Brief report on excavations of kurgans and kurgan ensembles at Lyavandak and Kyzyl-tepa in Bukhar... more Brief report on excavations of kurgans and kurgan ensembles at Lyavandak and Kyzyl-tepa in Bukharan Sogdiana, dating between the 3rd cent. BCE and the 2nd/3rd cent. CE.
Iran. Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, 2020
Excavations at the site of Bashtepa, at the western interface of the Bukhara oasis and the Kyzyl-... more Excavations at the site of Bashtepa, at the western interface of the Bukhara oasis and the Kyzyl-kum desert, and at the kurgan sites at Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak on the eastern and north eastern fringes of the oasis, are detailed here, enriching our understanding of agro-pastoralism in Antiquity. At Bashtepa, results indicate a shifting site function, from a border fortress, over a phase during which a monumental though still poorly understood platform dominated the northern part of the site, to a final phase when the site evolved into a small rural settlement characterized by pit houses. Preliminary archaeo-botanical and paleo-zoological studies demonstrate an engagement with grain farming, but also with animal husbandry, as well as hunting and fishing. Ceramics indicate contacts with the surrounding oases. Excavations at the kurgans provide new data on burial architecture and funerary customs, including a collective burial with khums being used as containers for human bones. Results challenge the chronology of previously excavated comparable kurgans in the area, suggesting an earlier date. The analysis of ceramics from the kurgan burials underlines the need to rework the dating of the ceramic typology for the Bukhara oasis, especially for the period between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
Introduction
1. Excavations at Bashtepa 1.1. Pit-houses and Waste Deposits in the Centre of the Site (Quadrants E05NW, E05NE, F05SE, F05SW) 1.2. Eastern Façade of the Platform (G05SE) 1.3. Northern and Western Flank of the Fortifications 1.4. Cleaning and re-documentation of the 1990 Excavation Trenches 1.5. Ceramics 1.6. Special Finds 1.7. Radiocarbon Dates 1.8. Archаeobotanical Analysis of Hand-Picked Remains 1.9. The Surroundings of Bashtepa 1.10. Bashtepa 2017: Conclusion
2. Excavations of Kurgans in the Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak Burial Grounds 2.1. Excavations at Kuyu-Mazar 2.2. Excavations at Lyavandak 2.3. Discussion and Conclusion
Brief report on excavations of kurgans and kurgan ensembles at Lyavandak and Kyzyl-tepa in Bukhar... more Brief report on excavations of kurgans and kurgan ensembles at Lyavandak and Kyzyl-tepa in Bukharan Sogdiana, dating between the 3rd cent. BCE and the 2nd/3rd cent. CE.
Iran. Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, 2020
Excavations at the site of Bashtepa, at the western interface of the Bukhara oasis and the Kyzyl-... more Excavations at the site of Bashtepa, at the western interface of the Bukhara oasis and the Kyzyl-kum desert, and at the kurgan sites at Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak on the eastern and north eastern fringes of the oasis, are detailed here, enriching our understanding of agro-pastoralism in Antiquity. At Bashtepa, results indicate a shifting site function, from a border fortress, over a phase during which a monumental though still poorly understood platform dominated the northern part of the site, to a final phase when the site evolved into a small rural settlement characterized by pit houses. Preliminary archaeo-botanical and paleo-zoological studies demonstrate an engagement with grain farming, but also with animal husbandry, as well as hunting and fishing. Ceramics indicate contacts with the surrounding oases. Excavations at the kurgans provide new data on burial architecture and funerary customs, including a collective burial with khums being used as containers for human bones. Results challenge the chronology of previously excavated comparable kurgans in the area, suggesting an earlier date. The analysis of ceramics from the kurgan burials underlines the need to rework the dating of the ceramic typology for the Bukhara oasis, especially for the period between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
Introduction
1. Excavations at Bashtepa 1.1. Pit-houses and Waste Deposits in the Centre of the Site (Quadrants E05NW, E05NE, F05SE, F05SW) 1.2. Eastern Façade of the Platform (G05SE) 1.3. Northern and Western Flank of the Fortifications 1.4. Cleaning and re-documentation of the 1990 Excavation Trenches 1.5. Ceramics 1.6. Special Finds 1.7. Radiocarbon Dates 1.8. Archаeobotanical Analysis of Hand-Picked Remains 1.9. The Surroundings of Bashtepa 1.10. Bashtepa 2017: Conclusion
2. Excavations of Kurgans in the Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak Burial Grounds 2.1. Excavations at Kuyu-Mazar 2.2. Excavations at Lyavandak 2.3. Discussion and Conclusion
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Introduction
1. Excavations at Bashtepa
1.1. Pit-houses and Waste Deposits in the Centre of the Site (Quadrants E05NW, E05NE, F05SE, F05SW)
1.2. Eastern Façade of the Platform (G05SE)
1.3. Northern and Western Flank of the Fortifications
1.4. Cleaning and re-documentation of the 1990 Excavation Trenches
1.5. Ceramics
1.6. Special Finds
1.7. Radiocarbon Dates
1.8. Archаeobotanical Analysis of Hand-Picked Remains
1.9. The Surroundings of Bashtepa
1.10. Bashtepa 2017: Conclusion
2. Excavations of Kurgans in the Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak Burial Grounds
2.1. Excavations at Kuyu-Mazar
2.2. Excavations at Lyavandak
2.3. Discussion and Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Disclosure Statement
Bibliography
Introduction
1. Excavations at Bashtepa
1.1. Pit-houses and Waste Deposits in the Centre of the Site (Quadrants E05NW, E05NE, F05SE, F05SW)
1.2. Eastern Façade of the Platform (G05SE)
1.3. Northern and Western Flank of the Fortifications
1.4. Cleaning and re-documentation of the 1990 Excavation Trenches
1.5. Ceramics
1.6. Special Finds
1.7. Radiocarbon Dates
1.8. Archаeobotanical Analysis of Hand-Picked Remains
1.9. The Surroundings of Bashtepa
1.10. Bashtepa 2017: Conclusion
2. Excavations of Kurgans in the Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak Burial Grounds
2.1. Excavations at Kuyu-Mazar
2.2. Excavations at Lyavandak
2.3. Discussion and Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Disclosure Statement
Bibliography