The territory of Samarkand (Uzbekistan) represents an excellent case study for understanding the damage in- flicted on the archaeological heritage of the region. The hinterland of Samarkand became one of the largest urban areas of Central... more
The territory of Samarkand (Uzbekistan) represents an excellent case study for understanding the damage in- flicted on the archaeological heritage of the region. The hinterland of Samarkand became one of the largest urban areas of Central Asia through a number of transformations to its landscape since the 1950s, changes that continue today and have seriously compromised the integrity of the remaining archaeological record. Here we infer the temporal sequence of this destruction through a multi-proxy approach based on the collection of spatial datasets from different periods, field surveys, and interviews with local farmers in the Taylak district. The present research also made it possible to ascertain whether the loss of archaeological information was more likely to be a consequence of either agricultural expansion or urban development.
This paper introduces the CORONA satellite image and its application in the archaeology study, with which the researchers in Europe/ America/ Japan have done much work. Then the way of downloading the image and geo-reference is... more
This paper introduces the CORONA satellite image and its application in the archaeology study, with which the researchers in Europe/ America/ Japan have done much work. Then the way of downloading the image and geo-reference is introduced. With the example of the study on the Ming’s Chiu-wan-ch'üan and Qing’s Huiyuan, the application of the CORONA image in the urban archaeology study is discussed.
The cities of Jay in pre-Islamic and Yahudiya in the post Islamic period were located in a plain delimited from three sides by surrounding heights. This area, referred to in historical and geographical documents as the Rostāq-i Jay, was... more
The cities of Jay in pre-Islamic and Yahudiya in the post Islamic period were located in a plain delimited from three sides by surrounding heights. This area, referred to in historical and geographical documents as the Rostāq-i Jay, was the most important rural district of Isfahan's khora. With rising of Buyids, they decided to change the seat of power from Jay to Yahudiya and consequently the construction of the city wall. Given the complete destruction of both city,s wall, the only data available on their location are limited to the texts and few archaeological traces. Therefore, while analyzing the reasons for change of hub in Isfahan from Jay to Yahudiya, the article tries to determine the location of walls of Jay and Yahudiya in Jay district on the basis of geographical and historical texts, archeological evidence, old maps and satellite photos, and traces them on the current city,s map.
