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Senior researcher, Institute of Classical Archaeology
PI - Rural life in a changing world: new light on economic development and inequality in Central Asia under the Kushan Empire (PRIMUS/23/HUM/013)
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Dissertation by Lauren Morris

Research paper thumbnail of (2021) The Begram Hoard and its Context. PhD diss., Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Revised PhD dissertation. Text only – download version with plates here: https://edoc.ub.uni-muen... moreRevised PhD dissertation. Text only – download version with plates here:https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/28897/1/Morris_Lauren.pdf

The Begram hoard constitutes hundreds of objects produced across ancient Afro-Eurasia that were deposited largely within two sealed rooms of the Site II structure at Begram (the ancient city of Kapisi) in Afghanistan. In scholarship, the hoard is usually linked to the period of the Kushan Empire (ca. 50–350 CE), but the published archaeological data pertaining to this unique find – discovered on the eve of World War II by archaeologists of the Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan – are highly problematic and difficult to interpret. Accordingly, as I explain in Chapter 1, not only the date of the hoard, but also its nature (merchant’s cache or palatial treasure?) and wider historical significance remain the subjects of unresolved scholarly debate. Thus, in this dissertation, I seek to break this impasse by re-examining the contents and context of the hoard, employing also documentary and photographic archival materials preserved in the Musée Guimet towards this objective. ... (summary continues in text)

Papers by Lauren Morris

Research paper thumbnail of The Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project: Introduction and preliminary report for the first season of archaeological excavation, autumn 2023 (southern Uzbekistan)
Studia Hercynia, 2024
This report presents the Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project of the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeologica... moreThis report presents the Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project of the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeological Expedition and preliminary results for the first season of archaeological excavation in autumn, 2023. Concerned with broader questions of the scope and catalysts of economic development in northern Bactria under the Kushan Empire, the project's fieldwork programme investigates the rural settlement of Kulal Tepa and its micro-oasis in the eastern foothills of the Kugitang through archaeological excavation and survey. We discuss the regional setting of this work, past research and the topography of the tepa, before presenting an overview of the results of excavation, and finds from this season, including from a metal detector survey of the surface. In Trench 1 on the northwestern sector of the tepa, we found poorly preserved layers attesting to successive periods of reoccupation (Phase 2), perhaps largely of the 5th-6th centuries AD in the Early Medieval period. These activities occurred on the ruins of a large building complex probably constructed and used in the 3rd-4th centuries AD, i.e., the Kushano-Sasanian/Late Antique period (Phase 3). Part of the structure revealed includes an inner building, covered passageway, and utility area with cooking and storage facilities. The structure suggests a relatively elite residential context, and a dominant point of this site during its last major building phase. Finds from the excavation, surface, and metal detector survey include a diverse ceramic repertoire, and material suggesting various production activities, other special finds, and base metal coins dating at least from the 1st-4th centuries AD. Overall they suggest historical occupation of the tepa primarily between the 1st-6th centuries AD; a few may suggest an earlier date. The 3rd-4th centuries (Kushano-Sasanian period) likely represents a major period of the site's occupation. This corresponds to survey data from the site's vicinity suggesting substantial development of the micro-oasis at the same time.
Research paper thumbnail of The Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project: Preliminary report for the first season of archaeological survey, autumn 2023 (southern Uzbekistan
Studia Hercynia, 2024
This report introduces the background and methods of the survey part of the Kulal Tepa Archaeolog... moreThis report introduces the background and methods of the survey part of the Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project of the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeological Expedition,lley was used during the Hellenistic and Transitional/Early Kushan period (the site of Iskandar Tepa), the collected material suggests a substantial development dated from no later than the Kushano-Sasanian period, resulting in an identified artefact scatter stretching on around 80 ha around Kulal Tepa. A combination of more or less stable settlement activities and irrigated agriculture is suggested as a preliminary interpretation.
Research paper thumbnail of (2023) "Hoards from Hellenistic to Kushan Central Asia: Towards Some Interpretations," Studia Hercynia XXVII/1, 151-177.
This article is concerned with the interpretation of diverse examples of hoards (intentional depo... moreThis article is concerned with the interpretation of diverse examples of hoards (intentional deposits of valuable objects) from Central Asia's Hellenistic and Kushan periods that are traditionally understood in utilitarian terms. As a means of comparison, it first reviews useful insights from the study of hoards in Bronze Age Europe and coin hoards, where simplistic classifications and interpretations of hoards (especially as representative of strictly ritual or utilitarian behaviour) have been increasingly problematised. The case of the Begram hoard is then discussed in reference to these insights. Arguably, this find represents not the remains of a palatial treasure or merchant's cache, but perhaps rather material selected from the property of a religious institution that was deposited and abandoned as late as the early 4 th century AD, and reflecting both ritual and utilitarian considerations. The interpretations of additional cases of diverse hoards from Ai Khanoum, Taxila, the Oxus Temple, Daľverzintepe, and Mir Zakah are then reconsidered, highlighting common shortcomings in the interpretation of coin hoards in the field, the diverse ways these finds shed light on economic, social, and ritual behaviour, and the necessity for critical interrogation of frequently presumed direct links between unrecovered hoards and expected invasions.
Research paper thumbnail of (2023) "Merchants and Nomads: Political and Economic Organization in Sogdiana and the Middle Syr Darya under the Kangju Confederacy", in S. von Reden (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, Volume 3: Frontier-Zone Processes and Transimperial Exchange, De Gruyter, pp. 145–270.
The Sogdians were Iranian-speaking people from southern Central Asia who have long been touted as... moreThe Sogdians were Iranian-speaking people from southern Central Asia who have long been touted as critical players of the 'Silk Road'; they were highly active in managing trade, especially in the sixth to eight centuries with Sui-and Tang-period China, particularly through communities in the intervening lands of the Tarim Basin and Hexi corridor, all the while presiding over an impressive urban culture in their homeland (map 1). Twenty years have now passed since the first publication of a fundamental study on this topic: Étienne de la Vaissière's Histoire des marchands sogdiens (2002), followed by further editions in French (2004; 2016) and a translation into English (2005). 1 This study of the long-term commercial activity of Sogdian merchants came on the heels of renewed interest in these figures through the 1990s in 1 In the following, I refer to the English translation, de la Vaissière 2005. Of course, it should be noted-without entering into a full historiographic review-that this work builds on longer traditions of scholarship (already active from the late nineteenth century) on the Sogdians. Especially influential in this field are the later twentieth-century works of the scholars of the Leningrad 'school,' such as Evgenii Zeimal', Boris Marshak, Valentina Raspopova, and Grigorii Semenov. Note: In developing this text I have been the beneficiary of impulses, help, and feedback from many of my colleagues. Discussions with my colleagues at BaSaR, and especially with Kathrin Leese-Messing, formed the central questions explored here, with Kathrin and I ultimately pursuing complementary lines of argumentation from different perspectives. This piece should thus especially be read in tandem with her chapter in this volume (ch. 3) dealing with exchange in the Hexi corridor. Otherwise, I am very thankful to Aleksandr Naymark for sharing his ideas and much forthcoming work with me, as well as for his considerable help with images of Sogdian coinage. I am also particularly indebted to Sören Stark. Our discussions and access to his forthcoming work shaped my understanding of this material, which was then sharpened through his detailed feedback. Forthcoming work on the Kul'tobe inscriptions and the Sogdian Ancient Letters was also kindly made available to me by Nicholas Sims-Williams and Frantz Grenet. I likewise benefited from discussions with Moritz Huber, Andrey Omeľchenko, and Zachary Silvia, who also helped in tracking down a few tricky references.
Map 1: Focus areas in Sogdiana and the middle Syr Darya region in their broader context of Central Asia, with sites mentioned in the text. © Peter Palm.
Map 2: Sogdiana in antiquity. Imagery: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. © Peter Palm.
Alatau system of the Pamir-Alai, where sig bearing si downriver to the northwest is a broad cu Kara plains of t and the Otrar oasis further downstream), t Karatau range to the northeast, and just b ower reaches of the Talas river. At the nor Shu, bya erritory known historically as Zhetysu Lake Balk ands of t hash (kaz. Balgqash). Beyond the rtysh (kaz. Ertis) river and its many tribu by the Ural mountains, and to the southeas ver, gold, copper, and iron as well as turg au (kaz. Otyrar-Qoratau). This constituted smal he Arys basin (most importantly Shymkent, he oasis 0 kir. Chui) river ran through the southern Betpak known in Russian as Semirechye), beginning with the he steppe zone in central and n northern forest steppe zone of western Siberia in modern Russia, transected by the nificant mineral resources including ores uoise could be found.** Further tural territory referred to here as Otrar- er oasis territories in the flood- the junction of the Arys-Badam, f Turkistan to the north, the low eyond this, the Taraz (Talas) oasis at the heastern fringe of this zone, the Chu (kaz. Dala (kaz. Betpakdala), followed isu, kir. Zheti-Suu, ‘seven rivers,’ Ili (kaz. Ile) river emptying into Kazakh uplands unfolded the vast grass- orthern Kazakhstan, and eventually the kaz. Zhe aries. This zone was framed to the west by the Altai mountains, where the mod- ern borders of Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, and China meet. Tmnortantly the affordances nrovided for nractices of long-distance. seasonal
Fig. 1: Early Sogdian imitation coinages, ca. 230-170 BcE. 1. Silver imitation tetradrachm of Euthydemos I produced in Bukhara, ca. 230-206 Bce. Diameter 26.8 mm, 13.43 g. Ashmolean Museum HCR93745. Courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum (image reproduced at 1.75 scale); 2. Silver imitation drachm of Alexander produced in Kesh, ca. 200 BcE. Diameter 17 mm, 4.19 g. British Museum IOC.375. Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, photo courtesy of Joe Cribb (image reproduced at 2.0 scale); 3. Silver imitation of Antiochos I produced in Samarkand, ca. 180-170 Bce. Diameter 16.0 mm, 2.07 g. Sergeev Collection (no. 675). Moscow Historical Museum, photo courtesy of Vladimir Kleshchinov (image reproduced at 2.0 scale).
Fig. 3: Engraved bone belt plaques from kurgan 2 at Orlat, first to second centuries ce. Width of each 13.5 cm. Institute of Art Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent IX/278 and IX/279. Courtesy of Institute of Art Studies, Tashkent, photographs by Andrey Arakelyan. Fig. 3: Engraved bone belt plaques from kurgan 2 at Orlat, first to second centuries ce. Width of each
Fig. 4: Sogdian coinages of the second and third centuries cE (all images reproduced at 2.0 scale). 1. Copper unit of ‘archer’ type produced in Nakhshab, late second to early third century ce. Diameter 14 mm, 1.08 g. Zeno 165238 © hfrans; 2. Silver unit of ‘sword-bearer’ type produced in Nakhshab, first half of the third century ce. Diameter 13.2 mm, 0.46 g. British Museum 1894,0506.1797. Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum; 3. Silver unit of ‘Herakles and Zeus’ type produced in Kesh, first half of the third century CE. 0.66 g. Courtesy of Bibliotheque nationale de France, département Monnaies, médailles et antiques, Y 20243, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8551339w, gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliotheque nationale de France. Fig. 4: Sogdian coinages of the second and third centuries cE (all images reproduced at 2.0 scale).
Fig. 5: Large silver unit of ‘archer’ type produced in Samarkand (late and light example of the fourth series), ca. early fourth century ce. Diameter 15.3 mm, 1.22 g. Private collection, courtesy of Alexander Mospanov (image reproduced at 2.0 scale). Fig. 5: Large silver unit of ‘archer’ type produced in Samarkand (late and light example of the fourth
Fig. 1: Plans of selected sites in Sogdiana and Chach: 1. Marakanda-Afrasiab (after Vassiliev and Kuzmin’s 1885 topographic plan, courtesy of Claude Rapin); 2. Erkurgan (Shishkina, Suleimanov, and Koshelenko 1985, pl. 124); Kala-i Zakhoki Maron (Shishkina, Suleimanov, and Koshelenko 1985, pl. 124); 4. Kanka (after Buriakov 1975, fig. 16).
Fig. 2: Drawing of the fifth building period of constructions at Kul’tobe-Turkistan. Courtesy of Tien Shan Expedition of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Aleksei Kulish
de Sogdiana (directed by Frantz Grenet): 1. Afrasiab IIA red-slipped, polished goblet on a thin disc-base.
Research paper thumbnail of Morris, L., Mairs, R. and M. Zellmann-Rohrer (2022) "The Temple Inscription from Khwaja Ali Sehyaka/Sehyak", in W. B. Trousdale and M. Allen, The Archaeology of Southwest Afghanistan. Volume 1: Survey and Excavation, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 672-685.
During the course of the excavation of the site of Khwaja 'Ali Sehyaka/ Sehyak, HSP uncovered the... moreDuring the course of the excavation of the site of Khwaja 'Ali Sehyaka/ Sehyak, HSP uncovered the top of the well adjacent to the shrine in Area D. It was excavated down to the water table, 15.5 m below the modern surface, over the span of a week in October 1975. Just above and below the water table, beginning at 15 m, we began to uncover pieces of the inscription described here. e excavation was halted because of the limitations caused by the water table. Further details on the excavation of the well and additional nds there can be found in section 8.6.
Research paper thumbnail of (2022) "Economic Development under the Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia to the Kushan Empire: Empire, Migration, and Monasteries", in S. von Reden (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, Volume 2: Local, Regional, and Imperial Economies, De Gruyter, pp. 695–744.
This chapter examines the development of the economy under and between two successive empires eme... moreThis chapter examines the development of the economy under and between two successive empires emergent from the Central Asian region of ancient Bactria. These are the Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia (the Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Kingdoms, ca. 250 -10 ) and the Kushan Empire (ca. 50-350 ). Here, I focus on the core regions of Bactria and Gandhāra, although when available data permits, I look to other regions within and beyond the empires under examination. The character of the available evidence for looking at economic development in this period, of course, presents a litany of limitations that make it impossible to achieve a finegrained historical perspective on these processes. 1 That being said, it is certainly possible to observe broader trends at play-although it should be reiterated that development throughout this period was not necessarily linear-and identify some of the major catalysts instigating these changes. I begin by describing three key catalysts: the phenomenon of empire, increasing migration, and the growing influence of Buddhist monasteries. Then, I look at key processes of development that characterize the period under study, and examine the role of empire, migration, and monasteries in helping to drive them. These processes are changes in settlement patterns, urbanization, and agricultural extensification, in addition to an increase in volume and specialization in production, and ultimately intensifying connectivity and coordination both within regions, as well as across increasingly broad spacescrucially, between southern Central Asia and northern India. Of course, from a wider historical perspective, these processes were neither inherently new, nor inscribed onto a blank slate. In southern Central Asia, urbanization phases had already begun in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Agricultural production had drawn on artificial irrigation since the Neolithic in Bactria, and double-cropping was practiced since the Bronze Age in the Swat Valley. 2 Sedentary agriculturalists and mobile pastoralists had cultivated symbiotic relationships from at least the  Morris, vol. 1, ch. 9.  Olivieri forthcoming. Note: I am indebted to Henry Albery, Luca Maria Olivieri, and Ladislav Stančo for their insights and comments on parts of an earlier version of this chapter.
Research paper thumbnail of (2022) "Tools of Economic Activity from the Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia to the Kushan Empire", in S. von Reden (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, Volume 2: Local, Regional, and Imperial Economies, De Gruyter, pp. 449–490.
 In particular, Mairs's discussion of administration in Bactria until the Hellenistic period (20... more In particular, Mairs's discussion of administration in Bactria until the Hellenistic period (2014, 27-56) stresses patterns of retention in administrative personnel and structures between regime changes. This was especially true in the transition between Achaemenid and early Hellenistic rule, allowing for "business as usual" (
Research paper thumbnail of (2020) "Zentralasien: Mehr als nur Drehscheibe im globalen Handelsnetzwerk," Antike Welt 5, 31-34.
Mehr als nur Drehscheibe im globalen Handelsnetzwerk In der Öffentlichkeit und oft auch in der Fo... moreMehr als nur Drehscheibe im globalen Handelsnetzwerk In der Öffentlichkeit und oft auch in der Forschung wird Zentralasien als Drehscheibe des antiken Welthandels zwischen Rom und China angesehen. Das ist auffällig, weil die uns zur Verfügung stehenden Quellen dies gar nicht aussagen. Stattdessen geht aus einer der wichtigsten literarischen Quelle zum antiken Fernhandel, dem Periplus Maris Erythraei hervor, dass ihr Autor mit den Bewohnern Zentralasiens nur ganz wenig vertraut war: «Und jenseits [des Indusdeltas] ist ein sehr kriegerisches Volk, die Baktrier, das von einem König regiert wird.»
Research paper thumbnail of (2017) "Revised dates for the deposition of the Begram hoard and occupation at the New Royal City," Parthica 19, 75-104.
Note: Please now see amendments to these arguments made in light of additional material in my rev... moreNote: Please now see amendments to these arguments made in light of additional material in my revised doctoral dissertation, "The Begram Hoard and its Context" (2021).

This paper offers two major revisions to the chronology of the archaeological site of Begram (Afghanistan). The first revision pertains to when the Begram hoard was deposited (i.e. not when the objects were produced). Based on the new identification of three coins from room 10 as belonging to the post-Vasudeva Oesho with bull series, as well as an analysis of the distribution of the hoard objects and the degradation of the surrounding structure, a terminus post quem for this event is fixed at c. 260 AD. The second revision relates to the occupation of Site II and other areas of the New Royal City. Drawing on architectural, ceramic, and numismatic evidence, it is argued that both Ghirshman’s attribution of the Site II structure to Niveau II only, and his attribution of the Qala to Niveau III, are incorrect. Rather, it seems that the Site II structure was renovated and continued to be occupied through Niveau III, and was occupied at the same time as the upper occupation layers at Site B, Site I, and the city entrance. The hoard was likely deposited with the abandonment of the New Royal City at the end of Niveau III.

Talks by Lauren Morris

Book Reviews by Lauren Morris

Research paper thumbnail of (2019) Review of Olivier Bordeaux, Les Grecs en Inde: politiques et pratiques monétaires (IIIe s.a.C. - Ier s.p.C.). Numismatica antiqua, 8. Bordeaux: Ausonius Éditions, 2018. Pp. 324. ISBN 9782356132192. €40,00 (pb).
(2019) Review of Olivier Bordeaux, Les Grecs en Inde: politiques et pratiques monétaires (IIIe s.a.C. - Ier s.p.C.). Numismatica antiqua, 8. Bordeaux: Ausonius Éditions, 2018. Pp. 324. ISBN 9782356132192. €40,00 (pb).
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2019/2019-06-09.html

Call for Papers by Lauren Morris

Research paper thumbnail of HCARN 4 - CALL FOR PAPERS. Entangled Pasts and Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia. Fourth Conference of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network, University of Freiburg (Germany), 28-30 May 2020 [POSTPONED TO 24-26 MARCH 2022]
The fourth conference of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network (HCARN) will take place at... moreThe fourth conference of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network (HCARN) will take place at the University of Freiburg, Germany, from 28th–30th May 2020, on the theme of “Entangled Pasts and Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia.”

We welcome proposals for 20-minute papers from both established scholars and early career researchers. Abstracts of no more than 300 words, along with the author’s name, title and institutional affiliation, should be submitted to Milinda Hoo and Lauren Morris athcarn4@gmail.com by no later than 15 November 2019. We anticipate being able to offer some travel funding to participants, on a case by case basis.

** Update: the HCARN conference is now planned to take place from 24-26 March 2022 **
Recent years have seen a surge of scholarly interest in Hellenistic Central Asia. This is due to he emergence of new bodies of evidence, but is also a product of recent trends in scholarship owards cultural interaction, global history, and interdisciplinarity. Indeed, Hellenistic Central Asia is the locus of ancient cultural exchange par excellence: positioned at the nexus of the Eurasian steppe, and Iranian, Indic, and Chinese cultural worlds, and transected by expanding foreign powers, including the Achaemenid, Hellenistic, and Kushan empires. The sources we analyse in this field are accordingly varied — including archaeological, numismatic, and epigraphic data, as well as literary sources in Greek, Latin, Chinese, and Indic languages — and shed light only on certain aspects of the past.
Research paper thumbnail of Distant Worlds Journal C4P: Dealing with Antiquity
https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/dwj/issue/view/3432
Research paper thumbnail of (2021) The Begram Hoard and its Context. PhD diss., Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Revised PhD dissertation. Text only – download version with plates here: https://edoc.ub.uni-muen... moreRevised PhD dissertation. Text only – download version with plates here:https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/28897/1/Morris_Lauren.pdf

The Begram hoard constitutes hundreds of objects produced across ancient Afro-Eurasia that were deposited largely within two sealed rooms of the Site II structure at Begram (the ancient city of Kapisi) in Afghanistan. In scholarship, the hoard is usually linked to the period of the Kushan Empire (ca. 50–350 CE), but the published archaeological data pertaining to this unique find – discovered on the eve of World War II by archaeologists of the Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan – are highly problematic and difficult to interpret. Accordingly, as I explain in Chapter 1, not only the date of the hoard, but also its nature (merchant’s cache or palatial treasure?) and wider historical significance remain the subjects of unresolved scholarly debate. Thus, in this dissertation, I seek to break this impasse by re-examining the contents and context of the hoard, employing also documentary and photographic archival materials preserved in the Musée Guimet towards this objective. ... (summary continues in text)
Research paper thumbnail of The Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project: Introduction and preliminary report for the first season of archaeological excavation, autumn 2023 (southern Uzbekistan)
Studia Hercynia, 2024
This report presents the Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project of the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeologica... moreThis report presents the Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project of the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeological Expedition and preliminary results for the first season of archaeological excavation in autumn, 2023. Concerned with broader questions of the scope and catalysts of economic development in northern Bactria under the Kushan Empire, the project's fieldwork programme investigates the rural settlement of Kulal Tepa and its micro-oasis in the eastern foothills of the Kugitang through archaeological excavation and survey. We discuss the regional setting of this work, past research and the topography of the tepa, before presenting an overview of the results of excavation, and finds from this season, including from a metal detector survey of the surface. In Trench 1 on the northwestern sector of the tepa, we found poorly preserved layers attesting to successive periods of reoccupation (Phase 2), perhaps largely of the 5th-6th centuries AD in the Early Medieval period. These activities occurred on the ruins of a large building complex probably constructed and used in the 3rd-4th centuries AD, i.e., the Kushano-Sasanian/Late Antique period (Phase 3). Part of the structure revealed includes an inner building, covered passageway, and utility area with cooking and storage facilities. The structure suggests a relatively elite residential context, and a dominant point of this site during its last major building phase. Finds from the excavation, surface, and metal detector survey include a diverse ceramic repertoire, and material suggesting various production activities, other special finds, and base metal coins dating at least from the 1st-4th centuries AD. Overall they suggest historical occupation of the tepa primarily between the 1st-6th centuries AD; a few may suggest an earlier date. The 3rd-4th centuries (Kushano-Sasanian period) likely represents a major period of the site's occupation. This corresponds to survey data from the site's vicinity suggesting substantial development of the micro-oasis at the same time.
Research paper thumbnail of The Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project: Preliminary report for the first season of archaeological survey, autumn 2023 (southern Uzbekistan
Studia Hercynia, 2024
This report introduces the background and methods of the survey part of the Kulal Tepa Archaeolog... moreThis report introduces the background and methods of the survey part of the Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project of the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeological Expedition,lley was used during the Hellenistic and Transitional/Early Kushan period (the site of Iskandar Tepa), the collected material suggests a substantial development dated from no later than the Kushano-Sasanian period, resulting in an identified artefact scatter stretching on around 80 ha around Kulal Tepa. A combination of more or less stable settlement activities and irrigated agriculture is suggested as a preliminary interpretation.
Research paper thumbnail of (2023) "Hoards from Hellenistic to Kushan Central Asia: Towards Some Interpretations," Studia Hercynia XXVII/1, 151-177.
This article is concerned with the interpretation of diverse examples of hoards (intentional depo... moreThis article is concerned with the interpretation of diverse examples of hoards (intentional deposits of valuable objects) from Central Asia's Hellenistic and Kushan periods that are traditionally understood in utilitarian terms. As a means of comparison, it first reviews useful insights from the study of hoards in Bronze Age Europe and coin hoards, where simplistic classifications and interpretations of hoards (especially as representative of strictly ritual or utilitarian behaviour) have been increasingly problematised. The case of the Begram hoard is then discussed in reference to these insights. Arguably, this find represents not the remains of a palatial treasure or merchant's cache, but perhaps rather material selected from the property of a religious institution that was deposited and abandoned as late as the early 4 th century AD, and reflecting both ritual and utilitarian considerations. The interpretations of additional cases of diverse hoards from Ai Khanoum, Taxila, the Oxus Temple, Daľverzintepe, and Mir Zakah are then reconsidered, highlighting common shortcomings in the interpretation of coin hoards in the field, the diverse ways these finds shed light on economic, social, and ritual behaviour, and the necessity for critical interrogation of frequently presumed direct links between unrecovered hoards and expected invasions.
Research paper thumbnail of (2023) "Merchants and Nomads: Political and Economic Organization in Sogdiana and the Middle Syr Darya under the Kangju Confederacy", in S. von Reden (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, Volume 3: Frontier-Zone Processes and Transimperial Exchange, De Gruyter, pp. 145–270.
The Sogdians were Iranian-speaking people from southern Central Asia who have long been touted as... moreThe Sogdians were Iranian-speaking people from southern Central Asia who have long been touted as critical players of the 'Silk Road'; they were highly active in managing trade, especially in the sixth to eight centuries with Sui-and Tang-period China, particularly through communities in the intervening lands of the Tarim Basin and Hexi corridor, all the while presiding over an impressive urban culture in their homeland (map 1). Twenty years have now passed since the first publication of a fundamental study on this topic: Étienne de la Vaissière's Histoire des marchands sogdiens (2002), followed by further editions in French (2004; 2016) and a translation into English (2005). 1 This study of the long-term commercial activity of Sogdian merchants came on the heels of renewed interest in these figures through the 1990s in 1 In the following, I refer to the English translation, de la Vaissière 2005. Of course, it should be noted-without entering into a full historiographic review-that this work builds on longer traditions of scholarship (already active from the late nineteenth century) on the Sogdians. Especially influential in this field are the later twentieth-century works of the scholars of the Leningrad 'school,' such as Evgenii Zeimal', Boris Marshak, Valentina Raspopova, and Grigorii Semenov. Note: In developing this text I have been the beneficiary of impulses, help, and feedback from many of my colleagues. Discussions with my colleagues at BaSaR, and especially with Kathrin Leese-Messing, formed the central questions explored here, with Kathrin and I ultimately pursuing complementary lines of argumentation from different perspectives. This piece should thus especially be read in tandem with her chapter in this volume (ch. 3) dealing with exchange in the Hexi corridor. Otherwise, I am very thankful to Aleksandr Naymark for sharing his ideas and much forthcoming work with me, as well as for his considerable help with images of Sogdian coinage. I am also particularly indebted to Sören Stark. Our discussions and access to his forthcoming work shaped my understanding of this material, which was then sharpened through his detailed feedback. Forthcoming work on the Kul'tobe inscriptions and the Sogdian Ancient Letters was also kindly made available to me by Nicholas Sims-Williams and Frantz Grenet. I likewise benefited from discussions with Moritz Huber, Andrey Omeľchenko, and Zachary Silvia, who also helped in tracking down a few tricky references.
Map 1: Focus areas in Sogdiana and the middle Syr Darya region in their broader context of Central Asia, with sites mentioned in the text. © Peter Palm.
Map 2: Sogdiana in antiquity. Imagery: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. © Peter Palm.
Alatau system of the Pamir-Alai, where sig bearing si downriver to the northwest is a broad cu Kara plains of t and the Otrar oasis further downstream), t Karatau range to the northeast, and just b ower reaches of the Talas river. At the nor Shu, bya erritory known historically as Zhetysu Lake Balk ands of t hash (kaz. Balgqash). Beyond the rtysh (kaz. Ertis) river and its many tribu by the Ural mountains, and to the southeas ver, gold, copper, and iron as well as turg au (kaz. Otyrar-Qoratau). This constituted smal he Arys basin (most importantly Shymkent, he oasis 0 kir. Chui) river ran through the southern Betpak known in Russian as Semirechye), beginning with the he steppe zone in central and n northern forest steppe zone of western Siberia in modern Russia, transected by the nificant mineral resources including ores uoise could be found.** Further tural territory referred to here as Otrar- er oasis territories in the flood- the junction of the Arys-Badam, f Turkistan to the north, the low eyond this, the Taraz (Talas) oasis at the heastern fringe of this zone, the Chu (kaz. Dala (kaz. Betpakdala), followed isu, kir. Zheti-Suu, ‘seven rivers,’ Ili (kaz. Ile) river emptying into Kazakh uplands unfolded the vast grass- orthern Kazakhstan, and eventually the kaz. Zhe aries. This zone was framed to the west by the Altai mountains, where the mod- ern borders of Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, and China meet. Tmnortantly the affordances nrovided for nractices of long-distance. seasonal
Fig. 1: Early Sogdian imitation coinages, ca. 230-170 BcE. 1. Silver imitation tetradrachm of Euthydemos I produced in Bukhara, ca. 230-206 Bce. Diameter 26.8 mm, 13.43 g. Ashmolean Museum HCR93745. Courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum (image reproduced at 1.75 scale); 2. Silver imitation drachm of Alexander produced in Kesh, ca. 200 BcE. Diameter 17 mm, 4.19 g. British Museum IOC.375. Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, photo courtesy of Joe Cribb (image reproduced at 2.0 scale); 3. Silver imitation of Antiochos I produced in Samarkand, ca. 180-170 Bce. Diameter 16.0 mm, 2.07 g. Sergeev Collection (no. 675). Moscow Historical Museum, photo courtesy of Vladimir Kleshchinov (image reproduced at 2.0 scale).
Fig. 3: Engraved bone belt plaques from kurgan 2 at Orlat, first to second centuries ce. Width of each 13.5 cm. Institute of Art Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent IX/278 and IX/279. Courtesy of Institute of Art Studies, Tashkent, photographs by Andrey Arakelyan. Fig. 3: Engraved bone belt plaques from kurgan 2 at Orlat, first to second centuries ce. Width of each
Fig. 4: Sogdian coinages of the second and third centuries cE (all images reproduced at 2.0 scale). 1. Copper unit of ‘archer’ type produced in Nakhshab, late second to early third century ce. Diameter 14 mm, 1.08 g. Zeno 165238 © hfrans; 2. Silver unit of ‘sword-bearer’ type produced in Nakhshab, first half of the third century ce. Diameter 13.2 mm, 0.46 g. British Museum 1894,0506.1797. Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum; 3. Silver unit of ‘Herakles and Zeus’ type produced in Kesh, first half of the third century CE. 0.66 g. Courtesy of Bibliotheque nationale de France, département Monnaies, médailles et antiques, Y 20243, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8551339w, gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliotheque nationale de France. Fig. 4: Sogdian coinages of the second and third centuries cE (all images reproduced at 2.0 scale).
Fig. 5: Large silver unit of ‘archer’ type produced in Samarkand (late and light example of the fourth series), ca. early fourth century ce. Diameter 15.3 mm, 1.22 g. Private collection, courtesy of Alexander Mospanov (image reproduced at 2.0 scale). Fig. 5: Large silver unit of ‘archer’ type produced in Samarkand (late and light example of the fourth
Fig. 1: Plans of selected sites in Sogdiana and Chach: 1. Marakanda-Afrasiab (after Vassiliev and Kuzmin’s 1885 topographic plan, courtesy of Claude Rapin); 2. Erkurgan (Shishkina, Suleimanov, and Koshelenko 1985, pl. 124); Kala-i Zakhoki Maron (Shishkina, Suleimanov, and Koshelenko 1985, pl. 124); 4. Kanka (after Buriakov 1975, fig. 16).
Fig. 2: Drawing of the fifth building period of constructions at Kul’tobe-Turkistan. Courtesy of Tien Shan Expedition of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Aleksei Kulish
de Sogdiana (directed by Frantz Grenet): 1. Afrasiab IIA red-slipped, polished goblet on a thin disc-base.
Research paper thumbnail of Morris, L., Mairs, R. and M. Zellmann-Rohrer (2022) "The Temple Inscription from Khwaja Ali Sehyaka/Sehyak", in W. B. Trousdale and M. Allen, The Archaeology of Southwest Afghanistan. Volume 1: Survey and Excavation, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 672-685.
During the course of the excavation of the site of Khwaja 'Ali Sehyaka/ Sehyak, HSP uncovered the... moreDuring the course of the excavation of the site of Khwaja 'Ali Sehyaka/ Sehyak, HSP uncovered the top of the well adjacent to the shrine in Area D. It was excavated down to the water table, 15.5 m below the modern surface, over the span of a week in October 1975. Just above and below the water table, beginning at 15 m, we began to uncover pieces of the inscription described here. e excavation was halted because of the limitations caused by the water table. Further details on the excavation of the well and additional nds there can be found in section 8.6.
Research paper thumbnail of (2022) "Economic Development under the Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia to the Kushan Empire: Empire, Migration, and Monasteries", in S. von Reden (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, Volume 2: Local, Regional, and Imperial Economies, De Gruyter, pp. 695–744.
This chapter examines the development of the economy under and between two successive empires eme... moreThis chapter examines the development of the economy under and between two successive empires emergent from the Central Asian region of ancient Bactria. These are the Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia (the Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Kingdoms, ca. 250 -10 ) and the Kushan Empire (ca. 50-350 ). Here, I focus on the core regions of Bactria and Gandhāra, although when available data permits, I look to other regions within and beyond the empires under examination. The character of the available evidence for looking at economic development in this period, of course, presents a litany of limitations that make it impossible to achieve a finegrained historical perspective on these processes. 1 That being said, it is certainly possible to observe broader trends at play-although it should be reiterated that development throughout this period was not necessarily linear-and identify some of the major catalysts instigating these changes. I begin by describing three key catalysts: the phenomenon of empire, increasing migration, and the growing influence of Buddhist monasteries. Then, I look at key processes of development that characterize the period under study, and examine the role of empire, migration, and monasteries in helping to drive them. These processes are changes in settlement patterns, urbanization, and agricultural extensification, in addition to an increase in volume and specialization in production, and ultimately intensifying connectivity and coordination both within regions, as well as across increasingly broad spacescrucially, between southern Central Asia and northern India. Of course, from a wider historical perspective, these processes were neither inherently new, nor inscribed onto a blank slate. In southern Central Asia, urbanization phases had already begun in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Agricultural production had drawn on artificial irrigation since the Neolithic in Bactria, and double-cropping was practiced since the Bronze Age in the Swat Valley. 2 Sedentary agriculturalists and mobile pastoralists had cultivated symbiotic relationships from at least the  Morris, vol. 1, ch. 9.  Olivieri forthcoming. Note: I am indebted to Henry Albery, Luca Maria Olivieri, and Ladislav Stančo for their insights and comments on parts of an earlier version of this chapter.
Research paper thumbnail of (2022) "Tools of Economic Activity from the Greek Kingdoms of Central Asia to the Kushan Empire", in S. von Reden (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, Volume 2: Local, Regional, and Imperial Economies, De Gruyter, pp. 449–490.
 In particular, Mairs's discussion of administration in Bactria until the Hellenistic period (20... more In particular, Mairs's discussion of administration in Bactria until the Hellenistic period (2014, 27-56) stresses patterns of retention in administrative personnel and structures between regime changes. This was especially true in the transition between Achaemenid and early Hellenistic rule, allowing for "business as usual" (
Research paper thumbnail of (2020) "Zentralasien: Mehr als nur Drehscheibe im globalen Handelsnetzwerk," Antike Welt 5, 31-34.
Mehr als nur Drehscheibe im globalen Handelsnetzwerk In der Öffentlichkeit und oft auch in der Fo... moreMehr als nur Drehscheibe im globalen Handelsnetzwerk In der Öffentlichkeit und oft auch in der Forschung wird Zentralasien als Drehscheibe des antiken Welthandels zwischen Rom und China angesehen. Das ist auffällig, weil die uns zur Verfügung stehenden Quellen dies gar nicht aussagen. Stattdessen geht aus einer der wichtigsten literarischen Quelle zum antiken Fernhandel, dem Periplus Maris Erythraei hervor, dass ihr Autor mit den Bewohnern Zentralasiens nur ganz wenig vertraut war: «Und jenseits [des Indusdeltas] ist ein sehr kriegerisches Volk, die Baktrier, das von einem König regiert wird.»
Research paper thumbnail of (2017) "Revised dates for the deposition of the Begram hoard and occupation at the New Royal City," Parthica 19, 75-104.
Note: Please now see amendments to these arguments made in light of additional material in my rev... moreNote: Please now see amendments to these arguments made in light of additional material in my revised doctoral dissertation, "The Begram Hoard and its Context" (2021).

This paper offers two major revisions to the chronology of the archaeological site of Begram (Afghanistan). The first revision pertains to when the Begram hoard was deposited (i.e. not when the objects were produced). Based on the new identification of three coins from room 10 as belonging to the post-Vasudeva Oesho with bull series, as well as an analysis of the distribution of the hoard objects and the degradation of the surrounding structure, a terminus post quem for this event is fixed at c. 260 AD. The second revision relates to the occupation of Site II and other areas of the New Royal City. Drawing on architectural, ceramic, and numismatic evidence, it is argued that both Ghirshman’s attribution of the Site II structure to Niveau II only, and his attribution of the Qala to Niveau III, are incorrect. Rather, it seems that the Site II structure was renovated and continued to be occupied through Niveau III, and was occupied at the same time as the upper occupation layers at Site B, Site I, and the city entrance. The hoard was likely deposited with the abandonment of the New Royal City at the end of Niveau III.
Research paper thumbnail of (2019) Review of Olivier Bordeaux, Les Grecs en Inde: politiques et pratiques monétaires (IIIe s.a.C. - Ier s.p.C.). Numismatica antiqua, 8. Bordeaux: Ausonius Éditions, 2018. Pp. 324. ISBN 9782356132192. €40,00 (pb).
(2019) Review of Olivier Bordeaux, Les Grecs en Inde: politiques et pratiques monétaires (IIIe s.a.C. - Ier s.p.C.). Numismatica antiqua, 8. Bordeaux: Ausonius Éditions, 2018. Pp. 324. ISBN 9782356132192. €40,00 (pb).
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2019/2019-06-09.html
Research paper thumbnail of HCARN 4 - CALL FOR PAPERS. Entangled Pasts and Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia. Fourth Conference of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network, University of Freiburg (Germany), 28-30 May 2020 [POSTPONED TO 24-26 MARCH 2022]
The fourth conference of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network (HCARN) will take place at... moreThe fourth conference of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network (HCARN) will take place at the University of Freiburg, Germany, from 28th–30th May 2020, on the theme of “Entangled Pasts and Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia.”

We welcome proposals for 20-minute papers from both established scholars and early career researchers. Abstracts of no more than 300 words, along with the author’s name, title and institutional affiliation, should be submitted to Milinda Hoo and Lauren Morris athcarn4@gmail.com by no later than 15 November 2019. We anticipate being able to offer some travel funding to participants, on a case by case basis.

** Update: the HCARN conference is now planned to take place from 24-26 March 2022 **
Recent years have seen a surge of scholarly interest in Hellenistic Central Asia. This is due to he emergence of new bodies of evidence, but is also a product of recent trends in scholarship owards cultural interaction, global history, and interdisciplinarity. Indeed, Hellenistic Central Asia is the locus of ancient cultural exchange par excellence: positioned at the nexus of the Eurasian steppe, and Iranian, Indic, and Chinese cultural worlds, and transected by expanding foreign powers, including the Achaemenid, Hellenistic, and Kushan empires. The sources we analyse in this field are accordingly varied — including archaeological, numismatic, and epigraphic data, as well as literary sources in Greek, Latin, Chinese, and Indic languages — and shed light only on certain aspects of the past.
Research paper thumbnail of Distant Worlds Journal C4P: Dealing with Antiquity
https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/dwj/issue/view/3432
Research paper thumbnail of (2018) "South of the Hindu Kush"? Geographies of the Paropamisus - Seen from Oxyartes' Rock: Central Asia under and after Alexander. Third Meeting of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network, 14-16 November, Prague
Some work in progress, for eventual publication. Abstract (old): Despite the extreme flexibilit... moreSome work in progress, for eventual publication.

Abstract (old): Despite the extreme flexibility of boundaries in various contemporary definitions of Central Asia as a region, many working on Central Asia in antiquity draw its southern limit across the Hindu Kush. Frequently in scholarship, the vast mountain range is conventionally used to delineate between Bactria and India, or, as it is also commonly framed, North and South of the Hindu Kush. Basic variations in landscape, climate, material culture and language between the two areas are obvious, but this perspective can be nuanced.

The Paropamisus – a toponym indicating the Hindu Kush or “Caucasus” as well as the region inhabited by the Paropamisadae, the latter association emphasised here – rarely figures in current research beyond references to Alexander’s itinerary and the Alexandria he founded there, and is certainly grouped with India, “South” regions, or Arachosia. This paper attempts to show that examining geographies of the Paropamisus – physical and human – can help to illuminate the nature of the Hindu Kush as a frontier from the Achaemenid to the Kushan period.

Gathering textual references to the Paropamisus, the location of its limits, features, and places are discussed. Then considered are its mythical associations in Greek eyes, conflations with the Caucasus proper, and Quintus Curtius’ unflattering view of its environment and its inhabitants. Insights from Achaemenid studies are then brought to the fore, regarding the integration of this into the imperial administrative landscape, and highlighting relationships between the satrapies of Gandhara and Bactria, seen also in Alexander’s time. Then, we see what scant archaeological and numismatic evidence from the region can tell us about its cultural and political history, especially in the Hellenistic period. Finally, examples are raised to demonstrate the porosity of the Hindu Kush, and argue for its status as a quasi-boundary with its permeability set by factors beyond the physical environment.

Images not CC or my own are greyed out. Regardless, please contact me should removal be desired.
Screencap from Alexander (dir. Oliver Stone 2004)
Research paper thumbnail of HCARN 4 - Conference Programme. Entangled Pasts Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia (24-26 March 2022, University of Freiburg, Germany)
Programme of the fourth Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network conference, with the theme "Ent... moreProgramme of the fourth Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network conference, with the theme "Entangled Pasts and Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia" (24-26 March 2022, University of Freiburg, Germany).

See further:https://hellenisticfareast.wordpress.com/conference-2020/
Research paper thumbnail of Hoo & Morris 2025 - Introduction (Entangled Pasts and Presents)
In Hoo, M. & Morris, L. (eds), Entangled Pasts and Presents: Temporal Interactions and Knowledge Production in the Study of Hellenistic Central Asia (Studia Hercynia XXVIII/2), 7-9, 2025
Introduction to the conference proceedings of the Fourth Meeting of the Hellenistic Central Asia ... moreIntroduction to the conference proceedings of the Fourth Meeting of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network, Freiburg 24th-26th March 2022

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