- 2013-2018- Directeur de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA)
Chargé de Recherches (CR1)
CNRS 7206 : Eco-Anthropologie
MNHN - Musée de l'Homme
17, place du Trocadéro
75016 Paris (France)
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Chalcolithic Archaeology, Late Bronze Age archaeology, Funeral Practices, Funerary Archaeology, Andronovo, Afghan archaeology, and 39 moreTadjikistan, Karakalpakistan, Archaeology and history of settlement along the river Uzboi, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Protohistoric Central Asia, Sakarya öğrenci Forum Sayfası, Eurasian Nomads, Protohistory, Central Asian Politics, Bioanthropology, Archaeology, Ulug Depe, Bendezu Sarmiento, Iron Age, Olivier Dutour, Central Asia, Central Asian Archaeology, Archaeology of Central Asia, Palaeopathology, BMAC Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Turkmenistan, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Oxus Civilization, Silk Road Studies, Iranian Studies, Iron Age (Archaeology), Burial Practices (Archaeology), Bactria (Archaeology), Nomadism, Archaeology of the Eurasian steppe belt, Gonur Depe, Archéologie, Achaemenid Persia, Art & Archaeology of Iran and Central Asia, Central Asia (History), Tajikistan, and Osteoarchaeology edit
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Dr. Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento obtained his PhD in Prehistory, Ethnology, and Anthropology at the University Paris 1 Pan... moreDr. Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento obtained his PhD in Prehistory, Ethnology, and Anthropology at the University Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne in 2004. His first researches focused on the funerary archaeology and the biological anthropology of the populations of the Bronze and Iron ages in Kazakhstan. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he gained extensive experience in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan (including Karakalpakstan, Turkmenistan), but also in Iran and the United Arab Emirates, where he worked both as an archaeologist and an anthropologist. Since 2007, he has been the director of the MAFOuz-Protohistory (French Archaeological Mission in Uzbekistan - Protohistory), working at Dzharkutan in Uzbekistan. Since 2009, he has been the co-director of MAFTUR (French Archaeological Mission in Turkmenistan), of which he became director in 2013. His work evolved over the course of his career as a researcher at IFRI (French Research Institute in Iran) from 2005 to 2007; Deputy Director and then director of IFEAC (French Institute for Central Asian Studies) from 2007 to 2009, and Deputy Director and then Director of the DAFA (French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan) in Kabul 2013-2018. Since 2009, he has also been a researcher at the CNRS.
Docteur en Préhistoire, Ethnologie et Anthropologie de l’Université de Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne depuis 2004 avec une recherche sur l'archéologie funéraire et l'anthropologie biologique des populations des âges du Bronze et du Fer au Kazakhstan, il est chargé de recherches au CNRS depuis 2009.C'est sur ces mêmes périodes Protohistoriques et traitant un sujet plus vaste sur l'apparition, l’évolution et disparation des sociétés complexes Protohistoriques, que durant la fin des années 1990 et le début des années 2000, il acquiert une forte expérience sur le terrain centrasiatique (Kazakhstan, Karakalpakistan, Ouzbékistan, Tadjikistan, Turkménistan) mais aussi en Iran et aux Emirats-Arabes-Unis. Il dispose aujourd’hui d’un solide réseau scientifique dans l’Asie Centrale. Soutenu par la Commission consultative des fouilles archéologiques à l'étranger du MAEDI, il est depuis 2007, le codirecteur de la MAFOuz-Protohistory (Mission archéologique française en Ouzbékistan – Protohistoire) et depuis 2009 le codirecteur de la MAFTUR (Mission archéologique française au Turkménistan). Son travail a évolué au fil de son parcours en tant que chercheur à l’IFRI (Institut français de recherche en Iran) de 2005 à 2007, de directeur adjoint et directeur de l’IFEAC (Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale) de 2007 à 2009 et directeur adjoint et directeur de la DAFA à Kaboul entre 2013-2018. L’ensemble de ses travaux archéologiques et anthropologiques ont été récompensés par le Prix Roman et Tania Ghirshman (2008), le prix Clio de la Recherche archéologique (2010), le grand prix archéologique Simone et Cino del Duca (2012) entre autres. edit
This ISIMU’s volume gathers two groups of different studies, but united by circumstances and the will of the authors. The first part collects the communications of the II Symposium Internacional. Viginti annis in studiis Orientis... more
This ISIMU’s volume gathers two groups of different studies, but united by circumstances and the will of the authors. The first part collects the communications of the II Symposium Internacional. Viginti annis in studiis Orientis (1999-2019), course held in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, on November 26, 2018. The second part shares a group of diverse studies, previously selected, with the intention of bringing together in this twenty-second issue of the journal, different reflections on the research that has been already done in diverse areas, or on aspects especially dear to its authors. In addition, as always, we include a series of reviews at the end.
The effort of all authors to submit their contributions within the requested time frame has been great. We sincerely appreciate it. The urgency was marked by a deadline, which affected one of the coordinators. Thank you all; additionally, since they all help us to fulfill a moral obligation that has been presented to us unexpectedly and suddenly: the death of Olivier Lecomte last January. A colleague and friend of a good part of those of us who present our works here, we thank all the authors that, because of their generosity, this special volume can also symbolize the recognition we owe to a very special person. Thank you all.
The effort of all authors to submit their contributions within the requested time frame has been great. We sincerely appreciate it. The urgency was marked by a deadline, which affected one of the coordinators. Thank you all; additionally, since they all help us to fulfill a moral obligation that has been presented to us unexpectedly and suddenly: the death of Olivier Lecomte last January. A colleague and friend of a good part of those of us who present our works here, we thank all the authors that, because of their generosity, this special volume can also symbolize the recognition we owe to a very special person. Thank you all.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
To speak of Afghanistan is to evoke the cultures and civilisations that have presided over its construction over the millennia and the various peoples, traders or invaders, who have left their mark there, and also to immerse oneself in... more
To speak of Afghanistan is to evoke the cultures and civilisations that have presided over its construction over the millennia and the various peoples, traders or invaders, who have left their mark there, and also to immerse oneself in the rich research carried out by the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA). Created in 1922, the DAFA is an institution that plays an important role in this country at the crossroads of various cultural influences, from prehistory to the present day. This book, which traces several millennia of history, is written in Dari as it is intended to be accessible to local students of humanities and social sciences as well as to anyone interested in the Afghan past.
Parler de l’Afghanistan, c’est évoquer les cultures et les civilisations qui ont durant des millénaires présidé à sa construction et les peuples divers, commerçants ou envahisseurs, qui y ont laissé leur empreinte,
et c’est aussi s’immerger dans les riches recherches menées par la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA). Créée en 1922, la DAFA est une institution qui joue un rôle important dans ce pays à la croisée d’influences culturelles variées, de la préhistoire à nos jours. Ce livre qui retrace plusieurs millénaires d’Histoire est rédigé en dari car il se veut accessible aux étudiants locaux en sciences humaines et sociales ainsi qu’à toute personne intéressée par le passé afghan.
Parler de l’Afghanistan, c’est évoquer les cultures et les civilisations qui ont durant des millénaires présidé à sa construction et les peuples divers, commerçants ou envahisseurs, qui y ont laissé leur empreinte,
et c’est aussi s’immerger dans les riches recherches menées par la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA). Créée en 1922, la DAFA est une institution qui joue un rôle important dans ce pays à la croisée d’influences culturelles variées, de la préhistoire à nos jours. Ce livre qui retrace plusieurs millénaires d’Histoire est rédigé en dari car il se veut accessible aux étudiants locaux en sciences humaines et sociales ainsi qu’à toute personne intéressée par le passé afghan.
Research Interests:
This volume brings together papers from Afghan and international scholars at the symposium 'Ten Years of Archaeological Work in Afghanistan', held in Kabul on 26 September 2016. The contributions cover recent archaeological discoveries... more
This volume brings together papers from Afghan and international scholars at the symposium 'Ten Years of Archaeological Work in Afghanistan', held in Kabul on 26 September 2016. The contributions cover recent archaeological discoveries and work across the country, from protohistory to the historical periods.
The work of the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has played an important logistical, technical and scientific role in the collection of this recent data. The book, published in Dari, is intended for Afghan researchers and students in humanities and social sciences faculties, particularly the faculties of archaeology and history, across Afghanistan.
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Ce volume réunit les communications des chercheurs afghans et internationaux lors du colloque " Dix ans de travaux archéologiques en Afghanistan ", organisé à Kaboul le 26 septembre 2016. Les contributions portent sur les découvertes et les travaux archéologiques récents à travers le pays, de la protohistoire aux périodes historiques.
Les travaux de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA) ont joué un rôle important, aussi bien logistique, technique que scientifique, dans la collecte de ces données récentes. L'ouvrage, publié en dari, s'adresse aux chercheurs afghans et aux étudiants des facultés de sciences humaines et sociales, particulièrement les facultés d'archéologie et d'histoire, à travers l'Afghanistan.
The work of the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has played an important logistical, technical and scientific role in the collection of this recent data. The book, published in Dari, is intended for Afghan researchers and students in humanities and social sciences faculties, particularly the faculties of archaeology and history, across Afghanistan.
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Ce volume réunit les communications des chercheurs afghans et internationaux lors du colloque " Dix ans de travaux archéologiques en Afghanistan ", organisé à Kaboul le 26 septembre 2016. Les contributions portent sur les découvertes et les travaux archéologiques récents à travers le pays, de la protohistoire aux périodes historiques.
Les travaux de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA) ont joué un rôle important, aussi bien logistique, technique que scientifique, dans la collecte de ces données récentes. L'ouvrage, publié en dari, s'adresse aux chercheurs afghans et aux étudiants des facultés de sciences humaines et sociales, particulièrement les facultés d'archéologie et d'histoire, à travers l'Afghanistan.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
L’archéologie est une discipline scientifique, complexe mais de plus en plus précise, dontl’objectif essentiel est de mieux connaître l’Homme et la société, depuis la Préhistoirejusqu’à l’époque moderne, grâce à l’étude des éléments... more
L’archéologie est une discipline scientifique, complexe mais de plus en plus précise, dontl’objectif essentiel est de mieux connaître l’Homme et la société, depuis la Préhistoirejusqu’à l’époque moderne, grâce à l’étude des éléments matériels mis au jour (édifices, infrastructures,poteries, outils, armes, ossements...). L’archéologue, dans une approche diachronique,trouve l’essentiel de sa documentation grâce à des travaux de terrain (prospections, sondages,fouilles, voire études de collections). Les résultats permettent de mettre en lumière une culture ouune civilisation, une ou des population(s), les étapes d’un passé méconnu.
L’Histoire de l’Asie centrale est complexe et jalonnée d’épisodes mouvementés. La grande diversitégéographique et orographique en a fait un lieu privilégié où se sont développés de grandes civilisations et de puissants empires, dont il nous reste encore beaucoup à découvrir : la civilisation del’Oxus, les empires des Achéménides, d’Alexandre le Grand, des Kouchans, des Sassanides, des Turcs,des Arabes, des Mongols...
Il y a douze ans, le numéro IX des Cahiers d’Asie centrale publiait les résultats des découvertesarchéologiques françaises réalisées dans cette région. Cette abondante moisson prenait en compteun immense travail initié par Jean-Claude Gardin en 1979. Aujourd’hui, ce nouveau numéro doubledes Cahiers amplifie notre connaissance de l’Asie centrale grâce aux trente deux articles pluridisciplinairesassociant les sciences humaines et sociales aux sciences de la terre ; et il nous faitdécouvrir les résultats des recherches archéologiques menées depuis plus de trois décennies,mettant en exergue le travail scientifique et la méthodologie, l’excellente coopération entre leschercheurs centrasiatiques et français, le souci de formation et de valorisation. Et nous espéronsqu’au fil des pages l’archéologue, l’historien ou les lecteurs avertis trouvent dans cet ouvrageles éléments d’une histoire pluridisciplinaire, constamment enrichie.
L’Histoire de l’Asie centrale est complexe et jalonnée d’épisodes mouvementés. La grande diversitégéographique et orographique en a fait un lieu privilégié où se sont développés de grandes civilisations et de puissants empires, dont il nous reste encore beaucoup à découvrir : la civilisation del’Oxus, les empires des Achéménides, d’Alexandre le Grand, des Kouchans, des Sassanides, des Turcs,des Arabes, des Mongols...
Il y a douze ans, le numéro IX des Cahiers d’Asie centrale publiait les résultats des découvertesarchéologiques françaises réalisées dans cette région. Cette abondante moisson prenait en compteun immense travail initié par Jean-Claude Gardin en 1979. Aujourd’hui, ce nouveau numéro doubledes Cahiers amplifie notre connaissance de l’Asie centrale grâce aux trente deux articles pluridisciplinairesassociant les sciences humaines et sociales aux sciences de la terre ; et il nous faitdécouvrir les résultats des recherches archéologiques menées depuis plus de trois décennies,mettant en exergue le travail scientifique et la méthodologie, l’excellente coopération entre leschercheurs centrasiatiques et français, le souci de formation et de valorisation. Et nous espéronsqu’au fil des pages l’archéologue, l’historien ou les lecteurs avertis trouvent dans cet ouvrageles éléments d’une histoire pluridisciplinaire, constamment enrichie.
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"""Монография посвящена результатам исследований археологических объектов на возвышенности Крантау в низовьях Амударьи. Она представляет собой очередной, 7 выпуск научной серии “Археология Приаралья” и содержит публикацию результатов... more
"""Монография посвящена результатам исследований археологических объектов на возвышенности
Крантау в низовьях Амударьи. Она представляет собой очередной, 7 выпуск научной серии “Археология
Приаралья” и содержит публикацию результатов археологических изысканий, проводившихся на возвы-
шенности Крантау в течение ряда лет. Предпринят первый опыт обобщения полученных материалов, ко-
торые позволили наметить основные контуры истории народонаселения области, выделенной авторами
монографии как “Приаральский микрорайон” на протяжении более чем двухтысячелетнего периода и
предложить первый опыт историко-культурной периодизации региона Северного Каракалпакстана.
Для археологов, этнологов, историков культуры, а также всех, интересующихся вопросами истории
материальной культуры Приаралья.
Рекомендовано к печати Ученым Советом Института истории, археологии и этнографии Каракалпак-
ского отделения Академии наук Республики Узбекистан.
Издание осуществлено за счет Инновационного гранта ФА-И2-Г002 Комитета по науке и технологиям
при Кабинете Министров Республики Узбекистан и финансовой поддержке Французского Института
Исследований Центральной Азии."""
Крантау в низовьях Амударьи. Она представляет собой очередной, 7 выпуск научной серии “Археология
Приаралья” и содержит публикацию результатов археологических изысканий, проводившихся на возвы-
шенности Крантау в течение ряда лет. Предпринят первый опыт обобщения полученных материалов, ко-
торые позволили наметить основные контуры истории народонаселения области, выделенной авторами
монографии как “Приаральский микрорайон” на протяжении более чем двухтысячелетнего периода и
предложить первый опыт историко-культурной периодизации региона Северного Каракалпакстана.
Для археологов, этнологов, историков культуры, а также всех, интересующихся вопросами истории
материальной культуры Приаралья.
Рекомендовано к печати Ученым Советом Института истории, археологии и этнографии Каракалпак-
ского отделения Академии наук Республики Узбекистан.
Издание осуществлено за счет Инновационного гранта ФА-И2-Г002 Комитета по науке и технологиям
при Кабинете Министров Республики Узбекистан и финансовой поддержке Французского Института
Исследований Центральной Азии."""
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The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from theCaspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BC during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybay cultures) and then the Iron Age (Saka culture),... more
The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from theCaspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BC during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybay cultures) and then the Iron Age (Saka culture), the coexistence of various modes of economic exploitation: sedentary agriculture, seminomadism and pastoral transhumant nomadism, the latter completely established around the Early Iron Age. These cultures developed specific mortuary practices, centred on an important social hierarchy that one can perceive through the study of vast necropolises. In the absence of cities, funerary space played a fundamental part in the management of territorial space, and therefore in the economy.
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Enclosed within the Hindu Kush Mountains, the Bamiyan Valleys are visually marked by a natural promontory rising at approximately 2,800 m and occupied by the Medieval fortress city of Shahr-i Gholghola, which lies a few hundred metres... more
Enclosed within the Hindu Kush Mountains, the Bamiyan Valleys are visually marked by a natural promontory rising at approximately 2,800 m and occupied by the Medieval fortress city of Shahr-i Gholghola, which lies a few hundred metres south of the modern city. This site, together with the two famous Buddha statues (destroyed by the Taliban in 2001) and many other sites, is today part of the “Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley” in Afghanistan, listed by UNESCO as “World Heritage in Danger.
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Located 30 km south-east from Kabul, in the Lôgar province at an altitude of over 2200 m, the archaeological site of Mes Aynak is directly linked to the exploitation of an ancient copper mine, from the 1 st century AD era to the 7 th -8... more
Located 30 km south-east from Kabul, in the Lôgar province at an altitude of over 2200 m, the archaeological site of Mes Aynak is directly linked to the exploitation of an ancient copper mine, from the 1 st century AD era to the 7 th -8 th centuries AD, but the oldest mining operations go back at least to the second half of the 1 st millennium BC. The intensive exploitation of the ancient mine seems to coincide with the arrival of the Kouchans and a continuation of the occupation by the Sassanids. The zooarchaeological study showed the presence of a large number of remains of donkeys (Equus asinus). Several individuals were thus thrown into dump areas on the outskirts of residential areas. If donkeys were widely used to transport ore through the site or even goods and people, several indications show that some individuals would have been consumed. Donkeys appear as a key element in the economy of a mining town located in a mountainous region.
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2022_S. Kroll, J. Bendezu-Sarmiento, J. Lhuillier, E. Luneau, K. Kaniuth, M.Teufer.., N. Avanesova, D. Fiorillo, M. Tengberg, A. Sharifik, C. Bon, D. Bosch, M. Mashkour, Mobility and land use in the Greater Khorasan Civilization: Isotopic approaches on human populations from southern Central Asia.more
The question of mobility of Bronze Age societies in southern Central Asia is a lively subject for discussion and remains a key aspect for understanding past human life. Central Asia represents a region where mobility and migration had a... more
The question of mobility of Bronze Age societies in southern Central Asia is a lively subject for discussion and remains a key aspect for understanding past human life. Central Asia represents a region where mobility and migration had a deep impact on the development of cultural communities. Surrounded by the great empires of the ancient Near East, it exhibited a high ethnic and genetic diversity. In this paper we present a regional study for southern Central Asia of isotopic analyses of 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O of human samples from several Bronze Age sites in southern Turkmenistan (Ulug Depe), south/central Uzbekistan (Dzharkutan, Sapallitepa, Tilla Bulak, Bustan and Bashman 1) and southern Tajikistan (Saridzhar, Gelot and Darnaichi). The three geographical zones manifest different patterns of mobility. The analysis of the Ulug Depe people demonstrates a high rate of immigration during the early periods (EBA) and a tendency for permanent residence. The later periods (MBA) are marked by a decrease in immigration and mobility, indicating a more extensive use of the surrounding landscape. Dzharkutan people displayed a different and complex pattern of mobility and subsistence, with frequent movements during individual lifetime within a limited area. The other sites in the Surkhan Darya Valley and southern Tajikistan indicate active mobility in which individuals migrated within a wide area of southern Central Asia.
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This paper seeks to shed new light on the latest discovered occupation period at Ulug-depe: the Hellenistic and Parthian occupation. Ulug-depe displays the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence of southern Central Asia, from the Late... more
This paper seeks to shed new light on the latest discovered occupation period at Ulug-depe: the Hellenistic and Parthian occupation. Ulug-depe displays the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence of southern Central Asia, from the Late Neolithic to the Middle Iron Age. After its abandonment at the end of the Middle Iron Age period, the site was reoccupied during the late 1st millennium BC. Although the archaeological levels relating to this period are badly preserved, extended research led by the joint Turkmen-French Archaeological Expedition (MAFTur) has succeeded in unearthing this occupation in many places of the site and has studied a varied pottery assemblage. Its study suggests Ulug-depe was located strategically in the central part of the Kopetdag during the last centuries of the 1st millennium BCE.
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The Oxus Civilisation (or Bactrio-Margian Archaeological Complex, BMAC) was the main archaeological culture of the Bronze Age in southern Central Asia. Paleogenetic analyses were previously conducted mainly on samples from the eastern... more
The Oxus Civilisation (or Bactrio-Margian Archaeological Complex, BMAC) was the main archaeological culture of the Bronze Age in southern Central Asia. Paleogenetic analyses were previously conducted mainly on samples from the eastern part of BMAC. The population associated with BMAC descends from local Chalcolithic populations, with some outliers of steppe or South-Asian descent. Here, we present new genome-wide data for one individual from Ulug-depe (Turkmenistan), one of the main BMAC sites, located at the southwestern edge of the BMAC. We demonstrate that this individual genetically belongs to the BMAC cluster. Using this genome, we confirm that modern Indo-Iranian-speaking populations from Central Asia derive their ancestry from BMAC populations, with additional gene flow from the western and the Altai steppes in higher proportions among the Tajiks than the Yagnobi ethnic group.
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Encore largement méconnue du public européen, la civilisation de l'Oxus apparaît aujourd'hui comme une civilisation majeure du monde oriental protohistorique. Comparable par de nombreux aspects aux grandes civilisations du Proche et du... more
Encore largement méconnue du public européen, la civilisation de l'Oxus apparaît aujourd'hui comme une civilisation majeure du monde oriental protohistorique. Comparable par de nombreux aspects aux grandes civilisations du Proche et du Moyen Orient, elle n'en est cependant pas une simple copie et se démarque par certaines caractéristiques propres. Dans ce vaste dossier, Archéologia vous propose de découvrir ces huit siècles d'histoire qui ont façonné l'âge du Bronze.
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Since prehistoric times, southern Central Asia has been at the crossroads of the movement of people, culture, and goods. Today, the Central Asian populations are divided into two cultural and linguistic groups: the Indo-Iranian and the... more
Since prehistoric times, southern Central Asia has been at the crossroads of the movement of people, culture, and goods. Today, the Central Asian populations are divided into two cultural and linguistic groups: the Indo-Iranian and the Turko-Mongolian groups. Previous genetic studies unveiled that migrations from East Asia contributed to the spread of Turko-Mongolian populations in Central Asia and the partial replacement of the Indo-Iranian populations. However, little is known about the origin of the latters. To shed light on this, we compare the genetic data on two current-day Indo-Iranian populations-Yaghnobis and Tajiks-with genome-wide data from published ancient individuals. The present Indo-Iranian populations from Central Asia display a strong genetic continuity with Iron Age samples from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. We model Yaghnobis as a mixture of 93% Iron Age individual from Turkmenistan and 7% from Baikal. For the Tajiks, we observe a higher Baikal ancestry and an additional admixture event with a South Asian population. Our results, therefore, suggest that in addition to a complex history, Central Asia shows a remarkable genetic continuity since the Iron Age, with only limited gene flow.
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The French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has been carrying out research in the Bactra Oasis since 2005 (first, under the direction of R. Besenval and then, under the following directors of the DAFA), shedding new light... more
The French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has been carrying out research in the Bactra Oasis since 2005 (first, under the direction of R. Besenval and then, under the following directors of the DAFA), shedding new light on the chronology of the area. This paper focuses on the data related to the Iron Age by cross-comparing
stratigraphic data and the study of the pottery. Indeed, a thorough examination of the pottery excavated in different parts of the ancient city of Bactra itself indicates an occupation earlier than previously assumed and gives some initial indications about the development of the city. The Bala Hissar seems to have been settled first, during the Early Iron Age (Yaz I period), with a continuous occupation during the pre-Achaemenid period (Yaz II period). The Tepe Zargaran and the Northern Fortification Wall (Rempart Nord) seem to have been occupied from the Achaemenid period (Yaz III period) onwards, which indicates a large extension of the city at this time or the dislocation of the occupied areas, even though the data related to this period is scarce. South of Bactra, another site, Cheshme-Shafa, was likely founded during this period, suggesting a link between the extension of the settled area and the development of military architecture during the Achaemenid period. These initial results help with a further understanding of the settlement pattern in the Bactra Oasis prior to and during the period of Achaemenid occupation in Central Asia.
stratigraphic data and the study of the pottery. Indeed, a thorough examination of the pottery excavated in different parts of the ancient city of Bactra itself indicates an occupation earlier than previously assumed and gives some initial indications about the development of the city. The Bala Hissar seems to have been settled first, during the Early Iron Age (Yaz I period), with a continuous occupation during the pre-Achaemenid period (Yaz II period). The Tepe Zargaran and the Northern Fortification Wall (Rempart Nord) seem to have been occupied from the Achaemenid period (Yaz III period) onwards, which indicates a large extension of the city at this time or the dislocation of the occupied areas, even though the data related to this period is scarce. South of Bactra, another site, Cheshme-Shafa, was likely founded during this period, suggesting a link between the extension of the settled area and the development of military architecture during the Achaemenid period. These initial results help with a further understanding of the settlement pattern in the Bactra Oasis prior to and during the period of Achaemenid occupation in Central Asia.
Research Interests:
2021, M. Tengberg, J. Daujat, M. Mashkour, A. Decaix, S. Amiri, Sh. Sheikhi, K. Debue, R. Berthon, J. Lhuillier, J. Bendezu-Sarmiento, Environment and Subsistence Economies at Iron Age Ulug-depe, South-eastern Turkmenistan: First Results from the Archaeobotanical and Archaeozoological Studies,49-70more
First results of the botanical and faunal remains analysis from Iron Age contexts at Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan reveal subsistence economies that primarily focused on cultivating and herding, with the presence of common plant and animal... more
First results of the botanical and faunal remains analysis from Iron Age contexts at Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan reveal subsistence economies that primarily focused on cultivating and herding, with the presence of common plant and animal species for this period such as wheat, barley, sheep, goat and cattle. However, a large diversity of wild resources, in particular game, indicates that collecting and hunting also played an important role at the site. The presence of these wild species in the bioarchaeological record clearly shows that people from Ulug-depe had access to a variety of very different biotopes – foothill zones, riverine environments and steppe-desert. The specific context of the Middle Iron Age citadel accounts for some unexpected discoveries such as large quantities of juniper among the wood elements used for roofing and a ritual deposit involving wild animals.
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The archaeothanatological approach that is presented in this chapter provides part of the key to understanding the BMAC societies and, more broadly, Central Asia Bronze Age societies. The study of skeletal remains constitutes an essential... more
The archaeothanatological approach that is presented in this chapter provides part of the key to understanding the BMAC societies and, more broadly, Central Asia Bronze Age societies. The study of skeletal remains constitutes an essential source of information for the following thoughts and interpretations. Archaeothanatology is the study of human remains in situ. It combines the knowledge of human anatomy, the recording of the burial context, and an understanding of the taphonomic processes in order to recognize those that interacted with the corpse from the time of its burial to that of its excavation.
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To the memory of Olivier Lecomte (Saint-Raphael, 23-06-1949 / Paris, 15-01-2019). The short biography of Olivier Lecomte – the director of the French Archaeological Mission in Turkmenistan (MAFTUR; 1994-2013), responsible person for... more
To the memory of Olivier Lecomte (Saint-Raphael, 23-06-1949 / Paris, 15-01-2019).
The short biography of Olivier Lecomte – the director of the French Archaeological Mission in Turkmenistan (MAFTUR; 1994-2013), responsible person for several missions in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the United Arab Emirates, the director of the Center for Archaeological Research of the Indus-Baluchistan, Central, and Eastern Asia (UMR 9993) of the CNRS from 2009 to 2015. This is a few touches to the portrait of a tall, polyglot gentleman with a beige hat, a long and distinctive mustache, a long coat and a cane in the hand, who liked to discover «new worlds» and once eхplored, he enjoyed to share his new discoveries with simplicity.
The short biography of Olivier Lecomte – the director of the French Archaeological Mission in Turkmenistan (MAFTUR; 1994-2013), responsible person for several missions in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the United Arab Emirates, the director of the Center for Archaeological Research of the Indus-Baluchistan, Central, and Eastern Asia (UMR 9993) of the CNRS from 2009 to 2015. This is a few touches to the portrait of a tall, polyglot gentleman with a beige hat, a long and distinctive mustache, a long coat and a cane in the hand, who liked to discover «new worlds» and once eхplored, he enjoyed to share his new discoveries with simplicity.
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2021, Bendezu-Sarmiento, The first nomads in Central Asia's steppes (Kazakhstan): An overview of major socio-economic changes, derived from funerary practices of the Bronze and Iron Ages (2nd-1st millennium BCE) In : Nomad lives : From Prehistoric Times to the Present Day, p. 479-503, Paris, MNHN.more
https://books.openedition.org/mnhn/10035 The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from the Caspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BCE during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybaj... more
https://books.openedition.org/mnhn/10035
The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from the Caspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BCE during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybaj cultures) and then the Iron Age (Saka culture), the coexistence of various modes of economic exploitation: sedentary agriculture, semi-nomadism and pastoral transhumant nomadism, the latter completely established around the Early Iron Age. These cultures developed specific mortuary practices, centred on an important social hierarchy that one can perceive through the study of vast necropolises. In the absence of cities, funerary space played a fundamental part in the management of territorial space, and therefore in the economy.
The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from the Caspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BCE during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybaj cultures) and then the Iron Age (Saka culture), the coexistence of various modes of economic exploitation: sedentary agriculture, semi-nomadism and pastoral transhumant nomadism, the latter completely established around the Early Iron Age. These cultures developed specific mortuary practices, centred on an important social hierarchy that one can perceive through the study of vast necropolises. In the absence of cities, funerary space played a fundamental part in the management of territorial space, and therefore in the economy.
Research Interests:
Recent discoveries on the Hellenistic and Parthian Occupation of Ulug-depe : this paper informs about the results of the last investigations of the Joint French-Turkmen archaeological mission (MAFTur) at the site of Ulug-Depe (Kaakhka... more
Recent discoveries on the Hellenistic and Parthian Occupation of Ulug-depe : this paper informs about the results of the last investigations of the Joint French-Turkmen archaeological mission (MAFTur) at the site of Ulug-Depe (Kaakhka etrap of Akhal velayat, near the village of Dushak) where there was revealed the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence in the region: about 5000–600 BC. Excavations of the last years have established that in the end of the 1st millennium BC, a secondary settling at the abandoned fortified site took place. An exact dating of the new settlement so far is difficult but it is already clear, however, that this occupation was fairly long (either continuous or with certain interruptions) covering the Hellenistic and Parthian periods. The abandoned rooms of the Middle Iron Age later were partly occupied anew or partly used as a source of building materials for new buildings. Analysis of the ceramic complex (about 400 vessels and fragments) has allowed to distinguish several characteristic types and forms of the pottery, including the “Achaemenid”, Hellenistic, Parthian and “nomadic” types. The majority of the ‘Achaemenid’ forms spread in Central Asia during the 4th–3rd century BC and they should be considered rather as an evidence of the ties with the Iranian Plateau and the valley of the upper Atrek River in the post-Achaemenid period. The main mass of the pottery retrieved from the upper layers of Ulug-Depe can be reliably attributed as Hellenistic types distributed in Central Asia, although some forms, which are usually found at the majority of Hellenistic sites in the region, here were not recorded: e.g., flasks are absent while fragments of greyblack ware are very rare. The Hellenistic influence at Ulug-Depe seems to have been strengthening in the course of the 2nd–1st centuries BC as suggested by the distribution of the red gloss and burnishing, as well as of the open forms of small and medium size intended for personal use. Finally, findings of pottery with spots of slip possibly indicate the presence of still another group of population here in the late 1st millennium BC, the appearance of which is related with migrations of either Dahae or nomads of the Yuezhi circle.
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During the Bronze age appeared the Bactria-Margiana archaeological Complex or Oxus Civilisation. the discoveries in several sites testify to the development of complex cities, surrounded by fortification walls, including living quarters,... more
During the Bronze age appeared the Bactria-Margiana archaeological Complex or Oxus Civilisation. the discoveries in several sites testify to the development of complex cities, surrounded by fortification walls, including living quarters, storage, and handicrafts areas, and with more notable buildings—interpreted as palaces and temples— reflecting strong social hierarchies. the finest arts and crafts are associated with this urbanism, including mainly metallurgy, working of fine stones, and very standardized pottery production. all these elements situate these cities within a larger exchange network including the neighbouring civilisations of Mesopotamina, the indus Valley and the iranian Plateau.
Around 1500 BCE a major cultural, economic and ideological shift happened in southern Central asia, leading to the disappearance of the Bactria-Margiana archaeological Complex and to the beginning of the iron age. One of its most impressive consequence is a radical transformation of the settlement pattern that witnesses a fragmentation of the settlements, with small villages replacing large proto-urban sites, and an extension to new areas.
Around 1500 BCE a major cultural, economic and ideological shift happened in southern Central asia, leading to the disappearance of the Bactria-Margiana archaeological Complex and to the beginning of the iron age. One of its most impressive consequence is a radical transformation of the settlement pattern that witnesses a fragmentation of the settlements, with small villages replacing large proto-urban sites, and an extension to new areas.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from the Caspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BCE during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybaj cultures) and then the Iron Age (Saka culture),... more
The large territory of the Central Asian steppes, extending from the Caspian Sea to China, has witnessed, as from the 2nd millennium BCE during the Bronze Age (Andronovo and Begazy-Dandybaj cultures) and then the Iron Age (Saka culture), the coexistence of various modes of economic exploitation: sedentary agriculture, semi-nomadism and pastoral transhumant nomadism, the latter completely established around the Early Iron Age. These cultures developed specific mortuary practices, centred on an important social hierarchy that one can perceive through the study of vast necropolises. In the absence of cities, funerary space played a fundamental part in the management of territorial space, and therefore in the economy.
Research Interests:
De septembre à novembre 2019, les équipes de la MAFTUR ont fouillé le site d’Ulug Dépé, dans le sud-estdu Turkménistan. Unique au monde par la durée de son occupation, 4 000 ans sansdiscontinuer, ce site a abrité la civilisation de... more
De septembre à novembre 2019, les équipes de la MAFTUR ont fouillé le site d’Ulug Dépé, dans le sud-estdu Turkménistan. Unique au monde par la durée de son occupation, 4 000 ans sansdiscontinuer, ce site a abrité
la civilisation de l’Oxus, l’une des plus importantes d’Asie centrale. Après vingt ans de fouilles, il réserve encore de nombreuses surprises.
la civilisation de l’Oxus, l’une des plus importantes d’Asie centrale. Après vingt ans de fouilles, il réserve encore de nombreuses surprises.
Research Interests:
L’Asie centrale, encerclée par des montagnes, est composée de zones désertiques, de steppes et d’oasis fertiles, qui se déploient de la mer Caspienne à la Chine. La partie septentrionale, dite steppique, comprend une partie de la Sibérie... more
L’Asie centrale, encerclée par des montagnes, est composée de zones désertiques, de steppes et d’oasis fertiles, qui se déploient de la mer Caspienne à la Chine. La partie septentrionale, dite steppique, comprend une partie de la Sibérie du Sud, du Kirghizstan et du Kazakhstan. La partie méridionale est quant à elle occupée par les anciennes républiques soviétiques de l’Ouzbékistan, du Turkménistan, du Tadjikistan, mais aussi par le nord de l’Afghanistan et le nord-est de l’Iran (fig. 1).1
Les questions de chronologie et d’évolution culturelle se
trouvent au coeur des principales thématiques d’étude de
l’Asie centrale méridionale protohistorique, notamment
pour la période de transition entre les âges du Bronze et du Fer, que l’on peut situer approximativement entre 1800 et 1300 avant notre ère. Il s’agit d’un laps de temps clé dans l’évolution des sociétés de cette partie du monde, qui sera témoin d’une révolution proto-urbaine au début de l’âge du Bronze, du développement magistral de la civilisation de l’Oxus durant le Bronze moyen – comparable à celles, contemporaines, de la Mésopotamie, de l’Élam et de l’Indus –, mais aussi de son déclin, de sa disparition, des mouvements et des adaptations des populations locales durant la fin de l’âge du Bronze et le début de l’âge du Fer. Ce phénomène trouve un écho récent dans la société contemporaine, les interrogations concernant la décadence, l’effondrement et la résilience des sociétés permettant de questionner de manière renouvelée les processus liés à la disparition et à la formation d’une culture. Quels sont les événements sous-jacents à la résilience ? De plus, ce processus semble s’inscrire dans une dynamique générale amorcée vers 2000 avant notre ère dans un ensemble de sociétés orientales, de la Mésopotamie à la vallée de l’Indus. Il s’agira ici de présenter la spécificité des changements
survenus au sein de la civilisation de l’Oxus.
Les questions de chronologie et d’évolution culturelle se
trouvent au coeur des principales thématiques d’étude de
l’Asie centrale méridionale protohistorique, notamment
pour la période de transition entre les âges du Bronze et du Fer, que l’on peut situer approximativement entre 1800 et 1300 avant notre ère. Il s’agit d’un laps de temps clé dans l’évolution des sociétés de cette partie du monde, qui sera témoin d’une révolution proto-urbaine au début de l’âge du Bronze, du développement magistral de la civilisation de l’Oxus durant le Bronze moyen – comparable à celles, contemporaines, de la Mésopotamie, de l’Élam et de l’Indus –, mais aussi de son déclin, de sa disparition, des mouvements et des adaptations des populations locales durant la fin de l’âge du Bronze et le début de l’âge du Fer. Ce phénomène trouve un écho récent dans la société contemporaine, les interrogations concernant la décadence, l’effondrement et la résilience des sociétés permettant de questionner de manière renouvelée les processus liés à la disparition et à la formation d’une culture. Quels sont les événements sous-jacents à la résilience ? De plus, ce processus semble s’inscrire dans une dynamique générale amorcée vers 2000 avant notre ère dans un ensemble de sociétés orientales, de la Mésopotamie à la vallée de l’Indus. Il s’agira ici de présenter la spécificité des changements
survenus au sein de la civilisation de l’Oxus.
Research Interests:
Site majeur d’Asie centrale, Ulug dépé fait l’objet depuis 2001 de fouilles conduites par la mission archéologique franco-turkmène (MAFTUR) : elles ont révélé son importance politique et économique et mis au jour un abondant mobilier... more
Site majeur d’Asie centrale, Ulug dépé fait l’objet depuis 2001
de fouilles conduites par la mission archéologique franco-turkmène
(MAFTUR) : elles ont révélé son importance politique
et économique et mis au jour un abondant mobilier matériel,
révélateur de la richesse et du raffinement des cultures qui se
sont épanouies au Turkménistan méridional dès le début des
âges des métaux.
de fouilles conduites par la mission archéologique franco-turkmène
(MAFTUR) : elles ont révélé son importance politique
et économique et mis au jour un abondant mobilier matériel,
révélateur de la richesse et du raffinement des cultures qui se
sont épanouies au Turkménistan méridional dès le début des
âges des métaux.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
2019, From bone broth to kebab : the importance of caprines in the economy of the medieval site of Shahr-e Gholgholah (Bâmiyân, Afghanistan), In, Hommes et Caprinés : de la montagne à la steppe, de la chasse à l'élevage, L. Gourichon, C. Daujeard, J.-Ph. Brugal Éditions APDCA, Antibes, p. 285-296.more
From bone broth to kebab : the importance of caprines in the economy of the medieval site of Shahr-e Gholgholah (Bâmiyân, Afghanistan). Humans and Caprines From mountain to steppe, from hunting to husbandry, 2019 Caprines are by far the... more
From bone broth to kebab : the importance of caprines in the economy of the medieval site of Shahr-e Gholgholah (Bâmiyân, Afghanistan).
Humans and Caprines From mountain to steppe, from hunting to husbandry, 2019
Caprines are by far the most important source of meat in late-antiquity and medieval times in Central Asia. This importance of caprine can be found whatever the ecosystem concerned, from desert to steppe through seaside or high mountains. The site of Shahr-e Gholgholah is traditionally considered as the Islamic Capital of the Bâmiyân territories. It is a town occupying a natural hill rising to over 2,600 m altitude in the center of the Bâmiyân Valley. Thus, the archeozoological study (skeletal representation, slaughter profiles, cut marks) of caprines from this site confirms that they are an essential element in the economy of high mountain towns.
Humans and Caprines From mountain to steppe, from hunting to husbandry, 2019
Caprines are by far the most important source of meat in late-antiquity and medieval times in Central Asia. This importance of caprine can be found whatever the ecosystem concerned, from desert to steppe through seaside or high mountains. The site of Shahr-e Gholgholah is traditionally considered as the Islamic Capital of the Bâmiyân territories. It is a town occupying a natural hill rising to over 2,600 m altitude in the center of the Bâmiyân Valley. Thus, the archeozoological study (skeletal representation, slaughter profiles, cut marks) of caprines from this site confirms that they are an essential element in the economy of high mountain towns.
Research Interests:
By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley... more
By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley Civilization’s decline, its people mixed with individuals in the southeast to form one of the two main ancestral populations of South Asia, whose direct descendants live in southern India. Simultaneously, they mixed with descendants of Steppe pastoralists who, starting around 4000 years ago, spread via Central Asia to form the other main ancestral population.
The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages.
The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages.
Research Interests:
The architectural complex commissioned by Gawhar Shad in Herat (820–841/1417–1438) constitutes one of the major foundations of the Timurid capital city. The site has sustained substantial damage over the centuries and very little is... more
The architectural complex commissioned by Gawhar Shad in Herat (820–841/1417–1438) constitutes one of the major foundations of the Timurid capital city. The site has sustained substantial damage over the centuries and very little is currently known about its architecture and decoration. Since the 1980s, access to it has been strictly limited due to the presence of landmines. This article aims to present the last archaeological surveys carried out on the site in recent years, and to introduce the first results of the study of the ceramic tiles collected on the “Musalla” and transferred to the National Museum of Herat in 2015.
Research Interests:
2019, Bendezu-Sarmiento & J. Lhuillier, Habitat and Occupancy during the Bronze Age in Central Asia Recent work at the sites of Ulug-depe (Turkmenistan) and Dzharkutan (Uzbekistan), Urban Cultures of Central Asia from the Bronze Age to the Karakhanids, Harrassowitz Verlag Wiesbaden & Harrassowitz.more
For more than 15 years, two French archaeological expeditions, together with both an Uzbek (MAFOuz-Protohistoire) and a Turkmen (MAFTUR) team, have been leading excavations at two major protohistoric sites of Central Asia: Dzharkutan and... more
For more than 15 years, two French archaeological expeditions, together with both an Uzbek (MAFOuz-Protohistoire) and a Turkmen (MAFTUR) team, have been leading excavations at two major protohistoric sites of Central Asia: Dzharkutan and Ulug-depe.
These two sites are representative of the Oxus Civilisation, or Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). They testify to the development of complex cities, surrounded by fortification walls, that included living quarters, storage and handicrafts areas, as well as more notable buildings – interpreted as palaces and temples – that reflect strong social hierarchies. The finest arts and crafts are associated with this urbanism, including mainly metallurgy, the working of fine stones, and very standardised pottery production. All these elements situate these cities within a larger exchange network
that included the neighbouring civilisations of the Indus Valley and the Iranian Plateau. In this paper, we will reflect on these various elements by putting into perspective the results of our recent excavations at Dzharkutan and Ulug-depe.
These two sites are representative of the Oxus Civilisation, or Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). They testify to the development of complex cities, surrounded by fortification walls, that included living quarters, storage and handicrafts areas, as well as more notable buildings – interpreted as palaces and temples – that reflect strong social hierarchies. The finest arts and crafts are associated with this urbanism, including mainly metallurgy, the working of fine stones, and very standardised pottery production. All these elements situate these cities within a larger exchange network
that included the neighbouring civilisations of the Indus Valley and the Iranian Plateau. In this paper, we will reflect on these various elements by putting into perspective the results of our recent excavations at Dzharkutan and Ulug-depe.
Research Interests:
Research led by the joint French-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition (MAFTur) at Ulug-depe have brought to light the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence of southern Central Asia, starting from the Late Neolithic up to the Middle Iron... more
Research led by the joint French-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition (MAFTur) at Ulug-depe have brought to light the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence of southern Central Asia, starting from the Late Neolithic up to the Middle Iron Age. During the last fieldwork seasons, a later, still poorly-known occupation has been identified: after its abandonment at the end of the Middle Iron Age period, Ulug-depe was briefly reoccupied during the late 1st millennium BC. The archaeological levels related to this occupation are extremely poorly preserved, and this stage is mainly witnessed by a particular pottery complex. Preliminary and ongoing researches on this pottery complex suggest that it principally includes Hellenistic-period vessels associated with some more unusual shapes. This association of material finds analogies in the area of interaction between the northern and the southern parts of Central Asia (i.e., in Uzbekistan, in a territory stretching from Tashkent to the Aral Sea through the Syr Darya area). In this paper, we will present a first overview of these discoveries,
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This article summarizes the result of the work led by the joint French-Uzbek team at the Early Iron Age settlement of Dzharkutan in southern Uzbekistan between 2009 and 2013. We describe the planning and the architecture of the... more
This article summarizes the result of the work
led by the joint French-Uzbek team at the Early
Iron Age settlement of Dzharkutan in southern
Uzbekistan between 2009 and 2013. We describe
the planning and the architecture of the settlement,
the funerary structures discovered inside
the inhabited area, the material culture, and the
subsistence economy of this period, thus taking
stock of the way to occupy the domestic space during
a period which is still poorly known in Central
Asia. We also present a refined chronology, based
on the stratigraphy that allowed us identifying two
stages inside the Early Iron Age occupation, and
shedding a new light on the transition between
the end of the Oxus Civilisation and the formation
of the Handmade painted ware cultures.
led by the joint French-Uzbek team at the Early
Iron Age settlement of Dzharkutan in southern
Uzbekistan between 2009 and 2013. We describe
the planning and the architecture of the settlement,
the funerary structures discovered inside
the inhabited area, the material culture, and the
subsistence economy of this period, thus taking
stock of the way to occupy the domestic space during
a period which is still poorly known in Central
Asia. We also present a refined chronology, based
on the stratigraphy that allowed us identifying two
stages inside the Early Iron Age occupation, and
shedding a new light on the transition between
the end of the Oxus Civilisation and the formation
of the Handmade painted ware cultures.
Research Interests:
In southern Central Asia, the Iron Age saw the almost-complete disappearance of burial (Sine Sepulchro period covering the Yaz I-III sequence, ca. 1500-330 BCE), a fact generally interpreted as an evidence of excarnation. This paper... more
In southern Central Asia, the Iron Age saw the almost-complete disappearance of burial (Sine Sepulchro period covering the Yaz I-III sequence, ca. 1500-330 BCE), a fact generally interpreted as an evidence of excarnation.
This paper intends to present an exceptional discovery of a set of human bones made by the DAFA (Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan) at the site of Tepe Zargaran, Bactra, in Afghanistan. It groups human bones including calvaria, elements of the torso and long bones- belonging to several individuals of different ages and both sexes. This discover is well dated in the second half of the 4th c.
BCE, at the end of the Achaemenid period. It is compared to similar atypical burial pits of the Iron Age, which indicates a very long socio-cultural tradition of nearly a millennium, involving handling of the corpses, shifting of part of the bodies from a first deposit, and reoccupation of ancient storage structures.
This paper intends to present an exceptional discovery of a set of human bones made by the DAFA (Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan) at the site of Tepe Zargaran, Bactra, in Afghanistan. It groups human bones including calvaria, elements of the torso and long bones- belonging to several individuals of different ages and both sexes. This discover is well dated in the second half of the 4th c.
BCE, at the end of the Achaemenid period. It is compared to similar atypical burial pits of the Iron Age, which indicates a very long socio-cultural tradition of nearly a millennium, involving handling of the corpses, shifting of part of the bodies from a first deposit, and reoccupation of ancient storage structures.
Research Interests:
This article summarizes the result of the work led by the joint French-Uzbek team at the Early Iron Age settlement of Dzharkutan in southern Uzbekistan between 2009 and 2013. We describe the planning and the architecture of the... more
This article summarizes the result of the work led by the joint French-Uzbek team at the Early Iron Age settlement of Dzharkutan in southern Uzbekistan between 2009 and 2013. We describe the planning and the architecture of the settlement, the funerary structures discovered inside the inhabited area, the material culture, and the subsistence economy of this period, thus taking stock of the way to occupy the domestic space during a period which is still poorly known in Central Asia. We also present a refined chronology, based on the stratigraphy that allowed us identifying two stages inside the Early Iron Age occupation, and shedding a new light on the transition between the end of the Oxus Civilisation and the formation of the Handmade painted ware cultures.
Research Interests:
This text summarizes the preliminary results of the first season of archaeological excavations at the site of Burgut Kurgan in Pashkhurt Valley, south Uzbekistan, which were conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani-French team in 2015. The site... more
This text summarizes the preliminary results of the first season of archaeological excavations at the site of Burgut Kurgan in Pashkhurt Valley, south Uzbekistan, which were conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani-French team in 2015. The site represents a unique walled settlement of the transitional period between the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age of southern Central Asia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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One of the primary characteristics of the Iron Age (c. 1500–329 BCE) in southern Central Asia is the widespread absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common funeral practice. Based on new data from... more
One of the primary characteristics of the Iron Age (c. 1500–329 BCE) in southern Central Asia is the widespread absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common funeral practice. Based on new data from recent excavations (Dzharkutan in Uzbekistan and Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan) and a review of available published and unpublished data found in Central Asian and Russian archives, the authors question this widely accepted fact. They show that the funerary practices of the Iron Age populations were more complex than previously understood (individual and multiple burials, primary and secondary burials, collection of selected skeletal remains, excarnation, etc.). The archaeological record refers to a broad variety of interpretations, particularly different levels of interaction between the world of the dead and the living.
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A gigantic (16 km2) early Kushan military camp, with a perfectly regular grid plan and a surrounding wall, was discovered from aerial photographs north of Bactra, on the road to a crossing of the Amu Daria. The date was established with... more
A gigantic (16 km2) early Kushan military camp, with a perfectly regular grid plan and a surrounding wall, was discovered from aerial photographs north of Bactra, on the road to a crossing of the Amu Daria. The date was established with both C14 and historical data.
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Недавние открытия Французской Археологической Миссии в Узбекистане (MAFOuz-Protohistoire», руко- водители — доктора Х. Бендезу-Сармиенто и С. Му- стафакулов) на памятнике Джаркутан3 пролили новый свет на погребальные обряды эпохи... more
Недавние открытия Французской Археологической
Миссии в Узбекистане (MAFOuz-Protohistoire», руко-
водители — доктора Х. Бендезу-Сармиенто и С. Му-
стафакулов) на памятнике Джаркутан3 пролили новый
свет на погребальные обряды эпохи железного века.
Результаты исследований показывают, что ритуалы
изменяются от общераспрострненного отсутствия тел
и артефактов к предположительно единому погребаль-
ному ритуалу очистки костей от плоти (excarnation).
Наши раскопки показывают, что в действительности
существуют захоронения: это основные, впускные
и могилы многократного использования.
Миссии в Узбекистане (MAFOuz-Protohistoire», руко-
водители — доктора Х. Бендезу-Сармиенто и С. Му-
стафакулов) на памятнике Джаркутан3 пролили новый
свет на погребальные обряды эпохи железного века.
Результаты исследований показывают, что ритуалы
изменяются от общераспрострненного отсутствия тел
и артефактов к предположительно единому погребаль-
ному ритуалу очистки костей от плоти (excarnation).
Наши раскопки показывают, что в действительности
существуют захоронения: это основные, впускные
и могилы многократного использования.
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This text summarizes the preliminary results of the first season of archaeological excavations at the site of Burgut Kurgan in Pashkhurt Valley, south Uzbekistan, which were conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani-French team in 2015. The site... more
This text summarizes the preliminary results of the first season of archaeological excavations at the site of Burgut Kurgan in Pashkhurt Valley, south Uzbekistan, which were conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani-French team in 2015. The site represents a unique walled settlement of the transitional period between the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age of southern Central Asia.
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One of the main characteristics of the Iron Age cultures (ca. 1500-329 bce) in southern Central Asia is the absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common burial practice. However, recent excavations... more
One of the main characteristics of the Iron Age cultures (ca. 1500-329 bce) in southern Central Asia
is the absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common burial
practice. However, recent excavations at Dzharkutan in Uzbekistan and Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan
allowed identifying some atypical graves (individual and multiple, primary and secondary burials),
and some collection of selected skeletal remains, usually located in some reused silos inside the
inhabited area. These practices refer to the variety of possible interactions between the dead and the
storage structures, and more generally between the worlds of the dead and of the living.
is the absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common burial
practice. However, recent excavations at Dzharkutan in Uzbekistan and Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan
allowed identifying some atypical graves (individual and multiple, primary and secondary burials),
and some collection of selected skeletal remains, usually located in some reused silos inside the
inhabited area. These practices refer to the variety of possible interactions between the dead and the
storage structures, and more generally between the worlds of the dead and of the living.
Research Interests:
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Burial practices, resulting from deliberate behaviours and actions, lend themselves to social analysis based on the hypothesis that graves are the result of intentionality. The archaeoanthropological material from Central Asia is no... more
Burial practices, resulting from deliberate behaviours and actions, lend themselves to social analysis based on the hypothesis that graves are the result of intentionality. The archaeoanthropological material from Central Asia is no exception to this rule, as shown in this overview of our work. This article provides the opportunity to present some of our results and hypotheses on Bronze Age funerary practices in Ulug depe and Dzharkutan.
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Known after nearly a century of Soviet research, the Early Iron Age “handmade painted ware cultures” which occupied southern Central Asia during the second half of the 2nd millennium BC have been studied in depth for twenty years by... more
Known after nearly a century of Soviet research, the Early Iron Age “handmade painted ware
cultures” which occupied southern Central Asia during the second half of the 2nd millennium BC
have been studied in depth for twenty years by French teams working in Central Asia. Excavations
in Koktepe by the MAFOuz of Sogdiana and in Dzharkutan by the MAFOuz–Protohistory
in Uzbekistan, as well as excavations in Ulug depe in Turkmenistan by the MAFTur, have
uncovered a number of buildings and material culture assemblages. While this period still
remains one of the most problematic in Central Asian Protohistory, data from these sites, which
are quite different from one another but complementary, shed new light on the major cultural
and socioeconomic transformations of the Early Iron Age.
cultures” which occupied southern Central Asia during the second half of the 2nd millennium BC
have been studied in depth for twenty years by French teams working in Central Asia. Excavations
in Koktepe by the MAFOuz of Sogdiana and in Dzharkutan by the MAFOuz–Protohistory
in Uzbekistan, as well as excavations in Ulug depe in Turkmenistan by the MAFTur, have
uncovered a number of buildings and material culture assemblages. While this period still
remains one of the most problematic in Central Asian Protohistory, data from these sites, which
are quite different from one another but complementary, shed new light on the major cultural
and socioeconomic transformations of the Early Iron Age.
Research Interests:
"Abstract: Wealth finds strongly varying expression among the proto-historical societies of Central Asia, both from a diachronic (Bronze vs. Iron Ages) as well as from a geographical point of view (northern steppe zone vs. southern oasis... more
"Abstract: Wealth finds strongly varying expression among the proto-historical societies of Central Asia, both from a diachronic (Bronze vs. Iron Ages) as well as from a geographical point of view (northern steppe zone vs. southern oasis zone). A comparative approach using such parameters as architecture, funerary
practices and use of land, one can outline some interpretations about the evolution of the notion of wealth and highlight common or singular features among the relevant cultures. In the Oxus Bronze Age civilization as well as among the Saka of the Iron Age steppes, wealth finds expression through possession of prestige goods and display, which marks economic, social, if not political, inequality (rich/poor; male/female; human/animal). In the oasis zone, at the beginning of Iron Age, the total disappearance of such wealth and of any visible signs of power reflects a new conception of power, now focused on the control of the territory and of the means of production."
practices and use of land, one can outline some interpretations about the evolution of the notion of wealth and highlight common or singular features among the relevant cultures. In the Oxus Bronze Age civilization as well as among the Saka of the Iron Age steppes, wealth finds expression through possession of prestige goods and display, which marks economic, social, if not political, inequality (rich/poor; male/female; human/animal). In the oasis zone, at the beginning of Iron Age, the total disappearance of such wealth and of any visible signs of power reflects a new conception of power, now focused on the control of the territory and of the means of production."
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"The Andronovo and Saka cultures develop during the Bronze and Iron Age (2nd and 1st millennia BC) on the steppes of central Asia. During their history, they were first a semi-nomadic and sedentary society, but then changed to a nomadic... more
"The Andronovo and Saka cultures develop during the Bronze and Iron Age (2nd and 1st millennia BC) on
the steppes of central Asia. During their history, they were first a semi-nomadic and sedentary society,
but then changed to a nomadic lifestyle across the vast area between the Caspian Sea and the East of
modern China. It is within the framework of this vast geographical and historical context that we will
present all of the available anthropological data (including the cases we have studied) that relates to the
marks left by warfare. From our observations, we hope to determine whether human relations changed
during the Bronze and the Iron Age in Central Asia. The Steppes are marked by the gradual establishment
of a social hierarchy during the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, characterised by the emergence
of more or less powerful local chiefs. With this phenomenon develop the notion of property, be it private
or collective, in relation to the richer pastures and also problems of land sharing and “neighbours”. By
examining the anthropological data, we hope to determine the influence of these socioeconomic factors
on the development of violence in these societies."
the steppes of central Asia. During their history, they were first a semi-nomadic and sedentary society,
but then changed to a nomadic lifestyle across the vast area between the Caspian Sea and the East of
modern China. It is within the framework of this vast geographical and historical context that we will
present all of the available anthropological data (including the cases we have studied) that relates to the
marks left by warfare. From our observations, we hope to determine whether human relations changed
during the Bronze and the Iron Age in Central Asia. The Steppes are marked by the gradual establishment
of a social hierarchy during the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, characterised by the emergence
of more or less powerful local chiefs. With this phenomenon develop the notion of property, be it private
or collective, in relation to the richer pastures and also problems of land sharing and “neighbours”. By
examining the anthropological data, we hope to determine the influence of these socioeconomic factors
on the development of violence in these societies."
Research Interests:
Whatever mummification processes can be, natural or artificial, the aim of such a practice is usually to prevent a corpse to become skeletonized, and more generally to lessen the deterioration of the body which is to be buried. It is a... more
Whatever mummification processes can be, natural or artificial, the aim of such a practice is usually to prevent a corpse to become skeletonized, and more generally to lessen the deterioration of the body which is to be buried. It is a peculiar step of some mortuary procedures (chaînes opératoires) as if time were suspended, and resulting in a pause within the funerary schedule similar to what is induced by practices of temporary burial. Decay, however, begins again when the body is eventually laid down into its final burial, or when the preservative conditions are changed (frost, desiccative weather, etc.). This is why archaeologists should be able to identify such a previous mummification process, even when the body has become entirely skeletonized. From various archaeological or climatic contexts, the cases discussed in this paper (frozen bodies from the Altaï looted kourgans; bodies exposed and manipulated at Dzharkutan, Uzbekistan; mummification through desiccation among the ancient Islanders from Marquesas, French Polynesia) show that the key evidence for the diagnosis of mummification is given by the in situ analysis of the connections and dislocations of the joints of each skeleton. The disarticulation of some enduring or stable joints together with the connection of some least enduring ones (as far as decay of the joints is concerned) is an association which represents a dislocation of the joints in a « paradoxical order ». The inversion of the regular chronology of the decay of the joints in a human corpse is a sure evidence for the identification of a previous mummification process.
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Research Interests:
Numerous researchers previously explored the question of the origin of qanat system on the Iranian plateau. In 2008, the Iranian-French excavation work carried out on the site of tepe Damghani raised the issue of the evolution of water... more
Numerous researchers previously explored the question of the origin of qanat system on the Iranian plateau. In 2008, the Iranian-French excavation work carried out on the site of tepe Damghani raised the issue of the evolution of water resources in the area since the Bronze Age. A regional geomorphological survey showed that the Plio-Quaternary horst of Sabzevar played a significant role in providing water in the whole area from the Bronze Age up to now and that the qanat system had developed at the Achaemenid period. Indeed, at the back of the horst, a graben housing an important water table in its Quaternary alluvium has been found. Hydrological and geomorphological study shows that the overflowing of the water table provided a perennial flow. The archaeological data allow confirming the assumptions formulated starting from this study. The development of the qanât system then allowed irrigation of the whole hillfoot of the Sabzevar horst but in return provoked a lowering of the water table level, that massive pumping worsened; this level is currently to approximately 150 m of average depth.
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The French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has been carrying out research in the Bactra Oasis since 2005 (first, under the direction of R. Besenval and then, under the following directors of the DAFA), shedding new light... more
The French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has been carrying out research in the Bactra Oasis since 2005 (first, under the direction of R. Besenval and then, under the following directors of the DAFA), shedding new light on the chronology of the area. This paper focuses on the data related to the Iron Age by cross-comparing stratigraphic data and the study of the pottery. Indeed, a thorough examination of the pottery excavated in different parts of the ancient city of Bactra itself indicates an occupation earlier than previously assumed and gives some initial indications about the development of the city. The Bala Hissar seems to have been settled first, during the Early Iron Age (Yaz I period), with a continuous occupation during the pre-Achaemenid period (Yaz II period). The Tepe Zargaran and the Northern Fortification Wall (Rempart Nord) seem to have been occupied from the Achaemenid period (Yaz III period) onwards, which indicates a large extension of the city at this time or the dislocation of the occupied areas, even though the data related to this period is scarce. South of Bactra, another site, Cheshme-Shafa, was likely founded during this period, suggesting a link between the extension of the settled area and the development of military architecture during the Achaemenid period. These initial results help with a further understanding of the settlement pattern in the Bactra Oasis prior to and during the period of Achaemenid occupation in Central Asia.
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First results of the botanical and faunal remains analysis from Iron Age contexts at Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan reveal subsistence economies that primarily focused on cultivating and herding, with the presence of common plant and animal... more
First results of the botanical and faunal remains analysis from Iron Age contexts at Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan reveal subsistence economies that primarily focused on cultivating and herding, with the presence of common plant and animal species for this period such as wheat, barley, sheep, goat and cattle. However, a large diversity of wild resources, in particular game, indicates that collecting and hunting also played an important role at the site. The presence of these wild species in the bioarchaeological record clearly shows that people from Ulug-depe had access to a variety of very different biotopes – foothill zones, riverine environments and steppe-desert. The specific context of the Middle Iron Age citadel accounts for some unexpected discoveries such as large quantities of juniper among the wood elements used for roofing and a ritual deposit involving wild animals.
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The rich cultural patrimony of Afghanistan dates back millennia and its diversity continues to be reflected in the social and cultural dynamics and practices of the present day, forming an unbroken bond between Afghans and a continuous,... more
The rich cultural patrimony of Afghanistan dates back millennia and its diversity continues to be reflected in the social and cultural dynamics and practices of the present day, forming an unbroken bond between Afghans and a continuous, tangible link with their identity and ancestry.
One of the clearest and most tangible manifestations of this shared history and identity is in the work undertaken in Afghanistan by archaeologists and conservation specialists towards discovery and research of archaeological sites and the preservation of built heritage.
Of particular interest are sites that represent a transition from one period of occupation to another, reflecting the long held notion that Afghanistan is located at the “crossroads” of civilisations in Central Asia. The Noh Gonbad mosque is a unique example of a standing monument that encompasses this link between Afghanistan and the wider region
and an early example of a mosque built during the transition from Buddhism to the Islamic period in Balkh, a city known as Omm al-Belād (the Mother of all cities) and with more than five thousand years of documented history. An early Abbasid-era building and one of the
first and oldest remaining mosques in Central Asia, the site contains invaluable information on the built traditions of the 8–9th century as reflected in the pristine and unique stucco decorations covering the remains of the mosque.
Conservation work carried out on this unique monument over the past five years, under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and Culture, by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and its partners, including the French Archaeological Delegation, the World Monuments Fund and
the Associazione Giovanni Secco Suardo and supported by the Government of the United States, represents a stellar example of the convergence of national and international agencies and experts
on the complex challenge of safeguarding one of Afghanistan’s most important historic monuments.
The documentation, preservation and safeguarding of archaeological and heritage sites is of the utmost importance and a priority for the Government of Afghanistan, encompassing
the responsibility of this generation towards the preservation of our national identity for generations to come.
One of the clearest and most tangible manifestations of this shared history and identity is in the work undertaken in Afghanistan by archaeologists and conservation specialists towards discovery and research of archaeological sites and the preservation of built heritage.
Of particular interest are sites that represent a transition from one period of occupation to another, reflecting the long held notion that Afghanistan is located at the “crossroads” of civilisations in Central Asia. The Noh Gonbad mosque is a unique example of a standing monument that encompasses this link between Afghanistan and the wider region
and an early example of a mosque built during the transition from Buddhism to the Islamic period in Balkh, a city known as Omm al-Belād (the Mother of all cities) and with more than five thousand years of documented history. An early Abbasid-era building and one of the
first and oldest remaining mosques in Central Asia, the site contains invaluable information on the built traditions of the 8–9th century as reflected in the pristine and unique stucco decorations covering the remains of the mosque.
Conservation work carried out on this unique monument over the past five years, under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and Culture, by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and its partners, including the French Archaeological Delegation, the World Monuments Fund and
the Associazione Giovanni Secco Suardo and supported by the Government of the United States, represents a stellar example of the convergence of national and international agencies and experts
on the complex challenge of safeguarding one of Afghanistan’s most important historic monuments.
The documentation, preservation and safeguarding of archaeological and heritage sites is of the utmost importance and a priority for the Government of Afghanistan, encompassing
the responsibility of this generation towards the preservation of our national identity for generations to come.
Research Interests:
Créée en 1922, la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA) est une institution qui joue, depuis de longues années, un rôle important en Afghanistan. Dans ce riche pays à la croisée d'influences culturelles de la... more
Créée en 1922, la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA) est une institution qui joue, depuis de longues années, un rôle important en Afghanistan. Dans ce riche pays à la croisée d'influences culturelles de la Préhistoire jusqu'à nos jours, les archéologues français demeurent des partenaires incontournables pour toute recherche et mise en valeur du patrimoine afghan.
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Construit sur une mine de cuivre exploitée depuis l'Antiquité, le site de Mes Aynak en Afghanistan recèle d'inestimables trésors bouddhiques révélés par des fouilles préventives menées depuis 2009.
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Ancienne région d’Asie centrale, la Bactriane est célèbre pour avoir vu, notamment, le passage d’Alexandre le Grand dans son voyage vers l’Inde. Aujourd’hui à cheval sur le Tadjikistan, l’Ouzbékistan et l’Afghanistan, elle fait l’objet... more
Ancienne région d’Asie centrale, la Bactriane est célèbre pour avoir vu, notamment, le passage d’Alexandre le Grand dans son voyage vers l’Inde. Aujourd’hui à cheval sur le Tadjikistan, l’Ouzbékistan et l’Afghanistan, elle fait l’objet d’importantes recherches archéologiques qui permettent de mieux connaître son histoire perse et d’évoquer les liens mythiques qu’elle entretient avec son passé grec.
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In southern Central Asia, the Iron Age saw the almost-complete disappearance of burial (Sine Sepulchro period covering the Yaz I-III sequence, ca. 1500-330 BCE), a fact generally interpreted as an evidence of excarnation. This paper... more
In southern Central Asia, the Iron Age saw the almost-complete disappearance of burial (Sine Sepulchro period covering the Yaz I-III sequence, ca. 1500-330 BCE), a fact generally interpreted as an evidence of excarnation. This paper intends to present an exceptional discovery of a set of human bones made by the DAFA (Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan) at the site of Tepe Zargaran, Bactra, in Afghanistan. It groups human bones -including calvaria, elements of the torso and long bones- belonging to several individuals of different ages and both sexes. This discovery is well dated in the second half of the 4th c. BCE, at the end of the Achaemenid period. It is compared to similar atypical burial pits of the Iron Age, which indicates a very long socio-cultural tradition of nearly a millennium, involving handling of the corpses, shifting of part of the bodies from a first deposit, and reoccupation of ancient storage structures.
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Hellenistic History, Zoroastrianism, Afghanistan, Bactria (Archaeology), History of Afghanistan, and 11 moreZoroastrianism (History), Archaeology of Central Asia, Achaemenid History, Mortuary archaeology, Iron Age, Central Asian Archaeology, Achaemenid archaeology, Mortuary Practices, Achaemenid Art and Archaeology, Hellenistic and Parthian Central Asia, and Iranian Zoroastrian History and Central Asia and Caucasus Area
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For the last thirty years, Afghanistan has been associated with images of war, of the Soviet occupation, civil strife, and the Taliban—to the point of concealing the extent to which the country once fired the imagination of archaeologists... more
For the last thirty years, Afghanistan has been associated with images of war, of the Soviet occupation, civil strife, and the Taliban—to the point of concealing the extent to which the country once fired the imagination
of archaeologists and adventurers of every sort. Is in this country, one of the most unstable in the world , where for nearly a century, the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has been drawing
up an inventory of the archaeological heritage. Thousands of sites have been already discovered and many of them excavated by the French archaeologists. They reveal Afghanistan’s remarkable archaeological
wealth, including protohistoric, Greek, Buddhist and Islamic remains among others.
of archaeologists and adventurers of every sort. Is in this country, one of the most unstable in the world , where for nearly a century, the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA) has been drawing
up an inventory of the archaeological heritage. Thousands of sites have been already discovered and many of them excavated by the French archaeologists. They reveal Afghanistan’s remarkable archaeological
wealth, including protohistoric, Greek, Buddhist and Islamic remains among others.
Research Interests:
The architectural complex commissioned by Gawhar Shad in Herat (820–841/1417–1438) constitutes one of the major foundations of the Timurid capital city. The site has sustained substantial damage over the centuries and very little is... more
The architectural complex commissioned by Gawhar Shad in Herat (820–841/1417–1438) constitutes one of the major foundations of the Timurid capital city. The site has sustained substantial damage over the centuries and very little is currently known about its architecture and decoration. Since the 1980s, access to it has been strictly limited due to the presence of landmines. This article aims to present the last archaeological surveys carried out on the site in recent years, and to introduce the first results of the study of the ceramic tiles collected on the “Musalla” and transferred to the National Museum of Herat in 2015.
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Islamic Archaeology, Iranian Archaeology, Afghanistan, Islamic Art, Islamic' Architecture, and 9 moreIranian Art History, Timurids (Islamic History), Islamic art and architecture, Mongol and Timurid period in the history of Iran, Central Asia, Medieval Islamic Ceramics, Mughal and Ilkhanid/Timurid Art & Architecture, Mongol and Timurid Period In the History of Iran, Timurid Architecture, and Archaeology of Afghanistan
Caprines are by far the most important source of meat in late-antiquity and medieval times in Central Asia. This importance of caprine can be found whatever the ecosystem concerned, from desert to steppe through seaside or high mountains.... more
Caprines are by far the most important source of meat in late-antiquity and medieval times in Central Asia. This importance of caprine can be found whatever the ecosystem concerned, from desert to steppe through seaside or high mountains. The site of Shahr-e Gholgholah is traditionally considered as the Islamic Capital of the Bâmiyân territories. It is a town occupying a natural hill rising to over 2,600 m altitude in the center of the Bâmiyân Valley. Thus, the archeozoological study (skeletal representation, slaughter profiles, cut marks) of caprines from this site confirms that they are an essential element in the economy of high mountain towns.
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Depuis un siècle la DAFA recense le patrimoine d'un pays le plus instable de la planète. 5000 sites ont déjà été repérés au sol... ou depuis l'air
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Créée en 1994, la Mission archéologique Franco-Turkmène constitue la poursuite logique des recherches menées par Jean Deshayes en Iran du nord- est de 1959 à sa mort, en 1979.
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Pourquoi ce titre ? L’opposition entre Plateau iranien et Touran qui recouvre en gros l’Asie Centrale (fig. 1), de la mer Caspienne et du lac Aral au Xinjiang à l’est, de l’Altaï à l’Hindu-Kush et au Kopet-Dagh au sud, n’est pas que... more
Pourquoi ce titre ? L’opposition entre Plateau iranien et Touran qui recouvre en gros l’Asie Centrale (fig. 1), de la mer Caspienne et du lac Aral au Xinjiang à l’est, de l’Altaï à l’Hindu-Kush et au Kopet-Dagh au sud, n’est pas que géographique mais recouvre des réalités culturelles multiples et contrastées. Le terme « Touran », correspond à peu près à celui de « Non-Iran » utilisé par certains monarques sassanides en opposition avec « Iran » pour qualifier le contraste entre le monde sédentaire perse des grands empires et le domaine inconnu, mouvant, de populations nomades souvent turcophones de la steppe.
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Iron Age and Turkmenistan
Created in 2001, MAFTur (the French-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition) is investigating the site of Ulug depe, occupied in the Neolithic and Protohistory (Chalcolithic, Early to Late Bronze Age, Early to Middle Iron Age) periods. The... more
Created in 2001, MAFTur (the French-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition) is investigating the site of Ulug depe, occupied in the Neolithic and Protohistory (Chalcolithic, Early to Late Bronze Age, Early to Middle Iron Age) periods. The stratigraphy at Ulug depe provides the longest cultural sequence in Central Asia. Ten excavation campaigns have been conducted so far, examining the formative phase of the Oxus Civilisation, as well as looking for regional features, through characterisation of Early and Middle Bronze Age material of the Eastern foothills of the Kopet Dagh, and the identification of possible cultural particularities. The work also aims to characterise the material culture of the pre-“Median” period by excavating the only urban complex in Central Asia known from this period (Yaz II). The plan of the Yaz II citadel is now complete and other monumental constructions are in the course of excavation (‘Treasury’,
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At the crossroads of Central Asia and Iran the pre-Achaemenid city excavated in Ulug depe (Turkmenistan), includes a citadel of proto-Median type. The potery is typical of the pre-Achaemenid period in Central Asia. The study of this... more
At the crossroads of Central Asia and Iran the pre-Achaemenid city excavated in Ulug depe (Turkmenistan), includes a citadel of proto-Median type. The potery is typical of the pre-Achaemenid period in Central Asia. The study of this potery, combining typological and technological approach, allows the authors to deine some elements of characterizaion of this badly known potery in a chronological perspecive. At a macro-regional scale, it contributes to a beter characterizaion of the Iron Age in southern Central Asia, and shows the existence of regional or chronological variaions.
One of the main characteristics of the Iron Age cultures (ca. 1500-329 bce) in southern Central Asia is the absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common burial practice. However, recent excavations... more
One of the main characteristics of the Iron Age cultures (ca. 1500-329 bce) in southern Central Asia is the absence of graves, associated with the appearance of excarnation as the most common burial practice. However, recent excavations at Dzharkutan in Uzbekistan and Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan allowed identifying some atypical graves (individual and multiple, primary and secondary burials), and some collection of selected skeletal remains, usually located in some reused silos inside the inhabited area. These practices refer to the variety of possible interactions between the dead and the storage structures, and more generally between the worlds of the dead and of the living.
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Since 2001, the French-Turkmen Archaeological Mission (MAFTur) carried out excavations at the site of Ulug-depe, located near Dushak in the Kopet Dagh range piedmont. The site displays the longest stratigraphy in Central Asia, from the... more
Since 2001, the French-Turkmen Archaeological Mission (MAFTur) carried out excavations at the site of Ulug-depe, located near Dushak in the Kopet Dagh range piedmont. The site displays the longest stratigraphy in Central Asia, from the late Neolithic to the Middle Iron Age. The work carried out during the last 3 seasons focused on the Iron Age; it is yielding a better understanding of this period in the Kopet Dagh region. Two periods were identified, the Early Iron Age (Yaz I period) and the Middle Iron Age (Yaz II period). The main features of the occupation of each of these two periods are presented in this article (stratigraphy and architecture, ceramics, funerary practices). Furthermore, as Ulug-depe is one of the few sites of Central Asia that displays Bronze Age levels as well as Iron Age ones, we turned our attention more particularly to the transition between these two periods.
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Founded in 2001, the French Archaeological Mission in Turkmenistan aims to explore and study the multi-chronological site of Ulug-depe, from the Neolithic to the historical periods. In 2014 our work highlighted an exceptional discovery... more
Founded in 2001, the French Archaeological Mission in Turkmenistan aims to explore and study the multi-chronological site of Ulug-depe, from the Neolithic to the historical periods. In 2014 our work highlighted an exceptional discovery for the region and the period of the Middle Bronze Age: a quite disrupted, but rather rich burial, situated on a «high terrace»
similar to the one found at the proto-urban site
of Altyn-depe.
similar to the one found at the proto-urban site
of Altyn-depe.
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This booklet is addressed to the trainees of the Leon Levy Archaeological Restoration Laboratory in Dushak (Turkmenistan) who participated in the training course, but also any other institutions and museums in Turkmenistan and Central... more
This booklet is addressed to the trainees of the Leon Levy Archaeological Restoration Laboratory in Dushak (Turkmenistan) who participated in the training course, but also any other institutions and museums in Turkmenistan and Central Asia interested in the conservation of ceramics. It provides a basic theoritical knowledge about ceramic material, its deterioration and conservation, and also an
illustrated section concerning the different stages of conservation and restoration of archaeological ceramics. This booklet represents the theoretical background to practical work undertaken by the trainees during the course.
illustrated section concerning the different stages of conservation and restoration of archaeological ceramics. This booklet represents the theoretical background to practical work undertaken by the trainees during the course.
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Research led by the joint French-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition (MAFTur) at Ulug-depe have brought to light the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence of southern Central Asia, starting from the Late Neolithic up to the Middle Iron... more
Research led by the joint French-Turkmen Archaeological Expedition (MAFTur) at Ulug-depe have brought to light the longest continuous stratigraphic sequence of southern Central Asia, starting from the Late Neolithic up to the Middle Iron Age. During the last fieldwork seasons, a later, still poorly-known occupation has been identified: after its abandonment at the end of the Middle Iron Age period, Ulug-depe was briefly reoccupied during the late 1st millennium BC. The archaeological levels related to this occupation are extremely poorly preserved, and this stage is mainly witnessed by a particular pottery complex. Preliminary and ongoing researches on this pottery complex suggest that it principally includes Hellenistic-period vessels associated with some more unusual shapes. This association of material finds analogies in the area of interaction between the northern and the southern parts of Central Asia (i.e., in Uzbekistan, in a territory stretching from Tashkent to the Aral Sea through the Syr Darya area). In this paper, we will present a first overview of these discoveries, placing Ulug-depe at the crossroads of different cultural groups, sedentary and possibly nomadic, at the end of the 1st millennium BC.
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L’Asie centrale, encerclée par des montagnes, est composée de zones désertiques, de steppes et d’oasis fertiles, qui se déploient de la mer Caspienne à la Chine. La partie septentrionale, dite steppique, comprend une partie de la Sibérie... more
L’Asie centrale, encerclée par des montagnes, est composée de zones désertiques, de steppes et d’oasis fertiles, qui se déploient de la mer Caspienne à la Chine. La partie septentrionale, dite steppique, comprend une partie de la Sibérie du Sud, du Kirghizstan et du Kazakhstan. La partie méridionale est quant à elle occupée par les anciennes républiques soviétiques de l’Ouzbékistan, du Turkménistan, du Tadjikistan, mais aussi par le nord de l’Afghanistan et le nord-est de l’Iran (fig. 1).1 Les questions de chronologie et d’évolution culturelle se trouvent au cœur des principales thématiques d’étude de l’Asie centrale méridionale protohistorique, notamment pour la période de transition entre les âges du Bronze et du Fer, que l’on peut situer approximativement entre 1800 et 1300 avant notre ère. Il s’agit d’un laps de temps clé dans l’évolution des sociétés de cette partie du monde, qui sera témoin d’une révolution proto-urbaine au début de l’âge du Bronze, du développement magistral de la civilisation de l’Oxus durant le Bronze moyen – comparable à celles, contemporaines, de la Mésopotamie, de l’Élam et de l’Indus –, mais aussi de son déclin, de sa disparition, des mouvements et des adaptations des populations locales durant la fin de l’âge du Bronze et le début de l’âge du Fer. Ce phénomène trouve un écho récent dans la société contemporaine, les interrogations concernant la décadence, l’effondrement et la résilience des sociétés permettant de questionner de manière renouvelée les processus liés à la disparition et à la formation d’une culture. Quels sont les événements sous-jacents à la résilience ? De plus, ce processus semble s’inscrire dans une dynamique générale amorcée vers 2000 avant notre ère dans un ensemble de sociétés orientales, de la Mésopotamie à la vallée de l’Indus. Il s’agira ici de présenter la spécificité des changements survenus au sein de la civilisation de l’Oxus.
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Encore largement méconnue du public européen, la civilisation de l’Oxus apparaît aujourd’hui comme une civilisation majeure du monde oriental protohistorique. Comparable par de nombreux aspects aux grandes civilisations du Proche et du... more
Encore largement méconnue du public européen, la civilisation de l’Oxus apparaît aujourd’hui comme une civilisation majeure du monde oriental protohistorique. Comparable par de nombreux aspects aux grandes civilisations du Proche et du Moyen Orient, elle n’en est cependant pas une simple copie et se démarque par certaines caractéristiques propres. Dans ce vaste dossier, Archéologia vous propose de découvrir ces huit siècles d’histoire qui ont façonné l’âge du Bronze.
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"Since the discovery of Dzharkutan in the 1970s, Bronze Age ceramics were mainly studied to create a typo-chronology for the south of Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, the local periodization is still a subject of debate. Work since 2007 by the... more
"Since the discovery of Dzharkutan in the 1970s, Bronze Age ceramics were mainly studied to create a typo-chronology for the south of Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, the local periodization is still a subject of debate. Work since 2007 by the French-Uzbek Archaeological Expedition - Protohistory at cemetery 3 in Dzharkutan has provided the opportunity to reassess the chronological sequence. This work has resulted in an improved characterisation of ceramic production at this site. Due to the methodology used in the typo-chronological analysis, it is now possible to identify transitions between the different assemblages, renewing the local periodization and revealing the dynamics of use of this zone of the cemetery."
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Due to their size and long duration, the settlement and necropolis at Dzharkutan in the Surkhan- Daria valley (northern Bactria) provide exceptional evidence for understanding the origins, development and the disappearance of the... more
Due to their size and long duration, the settlement and necropolis at Dzharkutan in the Surkhan-
Daria valley (northern Bactria) provide exceptional evidence for understanding the origins,
development and the disappearance of the proto-urban cultures of Central Asia (Bronze
Age and Early Iron Age, 3rd-1st millennia BC). After its discovery in the 1970’s, the site was
excavated first by Uzbek, and then by Germano-Uzbek teams, who uncovered large surface
areas with many architectural remains. Since 2007, the multidisciplinary team of the MAFOuz-
Protohistory has been carrying out work on the settlement as well as in the necropolis.
Daria valley (northern Bactria) provide exceptional evidence for understanding the origins,
development and the disappearance of the proto-urban cultures of Central Asia (Bronze
Age and Early Iron Age, 3rd-1st millennia BC). After its discovery in the 1970’s, the site was
excavated first by Uzbek, and then by Germano-Uzbek teams, who uncovered large surface
areas with many architectural remains. Since 2007, the multidisciplinary team of the MAFOuz-
Protohistory has been carrying out work on the settlement as well as in the necropolis.
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The Czech-Uzbekistani archaeological team conducted between 2008 and 2011 archaeological surface survey in the Sherabad district, South Uzbekistan. This effort yielded substantial amount of fresh archaeological data linked predominantly... more
The Czech-Uzbekistani archaeological team conducted between 2008 and 2011 archaeological surface survey in the Sherabad district, South Uzbekistan. This effort yielded substantial amount of fresh archaeological data linked predominantly to the Kushan and Medieval, but also to the earlier periods. In this article, we pay attention to selected results of this research associated with funeral practices of nomad population of the piedmont steppe in this district, i.e. to nomad burials known as kurgans. One of the kurgans detected during the survey, has been partly excavated in 2014 season. Additionally, we describe briefly other archaeological sites newly detected in the area between Maydan and Karabag including Burgut Kurgan, important settlement of Yaz I period.
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Bendezu-Sarmiento, Lhuillier, Mustafakulov & Khakimov 2015, The Mortuary Practices of the Early Iron Age Populations: Recent Discoveries at Dzharkutan in Northern Bactria/ Погребальная практика населения раннего железного века: новые находки из Джаркутана в Северной Бактрии (in English and Russian)more
Недавние открытия Французской Археологической Миссии в Узбекистане (MAFOuz-Protohistoire», руко- водители — доктора Х. Бендезу-Сармиенто и С. Му- стафакулов) на памятнике Джаркутан3 пролили новый свет на погребальные обряды эпохи... more
Недавние открытия Французской Археологической
Миссии в Узбекистане (MAFOuz-Protohistoire», руко-
водители — доктора Х. Бендезу-Сармиенто и С. Му-
стафакулов) на памятнике Джаркутан3 пролили новый
свет на погребальные обряды эпохи железного века.
Результаты исследований показывают, что ритуалы
изменяются от общераспрострненного отсутствия тел
и артефактов к предположительно единому погребаль-
ному ритуалу очистки костей от плоти (excarnation).
Наши раскопки показывают, что в действительности
существуют захоронения: это основные, впускные
и могилы многократного использования.
Миссии в Узбекистане (MAFOuz-Protohistoire», руко-
водители — доктора Х. Бендезу-Сармиенто и С. Му-
стафакулов) на памятнике Джаркутан3 пролили новый
свет на погребальные обряды эпохи железного века.
Результаты исследований показывают, что ритуалы
изменяются от общераспрострненного отсутствия тел
и артефактов к предположительно единому погребаль-
ному ритуалу очистки костей от плоти (excarnation).
Наши раскопки показывают, что в действительности
существуют захоронения: это основные, впускные
и могилы многократного использования.
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This text summarizes the preliminary results of the first season of archaeological excavations at the site of Burgut Kurgan in Pashkhurt Valley, south Uzbekistan, which were conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani-French team in 2015. The site... more
This text summarizes the preliminary results of the first season of archaeological excavations at the site of Burgut Kurgan in Pashkhurt Valley, south Uzbekistan, which were conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani-French team in 2015. The site represents a unique walled settlement of the transitional period between the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age of southern Central Asia.
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The arid climate of the late 3rd millennium is a fact well documented by palaeoclimatic work in the Near and Middle East as well as in Central Asia. Yet the consequences of this drier climate for human societies and the manner in which... more
The arid climate of the late 3rd millennium is a fact well documented by palaeoclimatic work in the Near and Middle East as well as in Central Asia. Yet the consequences of this drier climate for human societies and the manner in which they adapted to aridity are issues that require debate. Geomorphological study of the sites of Sabzevar to the north-east of the Iranian plateau and Bam to the south-east of the Iranian plateau shows that, although water resources became
scarcer between the Chalcolithic and the Iron Age, human societies were able to adapt, thanks to tectonic contexts that trapped the water-table. Thus societies adapted by changing site
locations and adopting a new irrigation technique, the qanat system.
scarcer between the Chalcolithic and the Iron Age, human societies were able to adapt, thanks to tectonic contexts that trapped the water-table. Thus societies adapted by changing site
locations and adopting a new irrigation technique, the qanat system.
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This is a Persian Translation and slightly modified version of the following paper: The Horst of Sabzevar and regional water resources from the Bronze Age to the present day (Northeastern Iran), Geodinamica Acta, Volume 23, 2010 - Issue... more
This is a Persian Translation and slightly modified version of the following paper: The Horst of Sabzevar and regional water resources from the Bronze Age to the present day (Northeastern Iran), Geodinamica Acta, Volume 23, 2010 - Issue 5-6, Pages 287-294.
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Upon the construction of the great Sivand Dam (near the prestigious site of Pasargadae), an archaeological survey followed by rescue excavations took place between 2005 and 2007 in the Pulvar River Valley (Tang-i Bulaghi plain), on a 17... more
Upon the construction of the great Sivand Dam (near the prestigious site of Pasargadae), an archaeological survey followed by rescue excavations took place between 2005 and 2007 in the Pulvar River Valley (Tang-i Bulaghi plain), on a 17 km long route. At the request of the Iranian authorities, several joint international teams — Iranian-Italian, German, Polish, and French — worked for several months on sites previously identified by local teams during ICHTO surveys (Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization).
In this article, we will present the preliminary results of the excavation of a few representative tombs from Necropolis T-88, dated to the Sassanian period.
In this article, we will present the preliminary results of the excavation of a few representative tombs from Necropolis T-88, dated to the Sassanian period.
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Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento et Francis Richard, in : L’archéologie française en Asie centrale, Cahiers d’Asie centrale, 21/22, p.19-21
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Central Asian Studies, Funerary Archaeology, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Archaeology of Central Asia, Iron Age (Archaeology), and 7 moreArchaeology and Anthropology, Archaeology of Religion and Funerary Practices in the Upper Mesopotamia during the Early Bronze Age, Kazakhstan, Sakas & Tocharians, Andronovo, Scythes, and Bronze Age Ural-Kazakhstan Steppes
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Archaeological research in Central Asia started almost one century ago, but its keeps evolving. This workshop aims at shedding a new light on current works, which contribute to this dynamic through their innovative methods (3D, GIS,... more
Archaeological research in Central Asia started almost one century ago, but its keeps evolving. This workshop aims at shedding a new light on current works, which contribute to this dynamic through their innovative methods (3D, GIS, palaeogenetics, palaeodiets, etc.), focusing both on unpublished and ancient data.
These researches are conducted in a somehow difficult geopolitical context, and cover the whole of Central Asian territory as defined by UNESCO (i.e. the former Soviet Republics, northern Afghanistan, and north-eastern Iran). They also cover a long timeline from Protohistory to Pre-Islamic Antiquity (from ca. 2nd mill. BC to 1st mill. CE), and take into account the way our contemporary society considers its archaeological heritage.
On the basis of the intersectional approach resulting from these multidisciplinary works, this workshop intends to emphasize the dynamics of current archaeological research, and thus to contribute to the understanding of the ancient societies of Central Asia.
These researches are conducted in a somehow difficult geopolitical context, and cover the whole of Central Asian territory as defined by UNESCO (i.e. the former Soviet Republics, northern Afghanistan, and north-eastern Iran). They also cover a long timeline from Protohistory to Pre-Islamic Antiquity (from ca. 2nd mill. BC to 1st mill. CE), and take into account the way our contemporary society considers its archaeological heritage.
On the basis of the intersectional approach resulting from these multidisciplinary works, this workshop intends to emphasize the dynamics of current archaeological research, and thus to contribute to the understanding of the ancient societies of Central Asia.
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Cultural Heritage, Iranian Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Afghanistan, Central Asia (History), and 10 moreHistory of Afghanistan, Palaeodiet, Central Asia, 3D Modelling (Architecture), Ancient DNA Research, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Archaeology of Central Asia, Iron Age (Archaeology), Central Asian Archaeology, and Iran Archaeology
Archaeological activities have considerably developed during the last years around the Caspian Sea including the Caucasus, Iran and Turkmenistan. These areas have a very diverse environmental and cultural diversity resulting of several... more
Archaeological activities have considerably developed during the last years around the Caspian Sea including the Caucasus, Iran and Turkmenistan. These areas have a very diverse environmental and cultural diversity resulting of several millennia of human interaction The Caspian Sea has acted as a crossroad between Eurasian civilizations that have had variable exchanges between the Bronze and Iron Age.
The goal of this conference is to confront recent archaeological data from this region for a better understanding of the human occupation sequence during the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age and the way the cultural complexity has established in time. These areas have developed a specific cultural identity during these periods. Mains topic of interest are the spatial organization of the settlements and the necropolis, the funerary practices, the material cultures, environment and subsistence economies, as well as a critical discussion on intercultural dynamics between the Caucasus, Iran and Central Asia.
The goal of this conference is to confront recent archaeological data from this region for a better understanding of the human occupation sequence during the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age and the way the cultural complexity has established in time. These areas have developed a specific cultural identity during these periods. Mains topic of interest are the spatial organization of the settlements and the necropolis, the funerary practices, the material cultures, environment and subsistence economies, as well as a critical discussion on intercultural dynamics between the Caucasus, Iran and Central Asia.
La France en Afghanistan : diplomatie culturelle et archéologie au service du développement Rencontre organisée en la présence de son Excellence M. J.-M. Marlaud, ambassadeur de France en Afghanistan, de M. P. Marquis, conservateur au... more
La France en Afghanistan : diplomatie culturelle et archéologie au service du développement Rencontre organisée en la présence de son Excellence M. J.-M. Marlaud, ambassadeur de France en Afghanistan, de M. P. Marquis, conservateur au Louvre, (directeur de la D.A.F.A. 2009-2014), de M. J. Bendezu-Sarmiento, CNRS, actuel directeur de la D.A.F.A. et des étudiant(e)s de l'association Routes de l'Orient La rencontre sera suivie d'un apéritif amical site de Balkh,
The Embassy of Turkmenistan in France and the Franco-Turkmen Archaeological Mission (MAFTUR) are pleased to invite you to the scientific conference organized in honor of the 30th anniversary of the creation of MAFTUR
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International audienc
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Durant les dernières campagnes, un effort particulier a été porté sur un important complexe urbain de l'âge du Fer dont la citadelle, qui jouxte le probable palais et un immense entrepôt, a été intégralement dégagée. Ulug Dépé, située... more
Durant les dernières campagnes, un effort particulier a été porté sur un important complexe urbain de l'âge du Fer dont la citadelle, qui jouxte le probable palais et un immense entrepôt, a été intégralement dégagée.
Ulug Dépé, située dans la zone aride du Sud-Est du Turkménistan actuel, représente l’un des plus grands sites proto-urbains d’Asie centrale. La fouille s’inscrit dans un vaste projet d’étude des relations entre l’Asie Centrale méridionale et le plateau Iranien du Chalcolithique (4800 – 3000 avant notre ère) jusqu’à l’Époque Parthe (3e siècle avant notre ère). En révélant de nombreux vestiges, cette fouille a entraîné une vraie redécouverte des civilisations orientales anciennes.
Ulug Dépé, située dans la zone aride du Sud-Est du Turkménistan actuel, représente l’un des plus grands sites proto-urbains d’Asie centrale. La fouille s’inscrit dans un vaste projet d’étude des relations entre l’Asie Centrale méridionale et le plateau Iranien du Chalcolithique (4800 – 3000 avant notre ère) jusqu’à l’Époque Parthe (3e siècle avant notre ère). En révélant de nombreux vestiges, cette fouille a entraîné une vraie redécouverte des civilisations orientales anciennes.
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Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento, bio-anthropologue et archéologue protohistorien au Muséum nous présente le site archéologique Ulug dépé, situé au Turkménistan et un des sites archéologiques majeurs de l’Asie centrale protohistorique.
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« Talents de la recherche au Musée de l’Homme »
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En plate campagne à l'écart de Balkh, dans la poussière blanche du nord de l'Afghanistan, archéologues et restaurateurs cherchent à percer les secrets de la mosquée des Neuf Dômes, construite au VIIIe siècle, un témoignage unique de son... more
En plate campagne à l'écart de Balkh, dans la poussière blanche du nord de l'Afghanistan, archéologues et restaurateurs cherchent à percer les secrets de la mosquée des Neuf Dômes, construite au VIIIe siècle, un témoignage unique de son temps.
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Bordé par la mer Caspienne, l'Iran, l'Afghanistan et l'Ouzbékistan, le Turkménistan abrite dans ses steppes désertiques de véritables trésors de civilisations disparues que les archéologues commencent seulement à mettre au jour. En plein... more
Bordé par la mer Caspienne, l'Iran, l'Afghanistan et l'Ouzbékistan, le Turkménistan abrite dans ses steppes désertiques de véritables trésors de civilisations disparues que les archéologues commencent seulement à mettre au jour. En plein désert du Karakoum, l'ancienne capitale d'un royaume oublié depuis plus de trois mille ans, livre ses premiers secrets. Au croisement des routes de la soie, la cité de Merv, active dès le IIe millénaire avant notre ère, fut la capitale de l'ancien royaume de la Margiane, conquis par Alexandre le Grand. En l'absence de sources écrites, le travail des archéologues se relève d'une grande importance.
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Ce projet demandé, via la DAFA au gouvernement Français, par Son Excellence le Président Ashraf Ghani, a pour but de répertorier les sites archéologiques et monuments historiques de ce grand pays, de les localiser précisément et d’en... more
Ce projet demandé, via la DAFA au gouvernement Français, par Son Excellence le Président Ashraf Ghani, a pour but de répertorier les sites archéologiques et monuments historiques de ce grand pays, de les localiser précisément et d’en faciliter à la fois l’étude et la préservation. Réalisée sous la forme d’un gigantesque Système d’Information Géographique, la carte archéologique servira également d’outil de décision dans tous les projets de développement du pays (entre autres : exploitation des mines, construction et agrandissement de route ou chemin de fer, extension urbaine, …).
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UNESCO, funded by the World Bank Group through the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and in cooperation with DAFA, is working to ensure the preservation of the rich Afghan cultural heritage within the framework of upcoming... more
UNESCO, funded by the World Bank Group through the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and in cooperation with DAFA, is working to ensure the preservation of the rich Afghan cultural heritage within the framework of upcoming developments in the mining extraction industry.
The video explores the Afghan authorities’ work at Mes Aynak - the world's 2nd largest copper deposit and, a hugely important archaeological site - and UNESCO / DAFA’ s new activities in Hajigak-Bamiyan, where the Afghan government has a better chance of completing heritage assessment and protection before extractive mining starts.
The video highlights the archaeology and the outstanding natural beauty of the environment at Mes Aynak and Bamiyan, and interviews with key figures in the protection of Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage and in the extractive mining industry - both of them crucial for the future of Afghanistan.
This project is implemented by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and UNESCO with the financial assistance of the World Bank and in cooperation with DAFA.
The video explores the Afghan authorities’ work at Mes Aynak - the world's 2nd largest copper deposit and, a hugely important archaeological site - and UNESCO / DAFA’ s new activities in Hajigak-Bamiyan, where the Afghan government has a better chance of completing heritage assessment and protection before extractive mining starts.
The video highlights the archaeology and the outstanding natural beauty of the environment at Mes Aynak and Bamiyan, and interviews with key figures in the protection of Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage and in the extractive mining industry - both of them crucial for the future of Afghanistan.
This project is implemented by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and UNESCO with the financial assistance of the World Bank and in cooperation with DAFA.
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Créée en 1994, la Mission Archéologique Franco-Turkmène travaille sur le site d'Ulug depe (depuis 2001) près du vilage de Dushak, à 170 km au SE de la capitale, Ashgabat.
By its geographical and chronological extension, Dzharkutan (settlement and necropolis) in the Surkhan-Daria valley (northern Bactria) is an exceptional site for the understanding of the genesis, the development and the disappearance of... more
By its geographical and chronological extension, Dzharkutan (settlement and necropolis) in the Surkhan-Daria valley (northern Bactria) is an exceptional site for the understanding of the genesis, the development and the disappearance of the proto-urban cultures of Central Asia (Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, 3rd-1st millennia BC). After its discovery in the 1970's, the site was excavated first by Uzbek, and then by Germano-Uzbek teams, who worked on large surface areas including numerous architectural remains. Since 2007, the multidisciplinary team of the MAFOuz-Protohistory works in the settlement as well as in the necropolis.
En Afghanistan, la France est le seul pays à disposer d’une équipe permanente d’archéologues, la DAFA, c'est-à-dire la Délégation archéologique française. Une institution qui a ouvert ses portes dans les années 1920, il y a près de cent... more
En Afghanistan, la France est le seul pays à disposer d’une équipe permanente d’archéologues, la DAFA, c'est-à-dire la Délégation archéologique française. Une institution qui a ouvert ses portes dans les années 1920, il y a près de cent ans. Dicté par l’urgence, le travail de terrain de ces archéologues subit bien évidemment les contraintes de l’évolution sécuritaire à travers le pays. Que les sites prospectés soient islamiques, bouddhistes ou datant de l’antiquité grecque, les missions de fouilles y sont courtes – seulement quelques jours – raréfiées et prennent place dans les seules zones d’Afghanistan jugés suffisamment sûres. Et lors de chacune de ces missions, les archéologues sont conscients qu’ils ne pourront peut-être jamais revenir. Leur objectif : travailler vite et collecter un maximum d’informations sur place, quitte à les analyser plus tard. En fin d’année, l’équipe de la DAFA s’est ainsi rendue à Herat, près de la frontière iranienne, sur le site d’un vaste ensemble architectural médiéval, où seule une poignée de minarets encore debout, témoigne encore de la grandeur et de l’éclat du passé.
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/emission/20160125-afghanistan-archeologues-ruines-pays-guerre
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/emission/20160125-afghanistan-archeologues-ruines-pays-guerre
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Kaboul, Paris, Londres L’archéologie n’y échappe pas, elle a eu ses salauds et ses héros ! Entre 1940 et 1945, certains archéologues se sont troqués en « collabos » au service de la milice comme de l’Allemagne nazie. Si quelques-uns... more
Kaboul, Paris, Londres
L’archéologie n’y échappe pas, elle a eu ses salauds et ses héros ! Entre 1940 et 1945, certains archéologues se sont troqués en « collabos » au service de la milice comme de l’Allemagne nazie. Si quelques-uns passèrent par les armes, bien d’autres échappèrent à la disgrâce.
L’archéologie française a eu aussi ses héros, du Proche-Orient au sous-continent indien, nombre d’archéologues orientalistes se sont engagés dans la France libre. Seul couple et uniques archéologues parmi les 1038 compagnons de la Libération, Joseph et Ria Hackin se lanceront dans cette aventure, avant de disparaître, en charge d’une mission diplomatique, dans le torpillage du Jonathan Holt au large des îles Féroé, le 24 février 1941, par le sous-marin U-97.
Joseph Hackin, directeur de la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan, membre de la « Croisière jaune » entre 1931 et 1932, entreprend dès 1923 des recherches autour des fameux Bouddhas, désormais disparus de Bâmiyân. Ses fouilles de l’antique cité de Begram lui permettent surtout d’exhumer un extraordinaire trésor qui met en lumière un Afghanistan aux confins des mondes chinois, grec et indien…
https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/carbone-14-le-magazine-de-l-archeologie/kaboul-un-heros-si-lointain-8576970
L’archéologie n’y échappe pas, elle a eu ses salauds et ses héros ! Entre 1940 et 1945, certains archéologues se sont troqués en « collabos » au service de la milice comme de l’Allemagne nazie. Si quelques-uns passèrent par les armes, bien d’autres échappèrent à la disgrâce.
L’archéologie française a eu aussi ses héros, du Proche-Orient au sous-continent indien, nombre d’archéologues orientalistes se sont engagés dans la France libre. Seul couple et uniques archéologues parmi les 1038 compagnons de la Libération, Joseph et Ria Hackin se lanceront dans cette aventure, avant de disparaître, en charge d’une mission diplomatique, dans le torpillage du Jonathan Holt au large des îles Féroé, le 24 février 1941, par le sous-marin U-97.
Joseph Hackin, directeur de la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan, membre de la « Croisière jaune » entre 1931 et 1932, entreprend dès 1923 des recherches autour des fameux Bouddhas, désormais disparus de Bâmiyân. Ses fouilles de l’antique cité de Begram lui permettent surtout d’exhumer un extraordinaire trésor qui met en lumière un Afghanistan aux confins des mondes chinois, grec et indien…
https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/carbone-14-le-magazine-de-l-archeologie/kaboul-un-heros-si-lointain-8576970
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L’Afghanistan est-il un front pionnier de l’archéologie comme de la diplomatie ? Pour Pour Ashraf Ghani, actuel président afghan, l’archéologie, dans l'histoire des civilisations afghane et centrasiatique serait un outil permettant de... more
L’Afghanistan est-il un front pionnier de l’archéologie comme de la diplomatie ? Pour Pour Ashraf Ghani, actuel président afghan, l’archéologie, dans l'histoire des civilisations afghane et centrasiatique serait un outil permettant de dépasser les clivages, tant religieux qu’ethniques que géographiques. Hormis le dynamitage des sculptures de Bamyan, après l’invasion russe, la guerre civile, les talibans, l’intervention américaine, quelles furent les conséquences de ces années noires sur le patrimoine afghan ?
L’Afghanistan c’est aussi l’extraordinaire présence de l’hellénisme, la cité d’Ai Khanoum et ces textes de Platon, aujourd’hui c’est la Bactres d’Alexandre le Grand qui est actuellement fouillée et prospectée.
https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/carbone-14-le-magazine-de-larcheologie/carbone-14-le-magazine-de-larcheologie-samedi-4
L’Afghanistan c’est aussi l’extraordinaire présence de l’hellénisme, la cité d’Ai Khanoum et ces textes de Platon, aujourd’hui c’est la Bactres d’Alexandre le Grand qui est actuellement fouillée et prospectée.
https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/carbone-14-le-magazine-de-larcheologie/carbone-14-le-magazine-de-larcheologie-samedi-4
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Mahsa Amini: 40 días después, las (y los) iraníes han perdido el miedo y siguen desafiando la represión del régimen.
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Miles de personas, sobre todo mujeres, están desafiando la represión del gobierno de los ayatolas y no han dudado en salir a las calles. Se trata de manifestaciones donde están confluyendo exigencias de cambio, pero también mejor gestión... more
Miles de personas, sobre todo mujeres, están desafiando la represión del gobierno de los ayatolas y no han dudado en salir a las calles. Se trata de manifestaciones donde están confluyendo exigencias de cambio, pero también mejor gestión económica y más oportunidades de desarrollo. El Comercio conversó al respecto con el antropólogo peruano, Julio Bendezú-Sarmiento, quien es experto en Irán y Asia Central.
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Afghanistan. Menaces sur le Patrimoine?
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Il y a 3500 ans, en Asie centrale, s'éteignait la civilisation de l'Oxus. Quelles étaient ces populations de l'âge du bronze ? Comment leurs riches cités ont-elles disparu ? Les résultats des fouilles archéologiques menées par une équipe... more
Il y a 3500 ans, en Asie centrale, s'éteignait la civilisation de l'Oxus. Quelles étaient ces populations de l'âge du bronze ? Comment leurs riches cités ont-elles disparu ? Les résultats des fouilles archéologiques menées par une équipe franco-turkmène apportent de premiers éléments de réponse.
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After 30 years of conflicts, Afghanistan’s cultural heritage is in dire straits, but one group of archaeologists is trying to put the country’s historical sites back on the map – literally.
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C’est une réplique parfaite : avec ses 11 tonnes de marbre et ses 6 m de hauteur, l’Arc de Triomphe inauguré le 19 avril sur Trafalgar Square, à Londres est bien la copie conforme de l’Arc de Palmyre en Syrie détruit par les islamistes... more
C’est une réplique parfaite : avec ses 11 tonnes de marbre et ses 6 m de hauteur, l’Arc de Triomphe inauguré le 19 avril sur Trafalgar Square, à Londres est bien la copie conforme de l’Arc de Palmyre en Syrie détruit par les islamistes l’année dernière. Tout y est, même les marques du temps passé sur les pierres, les imperfections, les motifs floraux abimés et bien sur les pierres manquantes. A un détail près tout de même : sa fabrication. Créé à l’aide de la technologie de l’impression 3D, il n’aura fallu que six heures à l’Institut de l’archéologie numérique d’Oxford pour produire l’ensemble des pièces.
Aurions-nous désormais le pouvoir de faire renaître l’ensemble des monuments et œuvres d’art détruits par la guerre ? La tentation d’y croire est forte devant l’ampleur des pillages en Syrie, en Irak, ou encore au Yemen. Mais peut-on vraiment annuler l’effet d’une mine avec une imprimante ? Les traces des conflits ne doivent-elles pas, elles aussi, être conservées en devoir de mémoire ? Alors, faut-il reconstruire Palmyre ? La question se posait déjà lors de la destruction des Bouddhas de Bamiyan en Afghanistan. 15 ans plus tard les niches qui abritaient les statues sont toujours vides.
Aurions-nous désormais le pouvoir de faire renaître l’ensemble des monuments et œuvres d’art détruits par la guerre ? La tentation d’y croire est forte devant l’ampleur des pillages en Syrie, en Irak, ou encore au Yemen. Mais peut-on vraiment annuler l’effet d’une mine avec une imprimante ? Les traces des conflits ne doivent-elles pas, elles aussi, être conservées en devoir de mémoire ? Alors, faut-il reconstruire Palmyre ? La question se posait déjà lors de la destruction des Bouddhas de Bamiyan en Afghanistan. 15 ans plus tard les niches qui abritaient les statues sont toujours vides.
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Le gouvernement Afghan a chargé la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (Dafa), présente sur place depuis 1922, de réaliser une cartographie archéologique dans le pays. Un « musée à ciel ouvert ».
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International audienc
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International audienceIn southern Central Asia, the Iron Age saw the almost-complete disappearance of burial (Sine Sepulchro period covering the Yaz I-III sequence, ca. 1500-330 BCE), a fact generally interpreted as an evidence of... more
International audienceIn southern Central Asia, the Iron Age saw the almost-complete disappearance of burial (Sine Sepulchro period covering the Yaz I-III sequence, ca. 1500-330 BCE), a fact generally interpreted as an evidence of excarnation. This paper intends to present an exceptional discovery of a set of human bones made by the DAFA (Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan) at the site of Tepe Zargaran, Bactra, in Afghanistan. It groups human bones -including calvaria, elements of the torso and long bones- belonging to several individuals of different ages and both sexes. This discovery is well dated in the second half of the 4th c. BCE, at the end of the Achaemenid period. It is compared to similar atypical burial pits of the Iron Age, which indicates a very long socio-cultural tradition of nearly a millennium, involving handling of the corpses, shifting of part of the bodies from a first deposit, and reoccupation of ancient storage structures
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International audienceParler de l’Afghanistan, c’est évoquer les cultures et les civilisations qui ont durant des millénaires présidé à sa construction et les peuples divers, commerçants ou envahisseurs, qui y ont laissé leur empreinte,... more
International audienceParler de l’Afghanistan, c’est évoquer les cultures et les civilisations qui ont durant des millénaires présidé à sa construction et les peuples divers, commerçants ou envahisseurs, qui y ont laissé leur empreinte, et c’est aussi s’immerger dans les riches recherches menées par la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA). Créée en 1922, la DAFA est une institution qui joue un rôle important dans ce pays à la croisée d’influences culturelles variées, de la préhistoire à nos jours. Ce livre qui retrace plusieurs millénaires d’Histoire est rédigé en dari car il se veut accessible aux étudiants locaux en sciences humaines et sociales ainsi qu’à toute personne intéressée par le passé afghan
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International audienc
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International audienc
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International audienc