2nd millennia BCE. Over time, various theories have been proposed about its origin and function, yet no consensus has been reached among researchers. Due to interactions and migrations between cultures, such objects have spread to surrounding regions.

As these processes continued over long periods, the original purpose and meaning of these objects underwent significant transformations. Initially, such stone items were simple rounded shapes. Later, they evolved into artistic forms, like the one described above.

For reference, a “dumbbell” (girya) is an object specially crafted with a distinct shape and specific weight. The term “girya” first appeared in Russian dictionaries in the early 17th century and is believed by some specialists to derive from the Persian word “geran”, meaning “weight”. Such stone objects were used as units of weight by early agricultural communities that lived in the Fergana Valley during the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Ages.