Variety of forms and designs is an identifying feature of ancient Central Asian jewelry. The major types of adornments that existed during the given time period are distinguished by principles of wearing, resulting from ritual and socio-cultural peculiarities of the given type of article. Thus, classification of articles depends on direct connections with the conventions of social etiquette and the aesthetic forms of everyday behavior, hence we distinguish: head, temple, ear, neck, chest, hand, and foot adornments, as well as sew-on pieces, and finally votive plates and small articles. Let us consider the most frequently found types and forms of jewelry.
Head adornments: diadems, crowns, fillets.

In the ancient world, headdresses determined the social status of the wearer. This aspect is made clear by gold votive plates with depictions of donors from the Treasure of Oxus. Beginning with the Hellenistic epoch the headdress served solely as a socio-ideological sign (Akishev A. K., Akishev K. A Proishojdenie I cemantika issikskogo golovnogo ubora, // Arheologicheskie issledovanoya drevnego I srednevekovogo Kazahstana. Alma-Ata, 1980, p. 22) A plate with a depiction of geese (from the Treasure of Oxus) (Zeimal. E Amudar’inskii klad, L., 1979, p. 47 # 47 ) could have been used as an adornment for a headdress. Symmetry of the design is achieved by the alternation of a pair of birds and by a dividing line of salient dots. The composition can be completed by repetition of this pattern, thus allowing restoring missing adornment parts. The top edge of the plate is jagged, similar to the headdresses of the donors on votives, as well as the men (of royal origin) found on finger rings (compare with #103 and #104).

Diadems found in the IIIrd and Vth burials of the Tillya-tepe necropolis represent unique models of the finest gold making. The first one is a tracery lattice made of a thin sheet of gold. Due to its fragility and length, it could not be worn alone, and most probably was sewed-on or fixed to a headdress. A repetitive cross motive stands out in the diadem’s ornament (Sarianidi, V, Bactrian Gold, L. 1985, p. 236-246)
A diadem from the IVth burial consists of two combined elements: the lower part -a fillet with rosetts, the top part a tree with birds (Sarianidi, Bactrian gold, p. 254-259). Analogies to this diadem exist in Korean and Chinese art (Gluhareva O. Iskusstvo Korei, M. 1982).

In the early middle ages a different type of headdress, resembling a nomadic abode (a yurta) became wide spread. (Pamyatniki kul’turi I iskusstva Kirgizii. L. 1983, p. 46 #140) In separate details (a rim with cylindrical ringing pendants) it is similar to the diadems described above, thus confirming the existence of cultural relations and exchange of traditions.

Head and forehead adornments are also known through wall paintings, sculpture, relief and pottery. For example, a picture of a woman with a forehead fillet adorned with “precious” stones in its center, is as found on a jug that dates to the Kushan period (Pugachenkova G. Jiga-tepe, Drevnya Bactria, M1979, vol. 2. p. 64). The head of a goddess from a wall-painting in Dilberdjin is crowned with a diadem that is slightly dilated in its central part and gradually narrows on both sides, like a pediment, it’s painted in yellow ocher- the color of gold (Sokolovskii V. Rekonstrukziya 2 skulpturnuh izobrajenii iz Dolberdjina, Drevnya Bactria, M. 1979, vol 2, p. 17) The next stage of coloring consisted of the placement of an ornament of circles and stretched rectangles with the use of dark brown color. Head fillets of the I-II centuries found on sculptures from Dalverzin (“the hall of tsars”) (Pugachenkova G. Dalverzin-tepe, Tashkent, 1978, p. 207) can be identified as Greek, due to their form : one of the fillets is richly decorated with oval semi-precious stones, while the other has a multi-petaled rosette, with traces of gilding in the center. An analogous type of forehead adornments can be found on relieves from Airtam (Trever C. Pamyatniki Greko-Bactriiskogo iskusstva . M-L, 1940, p. 62).

Judging by the diadems of bodhisattvas from Ajina-tepe (Zeimal T, Litvinskii B. Adjina-tepe, Moscow, 1971, p. 180) . the principles of use and the form of head adornments did not change in the VII century. The diadems consist of concentric circular strips, ovals with center mountings or in the shape of rollers formed by a line of repeating ovals.
The following historic information about a Sogdian head adornment made of precious stones had been preserved –the ruler of Samarqand wore a “golden crown” decorated with seven precious stones ” (Mukhtarov A. Puteshestvie v Sogdianu, Dushanbe, 1986, p. 110) . And in Assyria, for example, Ashurbanipal wore wide fillet with a high mitre on state occasions. The fillet was covered with rosettes made of gold tread, and supported the high mitre on the forehead; the ends of the fillet tied together fell on the back of the head (Maspero G. Assiria, Drevnya Istoria, St. Petersburg, 1900p. 225),

It is obvious that after undergoing various transformations, this type of fillet became the model for the forthcoming cross belt.

It should be noted that constructive peculiarities in jewelry art relate it to architecture. Hence, it may not be mere chance that the bottom of a crown was treated as an element of architectural decoration, where décor was based on the rules of free composition with repetition of elements or group elements. Thus, head adornments not only served as elements of distinction and indication of social strata, but also played a major role in artistic completeness of an image; a man –like an architectural form, gained the significance of a closed aesthetic system.

Temple pendants
Often, head fillets and diadems were supplemented by temple –pendants. In a manner similar to porticos in architecture, they carry the construction of the diadem; subject compositions could be placed within the pendants (Tillya-tepe). Most temple-pendants are of a rectangular or a square shape. Such types of adornments are absent from the Treasure of Oxus.

Apparently, this type of temple pendants became widespread on the verge of the new era, for similar temple pendants are known to us through the findings of Tillya-tepe.
Scenes, that fill the space on temple-pendants changed in the early middle ages. The “new’ pendants have the following characteristic features: fractionality, strict vertical lines and one multipartite (Pamyatniki kul’turi I iskusstva Kirgizii, p. 46).

Hair adornments- pins, bronze pivots crowned by disks with miniature flowers, relate to the same article group. It is the most ancient type of head adornments, common not only to Central Asia, but in a later time also in China (Hermitage collections)

Earrings
Earrings are one of the most popular types, of adornments of all times. The variety of form and design that exist in their representation are sticking. On the relieves from Persepolis, among tributaries, a Bactrian is portrayed with a drop-shaped earring in one ear confirming the assumption that earrings were worn by men (Schmidt. E. Persepolis, Chicago, vol. 1, 1953; vol. 2, 1957, vol. 31969). An analogous type of earrings can be found among articles of the Treasure of Oxus. This type of earrings is wide spread even in our time. In ancient Iran, annular earrings are depicted on the ears of guards from Suz (Morant H. Histoire des arts decorative, Paris, 1970, p. 129) relieves. Similar earrings were used in Central Asia during II BC- II AD; this conclusion is supported by findings from burials (see earrings from the finds of Bishkent burials ) (Mandelshtam A. Pamyatniki kochevnikov Kushanskogo vremeni v Severnoi Bactrii, Leningrad, 1975) Thus, it may be concluded that in contrast to women, men wore only one earring. Supporting evidence for this conclusion can be found in ethnography. The diversity of material used to make earrings suggest that earrings were a popular adornment in all levels of society, therefore archaeologists are able to uncover not only gold and silver earrings, but also bronze, brass, iron and copper. For example, in Tulkhar burial earrings that resemble a bird in their shape were found alongside an earring with an amphora shaped pendant. The handles of the amphora are shaped as bent stylized dolphins. This once again notes the diversity of images used in adornments, especially earrings. The appearance of amphora and dolphins indicate the presence of Greek influence that spread on to the territory of Central Asia during II BC-I AD (Litvinskii B. Ukrasheniya iz mogil’nikov Zapadnoi Fergani, Moscow, 1973, p. 211). These motifs became widely used in the first centuries AD. In a Ksirov’s burial (II BC), for example we’ll see the cockerel-shaped earrings with moonlike pendants were discovered, the other ones were “pepper”-shaped with pendant and gold disk (Denisov E. Raskopki mogilnikov Ksirov, Arheolohicheskie otkritiya, 1978, Moscow, 1979, p. 577)

Such disk are a common decorative element to Ksirov’s adornments and those from Tillya-tepe (compare with earrings from the Ist burial). In addition to earrings one may also find heart shaped clips with a square (Vth burial of Tillya-tepe), as well as those in the form of winged cupids (Vth burial). The latter represent not only earrings, but also miniature sculpture. The form of the clips predetermines the composition. The plump faces and bodies of cupids stand out, while the legs are bent following the shape of the hoop. (Sarianidi V. Bactrian Gold). Of interest is an earring in the form of a woman-sphinx with stretched out paws (Dushanbe) (Pugachenkova, G. Iskusstvo Bactrii epochi Kushan, Moscow, 1979, p. 85). The female head is crowned by a small wall crown; a splendid nude bust is girt crosswise by belts. Similar earrings shapes can be found in the first centuries AD. However, these later version of earrings seem to be a simplified version of the earrings from the Treasure of Oxus or from Tillya-tepe. They differ very slightly in technique, as for example a partially damaged earring in the shape of a cored cylinder decorated with wire-net granulation and snake-shaped eyes from Dalverzin-tepe. (Pugachenkova G. Khudojestvennie sokrovisha Dal’verzina, Leningrad, 1978, ill. 77) Earrings depicted Airtam relieves show diverse combinations of geometric shapes: squares, rectangles, rhombuses, circles; only one earring is shaped like a tri-petal rosette (Trever C. 1940). Gold earrings from the treasure of Shamshi (Pamaytniki kul’turi I iskusstva Kirgizii, p. 46) differ from others in their fractional form, having cone-shaped pendants that end with spheres. Such complex form is caused by the design of dynamically active adornment with “singing metal”. A different type of earrings, dating to that period (early middle ages) is known. The basis of their form is the moon, to which seventeen rays are soldered (Pamaytniki kul’turi I iskusstva Kirgizii). Earrings from Sogd (RaspopovaV.