op les ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁ph on etic ▁script . ▁St ela e ▁with ▁texts ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁run ic ▁Or kh on ▁script ▁devoted ▁to ▁Tony u ku k , ▁Bil ge ▁Kh agan ▁and ▁K ul ▁T egin ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁regions ▁of ▁Mong olia . ▁ ▁These ▁texts ▁telling ▁about ▁the ▁wars ▁which ▁the ▁milit ant ▁Tur ks ▁fought ▁to ▁defend ▁their ▁national ▁freedom ▁from ▁al ien ▁enemies ▁were ▁first ▁read ▁by ▁N . ▁M . ▁Y adr int se v ▁and ▁Wilhelm ▁Tom son ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Ar che ological ▁find ings ▁demonstrate ▁that ▁the ▁U igh urs ▁who ▁defeated ▁the ▁Turk ic ▁K agan ate ▁and ▁founded ▁their ▁own ▁emp ire ▁on ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁Mong olia ▁produced ▁real istic - looking ▁stat ues ▁in ▁honour ▁of ▁the ▁out standing ▁war riors . ▁In ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁U igh ur ▁K agan ▁Bog uchar ▁ordered ▁a ▁gold ▁statue ▁of ▁Bud d ha ▁Sh ak y am uni ▁to ▁be ▁cast , ▁which ▁later ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁K ha ans . ▁The ▁Kh itan ▁Empire , ▁founded ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁made ▁enorm ous ▁str ides ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁culture ▁and ▁scientific ▁per ception . ▁Hand ic raft s ▁such ▁as ▁we aving , ▁metal ▁sm el ting , ▁and ▁painting ▁and ▁sculpt ure ▁were ▁widely ▁pract iced . ▁ ▁S cul pt ure ▁of ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁Empire ▁