Sherabad Oasis : tracing historical landscape in Southern Uzbekistan

This work is the second volume of the series publishing the results of the Czech-Uzbek archaeological expedition in southern Uzbekistan. While the first part was devoted to the excavations at the central site of the Sherabad Oasis called Jandavlattepa, the second volume analyses the development of the settlement throughout this oasis based on the new data gained by the expedition. The used methodology includes both extensive and intensive archaeological survey, revisions of published archaeological data, historical maps and satellite images. Apart from the dynamics of the settlement of the research area spreading from prehistoric to modern time, the development of the irrigation systems in the steppe lowlands was also assessed. Karolinum Cover 1 Contents 5 Abbreviations 7 Acknowledgements 9 Introduction (Ladislav Stančo) 11 1. Research area (Ladislav Stančo) 13 1.1 Natural conditions 13 1.1.1 Geography and geomorphology 13 1.1.2 Waters 14 1.1.3 Climatic conditions 16 1.2 Previous research 17 2. Extensive archaeological survey (Ladislav Stančo) 21 2.1 Methods and pre-processing 21 2.1.1 Base data layers for detection of the sites and digitizing 21 2.1.2 Digitization 24 2.1.3 Detection of anthropogenic features from the satellite imagery 25 2.1.4 Detection of anthropogenic features from the topographic maps 25 2.2 Survey process: field data collection 26 2.2.1 Spatial data 26 2.2.2 Topographic documentation of the sites 26 2.2.3 Dating the sites 26 2.2.4 Archaeology of modern cemeteries 27 2.2.5 Intensive field survey 28 2.3 Evaluation of previous literature and confrontation with previous research 28 2.4 General results: statistic overview of the gained data 29 3. Intensive surface survey (P. Tušlová) 31 3.1 Introduction 31 3.2 The agricultural conditions of the Sherabad Oasis 31 3.3 The field cover, factors of visibility and passability 32 3.4 Methodology 35 3.4.1 Data collecting 35 3.4.1.1 Intensive field survey 36 3.5 The surface material division 40 3.5.1 Classification of the material 40 3.5.2 The size of the fragments 41 3.6 Introduction to the Field Survey 41 3.7 The scatter and the site 42 3.7.1 The definition of the scatter and of the site 42 3.7.2 The character of the scatter and of the site 42 3.8 The areas of the field survey 43 3.8.1 The area of Kulugshatepa (scatter ShFS01) 43 3.8.2 The area of Gorintepa (scatter ShFS02) 52 3.8.3 The area of Shishtepa (scatter ShFS03) 60 3.8.4 The area of Ayritepa (scatter ShFS04) 66 3.8.5 The area of Jandavlattepa 71 3.8.6 The area of Talashkantepa II 79 3.9 Conclusion 80 4. Archaeological sites in the Sherabad Oasis (L. Stančo, Sh. Shaydullaev, A. Shaydullaev, A. Danielisová, T. Annaev) 95 4.1 Structure of the catalogue 95 4.2 Catalogue of the archaeological sites of the Sherabad Oasis 97 5. The oasis in time and space: dynamics of the settlement pattern (Ladislav Stančo) 353 5.1 Settlement distribution 353 5.2 Sapalli culture (Late Bronze Age) 355 5.3 Yaz culture (Early Iron Age) 356 5.3.1 Yaz culture in the Sherabad plain – state of research 356 5.3.2 New data for the Sherabad plain 357 5.3.3 Surroundings of Jandavlattepa in the Yaz culture period 357 5.3.4 Pachmaktepa 358 5.3.5 Yalangoyokotatepa 359 5.3.6 Other Yaz culture sites 360 5.3.7 Centre and its satellites 360 5.3.8 Irrigation systems in the Yaz period? 361 5.3.9 Conclusions 361 5.4 Hellenistic and transitional period 362 5.4.1 Archaeological data 362 5.4.2 Historical implications 364 5.5 Kushan and Kushan-Sasanian period (1st–4th c. AD) 366 5.5.1 Irrigation system 366 5.5.2 Settlement hierarchy 370 5.5.3 Historical implications 371 5.6 Early Medieval period (5th–8th c.) 372 5.6.1 Written sources 372 5.6.2 Settlement pattern 374 5.6.3 Historical implications 374 5.7 High Medieval period / pre-Mongol period 376 5.8 Post-Mongol period 378 5.9 Pre-modern period 379 5.10 Sherabad Oasis nowadays 380 6. Pottery from the extensive surface survey (M. Kobierská) 387 6.1 Structure and description of the catalogue Acquisition of the examined pottery assemblage 387 List of Catalogue Abbreviations 389 6.2 Catalogue of pottery from the extensive surface survey 390 7. Conclusions (Ladislav Stančo) 489 8. Bibliography 491 Sherabad Oasis: Tracing Historical Landscape in Southern Uzbekistan is the second volume of the series examining the Czech-Uzbek archaeological expedition in southern Uzbekistan. While the first book was devoted to the excavations at the central site of the Sherabad Oasis called Jandavlattepa (2012, ISBN 9788024619651), this volume analyzes the development of the settlement throughout this oasis based on important new data gained in the recent expedition. The methodology used includes extensive and intensive archaeological surveys, revisions of previously published archaeological data, historical maps, and innovative satellite images. Apart from the dynamics of the settlement of the research area, spanning from prehistoric to modern time, the development of the irrigation systems in the lowland steppe is also assessed. Edited by Ladislav Stanco and Petra Tuslova, this volume continues the significant work of Czech researchers in Uzbekistan, a key Central Asian republic at the crossroads of history and culture Sherabad Oasis: Tracing Historical Landscape in Southern Uzbekistan is the second volume of the series examining the Czech-Uzbek archaeological expedition in southern Uzbekistan. While the first book was devoted to the excavations at the central site of the Sherabad Oasis called Jandavlattepa, this volume analyzes the development of the settlement throughout this oasis based on important new data gained in the recent expedition. The methodology used includes extensive and intensive archaeological surveys, revisions of previously published archaeological data, historical maps, and innovative satellite images. Apart from the dynamics of the settlement of the research area, spanning from prehistoric to modern time, the development of the irrigation systems in the lowland steppe is also assessed. Edited by Ladislav Stančo and Petra Tušlová, this volume continues the significant work of Czech researchers in Uzbekistan, a key Central Asian republic at the crossroads of history and culture.