A bath tub in the realm of Roxanne?

Recent discoveries in Kurgansol

In the course of recent excavations in Uzbekistan, supported by the Curt-Engelhorn-Foundation and the German Archaeological Institute, a ceramic bath tub was discovered in Fort Kurgansol. Its existence at this location in Central Asia is explicable only by the presence of the bearers of Greek culture. Many comparable finds of bath tubs are known in the distant Mediterranean area. Together with the model of Fort Kurgansol, an exact copy of the bath tub made particularly for the exhibition presents an impressive setting indeed.

Written evidence confirms that Alexander founded several cities in the Central Asian lands of Bactria and Sogdia. Their conquest led to a kind of guerrilla war over the years. Fort Kurgansol lies directly on the main route of Alexander?s campaign.  Presumably it was built as a defence bastion during the battles along the way. At the victorious end of the battle Alexander emphasised his plans for a united multi-ethnic state through his marriage with Roxanne, the daughter of a local ruler. The union between the Macedonian king and the Bactrian princess signified a peace treaty in Bactria and Sogdia. Without doubt this marriage, which was rather inexplicable to even the ancient writers, fostered an intense exchange between the various cultures.