Kara-tepe,Karakalpakstan: Agropastoralism in a Central Eurasian Oasis in the 4th/5th century A.D. Transition |
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| Authors: | Elizabeth Baker Brite Gairatdin Khozhaniyazov John M Marston Michelle Negus Cleary Fiona J Kidd |
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| Institution: | 1. Purdue University, Indianabritee@purdue.edu;3. Karakalpak Scientific Research Institute of Human Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan;4. Boston University, Massachusetts;5. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;6. New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
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| Abstract: | This paper reports on the results of archaeological field excavations at the site of Kara-tepe, in the semi-autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in northwestern Uzbekistan. Investigations at the site in 2008–2009 turned up an unusually rich assemblage of remains from a household context. Combined analysis of the household botanical and faunal remains has allowed us to reconstruct the agropastoral practices of local inhabitants in this oasis region during a critical period of social and environmental change in the Early Medieval transition (4th–5th centuries a.d.). The results of the study raise important new questions about agropastoralism in the oases of Central Eurasia, highlighting continuities of practice between oasis and steppe populations, and revealing dynamic changes in these systems over time. |
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| Keywords: | Agropastoralism Central Eurasia oasis steppe archaeobotany faunal analysis household |
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