Image of Medicinal Plants on Ceramic Products of Central Asia

In the culture of the ancient world, the symbolism of plants was of particular importance. It is not for nothing that legends associated with plants have appeared in the myths of many peoples of the world. From the early Paleolithic era, in the economy of ancient people, a special place was given to collecting fruits and roots of plants. They also knew that plants were food for most wild animals, which provided the protein for the human body. In search of edible plants, they skillfully studied the surrounding fauna. Thus, the first knowledge appeared about the peculiar properties of plants in the world around them. These medicinal plants were eaten raw, or some of them were used to make "divine drinks" or "drinks of immortality", which at the beginning of their appearance also had medicinal or aperitif purposes, and also "lifted the spirits" of people. Therefore, in the visual arts, images of these plants are often found. If in antiquity rocks and stones were the main objects on which people created their first images, later ceramics began to play this role. During archaeological excavations at the Khantepa site located near the city of Karshi, the Republic of Uzbekistan, fragments of a vessel with plant ornament were found. The study of this find allowed us to draw attention to the symbolism of plants in the art of various cultures of the peoples of the world. New research proves once again that the temples of Central Asia were also the first medical institutions where the first medicines were manufactured.