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Archaeology, Eurasian Nomads, Medieval Weapons and Equipment, Silk Road Studies, Central Asian wall paintings on the Silk Road, Late Roman and early Byzantine fortifications, and 26 moreByzantine Archaeology, Khazar archaeology and history, Geoarchaeology, Central Asian Studies, Iranian Archaeology, Turco-Iranian World, Chinese archaeology, History of Kazakhstan, Ancient North Caucasian, - Christianization and Ancient Christianity, Alans, Ancient Turk and Uighur, Afrasiab, Urbanization, Pagan/Christian Relations in the Early Middle Ages, Byzantine Studies, Geomorphology, Iranian Studies, China studies, Ethnoarchaeology, Costume and Identity, Archaeological Geophysics, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Iran Archaeology, History of Costume, and Sasanian History edit
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I am an archaeologist specializing in the Early Middle Ages in the Caucasus and Central Asia. I am a Principal Resear... moreI am an archaeologist specializing in the Early Middle Ages in the Caucasus and Central Asia. I am a Principal Researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology), and teach Eurasian Archaeology at the Russian State University of Humanities (Institute of Oriental and Classical Studies).
I am currently directing the project of digitizing the archive of the Soviet Chorasmian Expedition (Tolstov Expedition), and I am writing my Doctor of Sciences (Habilitation, Docteur Troisieme Etat) thesis on "Geoarchaeology of Eurasian settlements of the Early Middle Ages". edit
A series of 63 14C dates were obtained from non-destructive core-drilling across the Dzhankent site (the early medie- val town located in Eastern Aral region), a second series – 58 dates from stratigraphic sections within excavated areas.... more
A series of 63 14C dates were obtained from non-destructive core-drilling across the Dzhankent site (the early medie- val town located in Eastern Aral region), a second series – 58 dates from stratigraphic sections within excavated areas. Most of 14C dates are between the 7th and 10th centuries; clear up-section trends from older to younger ages may be seen. The analysed excavation sections are very well stratified. Stratigraphic units based on char-enriched marker beds could sometimes be traced for long distances. Extended thick char-enriched layers are considered to be traces of big fires, while small lenses of ash and charcoal are thought to be fireplaces.
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Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. Les œuvres figurant sur ce site peuvent être consultées et reproduites sur un support papier ou... more
Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. Les œuvres figurant sur ce site peuvent être consultées et reproduites sur un support papier ou numérique sous réserve qu'elles soient strictement réservées à un usage soit personnel, soit scientifique ou pédagogique excluant toute exploitation commerciale. La reproduction devra obligatoirement mentionner l'éditeur, le nom de la revue, l'auteur et la référence du document. Toute autre reproduction est interdite sauf accord préalable de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Revues.org est un portail de revues en sciences humaines et sociales développé par le Cléo, Centre pour l'édition
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The article deals with terracotta statuettes of saddled horses and fantastic beasts coming from ar- chaeological sites of Chorasmia and its cattle-breeding periphery. Among them, a group of figurines with saddles of the so-called horned... more
The article deals with terracotta statuettes of saddled horses and fantastic beasts coming from ar- chaeological sites of Chorasmia and its cattle-breeding periphery. Among them, a group of figurines with saddles of the so-called horned type stands out, which are well attested in iconographic and material pieces of evidence of the Roman Imperial era from Western Europe. A great importance of the invention of the “horned” saddles for the development of the art of warfare in the Ancient world during Hellenistic and subsequent times is emphasized, and a question of their invention in the Southern Aral Sea area is raised as well.
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Archaeology and Geology
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Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. Les œuvres figurant sur ce site peuvent être consultées et reproduites sur un support papier ou... more
Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. Les œuvres figurant sur ce site peuvent être consultées et reproduites sur un support papier ou numérique sous réserve qu'elles soient strictement réservées à un usage soit personnel, soit scientifique ou pédagogique excluant toute exploitation commerciale. La reproduction devra obligatoirement mentionner l'éditeur, le nom de la revue, l'auteur et la référence du document. Toute autre reproduction est interdite sauf accord préalable de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Revues.org est un portail de revues en sciences humaines et sociales développé par le Cléo, Centre pour l'édition
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The article deals with terracotta statuettes of saddled horses and fantastic beasts coming from ar- chaeological sites of Chorasmia and its cattle-breeding periphery. Among them, a group of figurines with saddles of the so-called horned... more
The article deals with terracotta statuettes of saddled horses and fantastic beasts coming from ar- chaeological sites of Chorasmia and its cattle-breeding periphery. Among them, a group of figurines with saddles of the so-called horned type stands out, which are well attested in iconographic and material pieces of evidence of the Roman Imperial era from Western Europe. A great importance of the invention of the “horned” saddles for the development of the art of warfare in the Ancient world during Hellenistic and subsequent times is emphasized, and a question of their invention in the Southern Aral Sea area is raised as well.
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Archaeology and Geology
We present the earliest evidence for domestic cat (Felis catus L., 1758) from Kazakhstan, found as a well preserved skeleton with extensive osteological pathologies dating to 775–940 cal CE from the early medieval city of Dzhankent,... more
We present the earliest evidence for domestic cat (Felis catus L., 1758) from Kazakhstan, found as a well preserved skeleton with extensive osteological pathologies dating to 775–940 cal CE from the early medieval city of Dzhankent, Kazakhstan. This urban settlement was located on the intersection of the northern Silk Road route which linked the cities of Khorezm in the south to the trading settlements in the Volga region to the north and was known in the tenth century CE as the capital of the nomad Oghuz. The presence of this domestic cat, presented here as an osteobiography using a combination of zooarchaeological, genetic, and isotopic data, provides proxy evidence for a fundamental shift in the nature of human-animal relationships within a previously pastoral region. This illustrates the broader social, cultural, and economic changes occurring within the context of rapid urbanisation during the early medieval period along the Silk Road.
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Significance The problem with radiocarbon dating is that its resolution is only centennial or, at the very best, decadal. Thus, the method is incapable of resolving many historical problems. Here, we use recent developments in atmospheric... more
Significance The problem with radiocarbon dating is that its resolution is only centennial or, at the very best, decadal. Thus, the method is incapable of resolving many historical problems. Here, we use recent developments in atmospheric science to date the construction of a renowned archaeological site to the exact year, in fact, to the exact season. Such precision opens up new possibilities for the broader study of human history. Achieving dates on an annual scale will offer the potential for new assessments to be made of considerable archaeological significance.
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L’auteur remet a jour les decouvertes faites en 1978 par l’equipe ouzbeke lors de l’examen en laboratoire des peintures d’Afrasiab qui revela de nombreux details invisibles et permit la realisation de releves sur calque tres precis non... more
L’auteur remet a jour les decouvertes faites en 1978 par l’equipe ouzbeke lors de l’examen en laboratoire des peintures d’Afrasiab qui revela de nombreux details invisibles et permit la realisation de releves sur calque tres precis non publies jusqu’ici. Ceux-ci apportent de nombreuses informations sur la technique adoptee par les artistes sogdiens et revelent de nouveaux details concernant la composition, les personnages representes ou des elements pouvant etre mis en relation avec les temoignages archeologiques tels que les vetements, les parures ou les armes.
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Application of the modifications of the radiocarbon method are presented that allowed accurate dating of archaeological sites of the 1st millennium AD. The use of wiggle-match dating on tree rings from the excavations of the settlement of... more
Application of the modifications of the radiocarbon method are presented that allowed accurate dating of archaeological sites of the 1st millennium AD. The use of wiggle-match dating on tree rings from the excavations of the settlement of Gnezdovo on the upper Dnieper made it possible to date the foundation of the settlement to the end of the 8th century AD, a century older than previously existing ideas. Identification in tree rings of the AD 775 solar proton event («Miyake event») made it possible to date the construction of the walls of the ancient Uigur complex Por-Bajin with an accuracy of up to a year, and in combination with dendrochronological data – up to the season: summer AD 777, over a quarter of century younger than the previously accepted date (AD 750). Together with the historical context, this helped to confirm the hypothesis that the building has a cult purpose rather than a fortification (a Manichean monastery).
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We present the earliest evidence for domestic cat (Felis catus L., 1758) from Kazakhstan, found as a well preserved skeleton with extensive osteological pathologies dating to 775-940 cal CE from the early medieval city of Dzhankent,... more
We present the earliest evidence for domestic cat (Felis catus L., 1758) from Kazakhstan, found as a well preserved skeleton with extensive osteological pathologies dating to 775-940 cal CE from the early medieval city of Dzhankent, Kazakhstan. This urban settlement was located on the intersection of the northern Silk Road route which linked the cities of Khorezm in the south to the trading settlements in the Volga region to the north and was known in the tenth century CE as the capital of the nomad Oghuz. The presence of this domestic cat, presented here as an osteobiography using a combination of zooarchaeological, genetic, and isotopic data, provides proxy evidence for a fundamental shift in the nature of human-animal relationships within a previously pastoral region. This illustrates the broader social, cultural, and economic changes occurring within the context of rapid urbanisation during the early medieval period along the Silk Road. Burials of domestic and wild cats remain a...
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<p>Anthropogenic soils and soil-sedimentary systems (cultural layer, occupation deposit) in settlement archaeological settings are highly valuable... more
<p>Anthropogenic soils and soil-sedimentary systems (cultural layer, occupation deposit) in settlement archaeological settings are highly valuable and underappreciated archives of past environments, land-use activities, and life cycles within past residential areas. This study is aimed to reconstruct fire history for the early medieval town of Dzhankent located in Eastern Aral region, Kazakstan as based on the C14 dated stratigraphy, morphology and micromorphology, data on charcoal morphology, C:N and C13 isotope records.  </p><p>Several sections of cultural layers were studied within excavated areas. Stratigraphic units were thoroughly C14 dated (58 dates). Most 14C dates are between the 7th and 10th centuries, and most of the dates have overlapping intervals of calibrated age although clear up-section trends from older to younger ages may be seen. This demonstrates the slow, progressive accumulation of occupation deposits. The analysed excavation sections are very well stratified. Stratigraphic units based on char-enriched marker beds could sometimes be traced for long distances. Char enriched layers contain enormous quantities of both grass and wood charcoals. Thin, about 1 m long lenses of ash and charcoals of poor and unified taxonomic variety are thought to be fireplaces. Extended thick char-enriched layers (about 10 meters long and 0,1 m thick), well stratified at macro-, and micro-levels, with sub-parallel oriented charcoals of highly variable taxonomic compositions considered to be traces of big fires. Three fire events were detected based on the stratigraphy, morphology, charcoal amounts, C, N and C13 isotope depth variability.  </p><p>Filed studies and were funded by DFG project 389351859. The analytical part was supported by RFBR 19-29-05238, and DFG 389351859.</p>
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The archaeological site of Dzhankent, in addition to its geographical position and the wealth of finds from there, occupies a special place for several other reasons, too. It was the first site in Central Asia to be excavated (1740-1741)... more
The archaeological site of Dzhankent, in addition to its geographical position and the wealth of finds from there, occupies a special place for several other reasons, too. It was the first site in Central Asia to be excavated (1740-1741) and photographed (1858), and it has recently become one of the national symbols of independent Kazakhstan (since 1991). Over the period of more than 270 years during which it has been studied, Dzhankent has been approached by generations of explorers, excavators and researchers from different theoretical positions and with different aims which have corresponded more or less to political or geopolitical programmes. The aim of this contribution is, on the one hand, to show how the various actors who worked at this site related to one another and to the various types of power (local, Tsarist, Soviet), and on the other hand, to analyze the changes in the theoretical approaches of these actors. At the same time, it is important to trace the transformatio...
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Page 68. THE ALANS: NEIGHBOURS OF THE KHAZARS IN THE CAUCASUS Irina A. Arzhantseva The Alans invariably occupy a key position in the complex, turbulent and sometimes obscure relations between the Khazars ...
ZILGI: AN EARLY ALAN PROTO-CITY OF THE FIRST MILLENNIUM AD ON THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN STEPPE AND HILL COUNTRY IRINA ARZHANTSEVA, DEÇA DEOPIK and VLADIMIR MALASHEV The fact is that Alanian studies have no proper archaeological backing yet. ...
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Inadequate resolution is the principal limitation of radiocarbon dating. However, recent work has shown that exact-year precision is attainable if use can be made of past increases in atmospheric radiocarbon concentration or so-called... more
Inadequate resolution is the principal limitation of radiocarbon dating. However, recent work has shown that exact-year precision is attainable if use can be made of past increases in atmospheric radiocarbon concentration or so-called Miyake events. Here, this nascent method is applied to an archaeological site of previously unknown age. We locate the distinctive radiocarbon signal of the year 775 common era (CE) in wood from the base of the Uyghur monument of Por-Bajin in Russia. Our analysis shows that the construction of Por-Bajin started in the summer of 777 CE, a foundation date that resolves decades of debate and allows the origin and purpose of the building to be established.
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Fieldwork at Dzhankent has now produced enough data to suggest a provisional model which is informed by eastern and western debates on, and theories of, early medieval urbanization. In the case of Dzhankent, the key factors of urban... more
Fieldwork at Dzhankent has now produced enough data to suggest a provisional model which is informed by eastern and western debates on, and theories of, early medieval urbanization. In the case of Dzhankent, the key factors of urban development are a sedentary population of Dzhety-Asar origin, Khorezmian trade, and Oguz state formation. The migration of water channels in the Syr-Darya delta may have been an additional factor which influenced the choice of the location and its abandonment.
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The article deals with the history of the Chorasmian (Khorezmian) Archaeological-Ethnographic Expedition of the Soviet Academy of Sciences from its beginnings (in 1937) to the end of its work (in 1997). It distinguishes three phases:... more
The article deals with the history of the Chorasmian (Khorezmian) Archaeological-Ethnographic Expedition of the Soviet Academy of Sciences from its beginnings (in 1937) to the end of its work (in 1997). It distinguishes three phases: pre-war (1937-41), post-war (1945-70s) - the period of the most extensive and successful work -, and final (1980s - 1997) when the scale of the work declined and stopped. The article analyzes the phenomenon of the Khorezmian Expedition from the point of view of the current generation of archaeologists, with particular attention paid to the outstanding personalities of the Expedition, foremost among them its founder and long-standing director, Sergej P. Tolstov.
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Alexej I. Terenozhkin and Sergej P. Tolstov were Soviet archaeologists who were both born in 1907, survived the Bolshevik Revolution, Russian Civil War, Stalinist repression and the Second World War. Both went into Central Asian... more
Alexej I. Terenozhkin and Sergej P. Tolstov were Soviet archaeologists who were both born in 1907, survived the Bolshevik Revolution, Russian Civil War, Stalinist repression and the Second World War. Both went into Central Asian archaeology, competed for discoveries in that region, and joined the Communist party. But they developed different attitudes to the
political and scholarly situations in which they found themselves. When they encountered one another in the course of their research, there was a clash of interests. Terenozhkin, the less pushy and career-oriented of the two, quietly withdrew to a different field and region of research: Scythian archaeology in the Ukraine. Tolstov, the pushy one, stayed in Central Asia where he became the dominant figure in regional archaeology for the next several decades. He arranged himself with the Communist regime and was rewarded with favours and funding.
political and scholarly situations in which they found themselves. When they encountered one another in the course of their research, there was a clash of interests. Terenozhkin, the less pushy and career-oriented of the two, quietly withdrew to a different field and region of research: Scythian archaeology in the Ukraine. Tolstov, the pushy one, stayed in Central Asia where he became the dominant figure in regional archaeology for the next several decades. He arranged himself with the Communist regime and was rewarded with favours and funding.
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С использованием морфологических и аналитических методов: бинокулярной микроскопии в отраженном свете, поляризационной микроскопии в проходящем свете, сканирующей микроскопии, сопряженной с микроанализом химического состава,... more
С использованием морфологических и аналитических методов: бинокулярной микроскопии в отраженном свете, поляризационной микроскопии в проходящем свете, сканирующей микроскопии, сопряженной с микроанализом химического состава, ренгенфлюоресцентной спектроскопии, исследовано три коллекции керамики: черепица с уйгурского памятника Пор-Бажын на юго-востоке Тувы, керамика разного функционального назначения с ряда памятников Хорезма, гончарные изделия местного производства и импортная керамика из болгарского города Биляр. Полученные результаты позволили провести морфо- субстантивную типизацию керамики внутри коллекций, реконструировать такие технологические особенности производства как состав теста и ангобов, характер замеса, введение отощителей, температура обжига.
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Old Uigur and Geophisics
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Begegnungen - Archäologie/Historische Bauforschung und Ethnologie im Dialog. Erfahrungen und Reflexionen aus der Praxis in Vorder- und Zentralasien und Nordafrika Interdisziplinäres Kolloquium am 27. November 2015, 9.00-18.30 Uhr, an der... more
Begegnungen - Archäologie/Historische Bauforschung und Ethnologie im Dialog. Erfahrungen und Reflexionen aus der Praxis in Vorder- und Zentralasien und Nordafrika
Interdisziplinäres Kolloquium am 27. November 2015, 9.00-18.30 Uhr, an der TU Berlin, Architekturgebäude, Raum A060,
veranstaltet vom FG Historische Bauforschung/TU Berlin (Martin Gussone/Anne Mollenhauer) und dem Zentrum Moderner Orient Berlin (Katharina Lange).
In Zusammenarbeit mit dem SFB 1070 „Ressourcenkulturen/Universität Tübingen und dem Österreichischen Archäologischen Institut, Wien.
Gefördert durch die Fritz Thssen Stiftung.
Das geplante Kolloquium nimmt die potentiellen Berührungspunkte, Schnittstellen (und Abgrenzungen) zwischen den benachbarten Disziplinen Archäologie/Historische Bauforschung und Ethnologie in den Blick, wobei ihr Potenzial, aber auch ihre Grenzen hinsichtlich eines engeren und systematischeren Austausches zwischen diesen Disziplinen befragt werden
sollen.
Vertreten sind Beiträge zu den folgenden thematischen Schwerpunkten:
Kooperationen zwischen den Fächern und gängige Forschungspraktiken, die Vermittlerrolle lokaler Experten, der methodische und theoretische Austausch sowie die Relevanz politischer Dimensionen.
Interdisziplinäres Kolloquium am 27. November 2015, 9.00-18.30 Uhr, an der TU Berlin, Architekturgebäude, Raum A060,
veranstaltet vom FG Historische Bauforschung/TU Berlin (Martin Gussone/Anne Mollenhauer) und dem Zentrum Moderner Orient Berlin (Katharina Lange).
In Zusammenarbeit mit dem SFB 1070 „Ressourcenkulturen/Universität Tübingen und dem Österreichischen Archäologischen Institut, Wien.
Gefördert durch die Fritz Thssen Stiftung.
Das geplante Kolloquium nimmt die potentiellen Berührungspunkte, Schnittstellen (und Abgrenzungen) zwischen den benachbarten Disziplinen Archäologie/Historische Bauforschung und Ethnologie in den Blick, wobei ihr Potenzial, aber auch ihre Grenzen hinsichtlich eines engeren und systematischeren Austausches zwischen diesen Disziplinen befragt werden
sollen.
Vertreten sind Beiträge zu den folgenden thematischen Schwerpunkten:
Kooperationen zwischen den Fächern und gängige Forschungspraktiken, die Vermittlerrolle lokaler Experten, der methodische und theoretische Austausch sowie die Relevanz politischer Dimensionen.
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This paper presents the results of the archaeological exploration of the medieval site of Djankent. The archaeological site of Djankent is situated at the mouth of the Syr-Darya not far from modern town of Kazalinsk. Today, Djankent is a... more
This paper presents the results of the archaeological exploration of the medieval site of Djankent. The archaeological site of Djankent is situated at the mouth of the Syr-Darya not far from modern town of Kazalinsk. Today, Djankent is a rectangular hill, with its long axis running east-west; its area is about 15 hectares. S.P. Tolstov included Djankent to the group of sites named "marshy towns" which is connected with Oghuz Turks. Since 2005 a Russian-Kazakh team has been excavating the site. The main archaeological work is carried out in two main zones: 1) the dwelling complex in the north-eastern part of the site; 2) the fortification at the point where the Citadel wall and perimeter wall meet.
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The book contains detailed descriptions and interpretations of archaeological, geophysical and pedological work carried out from 2011 to 2014 at the deserted medieval town of Dzhankent (Aral Sea region, Kazakhstan) which Arab sources of... more
The book contains detailed descriptions and interpretations of archaeological, geophysical and pedological work carried out from 2011 to 2014 at the deserted medieval town of Dzhankent (Aral Sea region, Kazakhstan) which Arab sources of the 10th century identify as the capital of the Oguz steppe empire . Special sections contain identifications of animal bones, analyses of metal finds, and a preliminary study of the pottery from the site.
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The book (in Russian) deals with the work of the Chorasmiam Archaeological-Ethnographic Expedition which was the biggest of the Soviet expeditions in these disciplines. It recorded the ethnography, and surveyed and excavated monuments in... more
The book (in Russian) deals with the work of the Chorasmiam Archaeological-Ethnographic Expedition which was the biggest of the Soviet expeditions in these disciplines. It recorded the ethnography, and surveyed and excavated monuments in Soviet Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). This volume covers the period from 1937 to 1959 with a chronicle of fieldwork and more than 600 annotated images from the archive of the Expedition: diaries, drawings, plans and photos, including those of landscapes which are now lost due to environmental change. A second volume on the period from the 1950s to the 1990s is planned.
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Extended summary of my Ph.D. thesis (Moscow State University, 1986) on early medieval weaponry of Central Asia. The analysis is based on the wall paintings of the period and region which are compared with contemporaneous archaeological... more
Extended summary of my Ph.D. thesis (Moscow State University, 1986) on early medieval weaponry of Central Asia. The analysis is based on the wall paintings of the period and region which are compared with contemporaneous archaeological finds. Special attention is paid to the symbolism of the belt, and to the early development of the sabre.