Khorasan and Central Asia in Late Prehistory: State Formation and Mobility Interactions

Khorasan and Central Asia in Late Prehistory: State Formation and Mobility Interactions

“As a field archaeologist and director of excavations and surveys, I have conducted fieldwork in Khorasan for nearly two decades. The sites that I have excavated, surveyed, and visited have generally belonged to the Bronze Age (3000–1500 BCE), a period that is crucial for understanding processes of early state formation and patterns of mobility in this region. In this seminar, based on archaeological field data and observations, as well as research proposals concerning the analysis of prehistoric findings in unknown regions.

I will discuss these issues in relation to state formation and mobility interactions. I will attempt to demonstrate the gap between theory and practice, as well as between field data and their publication in the form of books and articles.I will also share with the audience the impact of unstable political and social conditions on research in unknown regions, including the proximity to countries such as Afghanistan, where even visiting archaeological remains has not been possible for me over more than two decades. These limitations ultimately define the boundaries within which we can reconstruct mobility patterns and regional interaction in Late Prehistory.”