Amid resurgent geopolitical fissures and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a gr... more Amid resurgent geopolitical fissures and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a growing awareness in the sector of the need for, and concern about, national and international collaboration in archaeological projects. This article reflects on present-day challenges for international collaboration in central Eurasian archaeology and furthers a much-needed discussion about (re)integrating local narratives with interregional trends in future research. Responsible and practical proposals for bridging collaborator differences in institutional or publishing obligations, language capacities and access to resources are discussed.
The Bala Hissar was the royal, military and administrative heart of Kabul for a significant perio... more The Bala Hissar was the royal, military and administrative heart of Kabul for a significant period before it was occupied by British forces during the first two Anglo-Afghan wars in the nineteenth century. Despite its archaeological and historical significance, part of the site continues to function as a military base, an expansion of which began in 2007 when nine large holes were bulldozed into the site before protests halted the work. This paper details the findings of an archaeological impact assessment undertaken in July 2007, and incorporates an analysis of satellite images documenting further construction in 2009. The results provide the first explicit archaeological (in particular ceramic) evidence suggesting deep continuity of occupation at the site. The contested ownership and uncertain future of the Bala Hissar in Kabul exemplify the pressures placed on archaeological sites around the world, in the face of uncontrolled development and competing agendas.
The Registan Desert in southern Afghanistan has, like most deserts, traditionally been regarded a... more The Registan Desert in southern Afghanistan has, like most deserts, traditionally been regarded as a barren, hostile space, devoid of human occupation other than occasional nomad campsites and an isolated 11th-century A.D. fortress. Detailed analysis of a strip of high resolution satellite imagery available through Google Earth and stretching into the Registan has revealed the presence of over 800 hitherto unrecorded archaeological sites. Many of these sites relate to water management, and predate the modern era. The water installations form networks of sites which facilitated the opportunistic exploitation of grazing following periodic rains, desert farming, travel, trade and exchange over hundreds of years, if not longer. Extrapolating from this detailed analysis, we argue that thousands of other sites have yet to be discovered in the Registan. These water management networks warrant further study in the field and protection from neglect, construction, recreational four-wheel driving, and looting.
The origins and dispersal of the chicken across the ancient world remains one of the most enigmat... more The origins and dispersal of the chicken across the ancient world remains one of the most enigmatic questions regarding Eurasian domesticated animals1,2. The lack of agreement regarding the timing and center of origin is due, in large part, to issues with morphological identifications, a lack of direct dating, and poor preservation of thin bird bones. Historical sources attest to the prominence of chickens in southern Europe and southwest Asia by the last centuries BC3. Likewise, art historical depictions of chickens and anthropomorphic rooster-human chimeras are reoccurring motifs in Central Asian prehistoric and historic traditions4-6. However, when this ritually and economically significant bird spread along the trans-Eurasian exchange routes has remained a mystery. Here we show that chickens were widely raised by people at villages across southern Central Asia from the third century BC through medieval periods for their eggs and likely also meat. In this study, we present archae...
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 fri...
ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kar... more ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kara-tepe, in the semi-autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in northwestern Uzbekistan. Investigations at the site in 2008–2009 turned up an unusually rich assemblage of remains from a household context. Combined analysis of the household botanical and faunal remains has allowed us to reconstruct the agropastoral practices of local inhabitants in this oasis region during a critical period of social and environmental change in the Early Medieval transition (4th–5th centuries a.d.). The results of the study raise important new questions about agropastoralism in the oases of Central Eurasia, highlighting continuities of practice between oasis and steppe populations, and revealing dynamic changes in these systems over time.
ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kar... more ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kara-tepe, in the semi-autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in northwestern Uzbekistan. Investigations at the site in 2008–2009 turned up an unusually rich assemblage of remains from a household context. Combined analysis of the household botanical and faunal remains has allowed us to reconstruct the agropastoral practices of local inhabitants in this oasis region during a critical period of social and environmental change in the Early Medieval transition (4th–5th centuries a.d.). The results of the study raise important new questions about agropastoralism in the oases of Central Eurasia, highlighting continuities of practice between oasis and steppe populations, and revealing dynamic changes in these systems over time.
Melodie bonnat, and stanislav khashiMov 1 "The world is at peace on the walls of Persepolis as it... more Melodie bonnat, and stanislav khashiMov 1 "The world is at peace on the walls of Persepolis as it never was in reality. While news of the Persian sack of Miletus was striking terror in the Athenian soul, artisans from near and far were carving dreams in stone for Darius." (Cool Root 1979:311
... OASIS OF ANCIENT CHORASMIA, 1996-2000. AN INTERIM REPORT By SW Helms, VN Yagodin, AVG Betts, ... more ... OASIS OF ANCIENT CHORASMIA, 1996-2000. AN INTERIM REPORT By SW Helms, VN Yagodin, AVG Betts, G. Khozhaniyazov and F. Kiddi Sydney and Nukus INTRODUCTION ... is 0 100 2 m TNt U : \c !F , ' ! I t, i I :' ... il i 1 i i q-1 I q : I: ! -. : I 1,l -IJ ...
... of high-resolution images (Figure 1). Archaeologists such as Anthony Beck and Jason Ur were q... more ... of high-resolution images (Figure 1). Archaeologists such as Anthony Beck and Jason Ur were quick to identify the potential of Google Earth (Beck 2006; Ur ... Balsan (1972a: 172) hypothesizes that the rectangular enclosure to the south of the fortress is the eponymous reservoir. ...
Amid resurgent geopolitical fissures and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a gr... more Amid resurgent geopolitical fissures and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a growing awareness in the sector of the need for, and concern about, national and international collaboration in archaeological projects. This article reflects on present-day challenges for international collaboration in central Eurasian archaeology and furthers a much-needed discussion about (re)integrating local narratives with interregional trends in future research. Responsible and practical proposals for bridging collaborator differences in institutional or publishing obligations, language capacities and access to resources are discussed.
The Bala Hissar was the royal, military and administrative heart of Kabul for a significant perio... more The Bala Hissar was the royal, military and administrative heart of Kabul for a significant period before it was occupied by British forces during the first two Anglo-Afghan wars in the nineteenth century. Despite its archaeological and historical significance, part of the site continues to function as a military base, an expansion of which began in 2007 when nine large holes were bulldozed into the site before protests halted the work. This paper details the findings of an archaeological impact assessment undertaken in July 2007, and incorporates an analysis of satellite images documenting further construction in 2009. The results provide the first explicit archaeological (in particular ceramic) evidence suggesting deep continuity of occupation at the site. The contested ownership and uncertain future of the Bala Hissar in Kabul exemplify the pressures placed on archaeological sites around the world, in the face of uncontrolled development and competing agendas.
The Registan Desert in southern Afghanistan has, like most deserts, traditionally been regarded a... more The Registan Desert in southern Afghanistan has, like most deserts, traditionally been regarded as a barren, hostile space, devoid of human occupation other than occasional nomad campsites and an isolated 11th-century A.D. fortress. Detailed analysis of a strip of high resolution satellite imagery available through Google Earth and stretching into the Registan has revealed the presence of over 800 hitherto unrecorded archaeological sites. Many of these sites relate to water management, and predate the modern era. The water installations form networks of sites which facilitated the opportunistic exploitation of grazing following periodic rains, desert farming, travel, trade and exchange over hundreds of years, if not longer. Extrapolating from this detailed analysis, we argue that thousands of other sites have yet to be discovered in the Registan. These water management networks warrant further study in the field and protection from neglect, construction, recreational four-wheel driving, and looting.
The origins and dispersal of the chicken across the ancient world remains one of the most enigmat... more The origins and dispersal of the chicken across the ancient world remains one of the most enigmatic questions regarding Eurasian domesticated animals1,2. The lack of agreement regarding the timing and center of origin is due, in large part, to issues with morphological identifications, a lack of direct dating, and poor preservation of thin bird bones. Historical sources attest to the prominence of chickens in southern Europe and southwest Asia by the last centuries BC3. Likewise, art historical depictions of chickens and anthropomorphic rooster-human chimeras are reoccurring motifs in Central Asian prehistoric and historic traditions4-6. However, when this ritually and economically significant bird spread along the trans-Eurasian exchange routes has remained a mystery. Here we show that chickens were widely raised by people at villages across southern Central Asia from the third century BC through medieval periods for their eggs and likely also meat. In this study, we present archae...
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 fri...
ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kar... more ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kara-tepe, in the semi-autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in northwestern Uzbekistan. Investigations at the site in 2008–2009 turned up an unusually rich assemblage of remains from a household context. Combined analysis of the household botanical and faunal remains has allowed us to reconstruct the agropastoral practices of local inhabitants in this oasis region during a critical period of social and environmental change in the Early Medieval transition (4th–5th centuries a.d.). The results of the study raise important new questions about agropastoralism in the oases of Central Eurasia, highlighting continuities of practice between oasis and steppe populations, and revealing dynamic changes in these systems over time.
ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kar... more ABSTRACT This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kara-tepe, in the semi-autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in northwestern Uzbekistan. Investigations at the site in 2008–2009 turned up an unusually rich assemblage of remains from a household context. Combined analysis of the household botanical and faunal remains has allowed us to reconstruct the agropastoral practices of local inhabitants in this oasis region during a critical period of social and environmental change in the Early Medieval transition (4th–5th centuries a.d.). The results of the study raise important new questions about agropastoralism in the oases of Central Eurasia, highlighting continuities of practice between oasis and steppe populations, and revealing dynamic changes in these systems over time.
Melodie bonnat, and stanislav khashiMov 1 "The world is at peace on the walls of Persepolis as it... more Melodie bonnat, and stanislav khashiMov 1 "The world is at peace on the walls of Persepolis as it never was in reality. While news of the Persian sack of Miletus was striking terror in the Athenian soul, artisans from near and far were carving dreams in stone for Darius." (Cool Root 1979:311
... OASIS OF ANCIENT CHORASMIA, 1996-2000. AN INTERIM REPORT By SW Helms, VN Yagodin, AVG Betts, ... more ... OASIS OF ANCIENT CHORASMIA, 1996-2000. AN INTERIM REPORT By SW Helms, VN Yagodin, AVG Betts, G. Khozhaniyazov and F. Kiddi Sydney and Nukus INTRODUCTION ... is 0 100 2 m TNt U : \c !F , ' ! I t, i I :' ... il i 1 i i q-1 I q : I: ! -. : I 1,l -IJ ...
... of high-resolution images (Figure 1). Archaeologists such as Anthony Beck and Jason Ur were q... more ... of high-resolution images (Figure 1). Archaeologists such as Anthony Beck and Jason Ur were quick to identify the potential of Google Earth (Beck 2006; Ur ... Balsan (1972a: 172) hypothesizes that the rectangular enclosure to the south of the fortress is the eponymous reservoir. ...
Uploads
Papers by Fiona Kidd