Kate Franklin

This paper presents the results of the excavations at Arpa settlement carried out in the frameworks of «Vayots Dzor Silk Road Survey» (VDSRS) project. The medieval settlement of Arpa (located to the 0.5 km to the North-East of the contemporary village of Areni) is situated at an important strategic junction, sitting astride the canyon road from the Sharur plain into Vayots Dzor and was a crossroad of caravan trade routes. Arpa had an important administrative role as well, serving as a seat of government for prince Tarsayich Orbelyan.
This research, focused on Arpa settlement, has generated important results, providing new datasets on both everday life and engagement with largescale phenomena. Arpa provides us with a view into the everyday life of people situated at a key point in both local political and social landscape, and along the route of travel. Our discussion of the results of a first season of excavation demonstrates the potential for continuing research into the medieval past of Vayots Dzor at both the site and landscape scales.

This paper presents the results of the excavations at Arpa settlement carried out in the frameworks of the «Vayots Dzor Silk Road Survey» project. The medieval settlement of Arpa (located 0.5 km to the north-east of the contemporary village of Areni) is situated at an important strategic junction, sitting astride the canyon roads leading from the Ararat plain as well as Nakhijevan through the Sharur plain into Vayots Dzor; the settlement was a crossroad of caravan trade routes. Arpa had an important administrative role as well, serving as a seat of government for Tarsayich Orbelyan.
In 2016 the excavations unearthed living contexts with rich archaeological material (ceramic, metal, glass as well as zoological and archaeobotanical remains) which demonstrate different aspects of daily life. The recovered assemblages, with a predominance of ceramic material, date to the end of the 12th to the 15th centuries. The ceramic material is characterized predominantly the local production; however we can distinguish (especially in the glazed pottery) imported wares.
The analysis of the archaeological material demonstrates the particularities of local daily life, complementing and enhancing the historical sources as well as considering Arpa and Vayots Dzor in general in the regional trade and cultural exchanges.

This paper discusses preliminary works of Vayots Dzor Silk Road Survey (VDSRS) project revisiting the medieval archaeological landscape in Vayots Dzor region, which was actively integrated into the the material and cultural exchanges, formed by Silk Road phenomenon. During the medieval period (especially in the 13th-14th centuries AD), the routes which run along the Arpa and Yeghegis Rivers, formed part of the wider network of roads, connecting local towns and settlements to the cities such as Dvin, Partav, Tbilisi and Tabriz, and the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas. The VDSRS is also focused on the study of the everyday life in the local communities which lived along the route and questioned how local people were linked with external world.
The VDSRS is based on targeted survey and archaeological excavations of the medieval sites of the 12th-15th centuries, combining historical archaeological methods, including epigraphy and materials detailed analysis. In 2015-2016 seasons we recorded multifarious sites (settlements, fortresses, caravanserais, bridges, monastic complexes, chapels, khachkars (i.e. cross-stones), cemeteries), making up a database with their precise coordinates and descriptions, which is displayed as a map hosted on WorldMap platform by Harvard University.
The survey data was complemented by the excavations at the medieval settlement of Arpa (located to the 0.5 km to the North-East of the contemporary village of Areni) where living contexts were uncovered, demonstrating different aspects of daily life. Ceramic material collected on survey and through excavations at Arpa closely corresponds to late 12th to the beginning of the 15th centuries. The ceramic material is characterized predominantly the local production; however we can distinguish (especially in the glazed pottery) imported wares. This corroborates the wider arguments that Vayots Dzor region was integrated in the trade-economic and cultural interconnections created by the phenomenon of the Silk Road.
In terms of resolving the problems of understanding Vayots Dzor Silk Road culture this study can represent only the current state of research in this region, but it nevertheless provides detailed data for future studies.

Caravanserais or ‘road inns’ were a central aspect of medieval and early modern sociality in Central Asia, as infrastructural investments made by centralized polities to promote long distance exchange, and as locales for providing charitable hospitality. This paper presents data on early modern (16-17th c) caravan networks in Afghanistan, discovered and mapped using satellite imagery and historical data by the Afghan Heritage Mapping Partnership (AHMP) at the University of Chicago. By recording networks of standardized roadside architecture from the Safavid-Mughal period, we generate new information on previously understudied routes of the early modern “Silk Roads.”

Within this chapter we will lay out a discussion of why landscape-scale archaeological research is so crucial
to scholarship moving forward, particularly focussing on high and late medieval (12th–15th centuries AD) Silk Road
heritage within the Republic of Armenia. We will provide a brief overview of how the methods and research priorities
of the first seasons of the Vayots Dzor Silk Road Survey (VDSRS) emerged from historical data pertaining to that
landscape, as well as perceived obligations to heritage management concerns at the local and institute level. Ultimately,
this chapter will attempt a preliminary synthesis of the VDSRS data, with the aim in mind of (re)characterising the
Vayots Dzor section of the Silk Road Corridor as an object of study both in terms of its particular history and also with
an awareness of the contemporary relevance of archaeological research in this region.

Keywords: Medieval landscape; Armenia; Silk Road Heritage; Infrastructure

Analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in looting and destruction at archaeological sites using satellite imagery has become a focus of multiple research groups working on cultural heritage in conflict zones, especially in areas controlled by the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. In this paper, we apply similar methods to investigate looting and destruction at archaeological sites in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, where Taliban-related cultural heritage destruction events have also frequently made international headlines. Using the time depth provided by high-resolution, time-stamped DigitalGlobe satellite and BuckEye aerial images as well as CORONA and other historical satellite images and maps, we quantitatively document spatial and temporal patterns in destruction from looting, agricultural activity, military occupation, urban growth, mining, and other kinds of development at over 1000 previously known archaeological sites across Afghanistan. This analysis indicates that several common narratives about cultural heritage destruction in Afghanistan may require revision. Specifically, we conclude that significant amounts of systematic looting of archaeological sites in Afghanistan already occurred before Taliban-related conflicts, that there has been little increase in systematic looting in Taliban-controlled areas post-2001, and that the most pressing threats to Afghanistan's heritage sites come from development activities, including agricultural expansion, urban growth, and future mining. The analysis demonstrates that the situation in Afghanistan both parallels and contrasts with that seen in the post-Arab-Spring Middle East.

Remote survey using high-resolution satellite images allows archaeologists to study ancient landscapes in regions made inaccessible by ongoing conflict as well as in regions located between zones of better archaeological knowledge. Such studies frequently suffer from a lack of chronological information. This paper presents the results of remote landscape survey in the territory of Spin Boldak (“white desert”) in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, and methodological efforts to detangle the chronology of a landscape made inaccessible by conflict. The studied region crosscuts several environmental zones (desert, alluvial plain, river, and hills) and lies within an important corridor of movement toward mountain passes on the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. Morphological comparisons of surveyed sites to better-documented examples and synthesis of data from a variety of sources allow us to draw chronological and taphonomic conclusions about three types of documented sites: fortified enclosures, caravanserai, and mobile pastoral camps. These methods provide time depth to our understanding of the remotely-mapped landscape and allow us to consider Spin Boldak as a place shaped by local and regional historical processes rather than merely as a timeless thoroughfare between more intensively inhabited locales.

•Analyses of Digital Globe satellite imagery by ASOR CHI and UNITAR-UNOSAT reveal probable intentional destruction at the site of Nimrud, Iraq in the Northwest Palace.

•The Idlib Museum in Syria is increasingly threatened by the recent capture of the city by rebel forces — the museum is currently under the control of the Islamist/Salafist group Ahrar ash-Sham.

•The capture of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Bosra by rebel forces may place this site at heightened risk of destruction. Recent combat in the area has impacted the site.

•The Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums recently released new information on looting at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Palmyra.

• During the reporting period, claims of combat damage to heritage sites in Syria and related in-country damage assessments continued at a slightly elevated rate, continuing a month-long trend relative to average rates documented for the previous six months. Generally, damage was reported in Idlib, Hama, and Daraa. Intensity and distribution of heritage damage correlate with combat kinetics and largely derived from collateral damage from conventional military attacks as opposed to intentional targeting or asymmetrical tactics. Media sources and in-country reports highlighted local responses to prevent damage and theft as well as ad hoc/ pro tem actions taken by the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums. The collections of the Idlib Museum are at elevated risk of damage and/or theft following the seizure of Idlib from SARG by Jaish al-Fatah and the occupation of the museum by Islamist rebels/extremists (see below).

• In Iraq, ISIL continued its campaign of performative deliberate destructions of heritage places and the release of associated branded media highlighting ISIL attacks. The recent ISIL attack on the Mosul Museum and archaeological site of Nineveh were featured in the ISIL publication Dabiq 8 accompanied by what has become a typical ISIL Jihadist-Salafist ideological “justification” for these blatant war crimes. On its affiliated websites, ISIL released a new video showing the intentional destruction of ancient sculptures and standing architectural elements at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Hatra.

During the reporting period, Islamic State continued its accelerated campaign of performative deliberate destructions of religious heritage sites in northern Iraq and Syria. Recent video footage and photographs released by Islamic State make most reports readily verifiable; although, in February and March there have been a number of unverified reports posted by Iraqi sources. These reports lack video/photographic evidence and have not as yet been claimed by Islamic State. In Aleppo, unidentified attackers have allegedly detonated two tunnel bombs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. While these reports are credible, ASOR CHI has been unable to verify these attacks, establish details, and assess the resulting damage. In the past, factions within or associated with Islamic Front (e.g, Liwa al-Tawhid, Jabhat al-Shamiyya) have been responsible for most of these highly destructive deliberate (often performative) attacks on heritage places. Militants claim they carry out such attacks based on military necessity and also cite tunnel bombings as effective reprisals in response to SARG’s well documented use of barrel bombs and airstrikes in the densely settled urban areas of Aleppo and other towns and cities. Barrel bombs represent another highly destructive form of deliberate attack in which heritage places are frequently targeted.

The results of the first rapid response survey designed by ASOR CHI and implemented by the Syrian Research and Evaluation Organization (SREO) are now available (see below). This ten-question survey is designed to investigate antiquities looting, sales, and trafficking, in Syria and northern Iraq. The first survey comprising 100 responses from the area of Raqqa, Syria confirms the ubiquity of antiquities theft, its profitability, and its facilitation by foreigners — here understood to be Islamic State. The survey supports previous claims of Islamic State taxing revenues/rights to loot, traffick, and sell antiquities and the organization’s outsourcing of cultural property crime.

•On March 9 and March 11, 2015, sources in Syria reported the detonation of tunnel bombs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. The specifics of these putative incidents remain unconfirmed and have not been assessed ASOR CHI Incident Reports SHI 15-0051 and 15-0052.

•Sources inside and outside Iraq continue to release reports of intentional destructions of heritage places in northern Iraq by ISIL. Many reports remain unconfirmed and have not been assessed due to a lack of photographic evidence and recent high-resolution satellite imagery or the absence of visible damage in recent high-resolution satellite imagery. In some cases of reported but unconfirmed damage to archaeological sites, ISIL has not yet claimed responsibility. ASOR CHI and other monitoring groups urge that caution be exercised in reporting on these alleged incidents. ASOR CHI Incident Reports IHI 15-0050, 15-0071, 0072, and 0073.

• ASOR CHI Co-Director Prof. Jesse Casana and his team at the University of Arkansas released new statistics on heritage destruction in Syria based on a comprehensive analysis of 740 archaeological sites analyzed using satellite imagery, primarily archaeological mounds. See the “Arkansas Team Damage Assessment Statistics” below. The results confirm a significant and steady increase in looting since the start of the Syrian conflict across Syria. (pp. 3–6)
• The last image uploaded by Jabhat Ansar al-Din and Jabhat al-Nusra to document their destruction of the Nabhaniyeh shrine (cf. Weekly Report 24 Incident Report SHI15-009) is a photo of a participant holding up an edict, which according to online sources indicates their sanction by the Sharia Court in Aleppo and the Countryside.
• An ISIL video released on Youtube shows the deliberate, performative destruction of five religious sites in Iraq occurring in 2014. IHI Incident Report IHI15-013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xKJZ1dJrg8 (pp. 23–27)

•Comparison of 2014 DGAM Initial Damage Assessment for Syrian Cultural Heritage Quarterly Reports with the Syrian Human Rights Committee The 13th Annual report on human rights in Syria 2014, which details deliberate attacks on religious sites, reveals DGAM underreporting correlating with 1) SARG attacks on religious heritage, 2) damage to Sunni heritage, and 3) damage in certain Syrian governorates, especially Rif Dimashq. For more details, see the special section below summarizing the results of a recent report by the Syrian Human Rights Committee.

•Digital Globe satellite imagery reveals large-scale looting and earthmoving activity with heavy machinery at the Bronze Age mound of Tell Bi’a in Raqqa Governorate starting in October 2013 and ongoing looting. SHI Incident Report SHI 15-023.

•Increased combat in Damascus, Aleppo, and the Dead Cities region markedly increased rates of damage in Aleppo, Damascus, and the Dead Cities region of Idlib Governorate.

•ISIL militants deliberately destroyed library collections in Mosul’s Central Library system. IHI Incident Report IHI 15-017

● News sources reported on the unanimous adoption by the United Nations Security Council of Resolution 2199 (2015) under the binding Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, an agreement to “impair, isolate and incapacitate” ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusrah, calling for a crackdown on the trade in oil, looted antiquities, and human hostages out of Syria and Iraq. http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11775.doc.htm

● Sources in Syria (APSA) provided data on the condition of archaeological sites in rural areas affected by prolonged conflict, demonstrating that small-scale looting and damage from agriculture are proliferating in the absence of central oversight in Syria. 

● Recent preliminary analysis of Digital Globe satellite imagery of the Tell Abyad District of Raqqa Governorate shows recent damage to archaeological sites linked to militarization and unregulated digging since the start of the conflict. Damage has increased since ISIL secured its control over the district in late June 2014. Tell Abyad is widely reported as a center for cross-border smuggling, and the same satellite images show likely breaches in the border fence and well-worn footpaths leading from Akçakale in southern Turkey to a militarized archaeological mound west of the town of Tell Abyad. See Incident Report SHI 15-026 and 15-029.

● Recent Digital Globe satellite imagery confirms recent DGAM reporting of damage to the site of Resafa (Sergiopolis) in Raqqa Governorate. The images show abundant evidence of militarization, probably linked to control of the area by ISIL and its affiliates. See Incident Report SHI 15-025.

While movement is fundamental to processes that archaeologists study, it also poses some of the greatest challenges: material records—in their many manifestations—rely on stasis as well as movement. Approaching movement entails engaging with scalar problems,  as archaeologists “move” between isotopes, populations, artifacts, skeletal remains, infrastructures, texts, subjects and authors, and landscapes. We propose an exploration of the body and embodiment as entry-points into such interpretive challenges. Might the body be a locus at which wildly disparate scales intersect and can be made commensurate?
Archaeologists are increasingly theorizing movement and mobility in their analyses of people and things. While engagements with the “new materialism” invite an exploration of the ways in which materials and substances are in flux, studies of globalization and the Anthropocene attend to global flows of people and things. The embodied subject—one that moves, perceives, dreams, does—adds another interpretive challenge in archaeological knowledge-making practices. Perceptions and experiences were not only situated in past bodies, but the reconstruction of those experiences is also situated in the embodied practices of archaeologists.
We invite papers spanning geographic and temporal contexts (including archaeologies of the contemporary and of the Anthropocene, as well as archaeologies of the deeper past) that engage with the body, scale, and archaeological knowledge-making practices. How might archaeologists understand the ways in which movement sediments in objects, bodies, and landscapes? How might we (re)-locate scalar knowledge of global precarity in bodies? Will this (re)-situating help to untie snarls of universalism, and tie scalar ties?