The Sasanian rock-cut relief of Rag-i Bibi, located in northern Afghanistan, offers a unique opportunity to reconsider issues of audience, memory, and power in rupestral art. Found over 1,000 kilometers east of the nearest attested Sasanian rupestral relief, Rag-i Bibi is geographically and iconographically distinct, displaying elements of local subject matter, artistic style, and political symbolism. Through comparison to reliefs in the Sasanian west and local artistic traditions, the stylistics and location of Rag-i Bibi are mobilized to offer a perspective that characterizes this relief as the product of Sasanian Persia and the local artistic traditions of Bactria, actively designed to appeal to a diverse audience. This perspective builds upon previous readings of Rag-i Bibi as a conventional marker of political power, arguing instead for its role as mediating between local, regional, and international audiences.
{"title":"Reconsidering Rag-i Bibi: Authority and audience in the Sasanian East","authors":"E. Levine, D. Plekhov","doi":"10.3366/afg.2019.0037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/afg.2019.0037","url":null,"abstract":"The Sasanian rock-cut relief of Rag-i Bibi, located in northern Afghanistan, offers a unique opportunity to reconsider issues of audience, memory, and power in rupestral art. Found over 1,000 kilometers east of the nearest attested Sasanian rupestral relief, Rag-i Bibi is geographically and iconographically distinct, displaying elements of local subject matter, artistic style, and political symbolism. Through comparison to reliefs in the Sasanian west and local artistic traditions, the stylistics and location of Rag-i Bibi are mobilized to offer a perspective that characterizes this relief as the product of Sasanian Persia and the local artistic traditions of Bactria, actively designed to appeal to a diverse audience. This perspective builds upon previous readings of Rag-i Bibi as a conventional marker of political power, arguing instead for its role as mediating between local, regional, and international audiences.","PeriodicalId":40186,"journal":{"name":"Afghanistan","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2019-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48362205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The article attempts to supplement the existing database of archaeological sites of Afghanistan, based on the data presented in the seminal book by W. Ball, as well as on recently published materials of the Soviet-Afghan archaeological expedition (by I. T. Kruglikova). These data are considered at a new level, using methods of remote sensing and multi-scale topographic maps of the region previously difficult to access for studying. The object of the research was the area of the valley of the Murghab river and its two right tributaries: Chapnal (Qaisar) and Kurutu Arik. Through the comparison of the complex data it's become possible to increase significantly the number of firmly localized sites of different eras, as well as specify some issues of historical and geographical nature.
本文试图补充现有的阿富汗考古遗址数据库，基于W. Ball开创性的书中提供的数据，以及最近出版的苏联-阿富汗考古考察(由I. T. krulikova)的材料。这些数据是在一个新的水平上考虑的，使用遥感和多比例尺地形图的方法来研究以前难以获得的地区。研究的对象是穆尔加布河流域及其右边的两条支流:恰帕尔(恰萨尔)和库鲁图阿里克。通过对复杂数据的比较，可以显著增加不同时代的遗址数量，并明确一些历史和地理性质的问题。
{"title":"Material for the archaeological map of northern Afghanistan. The Murghab River ValleyAppendix A: Warwick BallAppendix B: Eric Hubbard","authors":"V. Gaibov, G. Koshelenko, G. Trebeleva","doi":"10.3366/afg.2019.0036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/afg.2019.0036","url":null,"abstract":"The article attempts to supplement the existing database of archaeological sites of Afghanistan, based on the data presented in the seminal book by W. Ball, as well as on recently published materials of the Soviet-Afghan archaeological expedition (by I. T. Kruglikova). These data are considered at a new level, using methods of remote sensing and multi-scale topographic maps of the region previously difficult to access for studying. The object of the research was the area of the valley of the Murghab river and its two right tributaries: Chapnal (Qaisar) and Kurutu Arik. Through the comparison of the complex data it's become possible to increase significantly the number of firmly localized sites of different eras, as well as specify some issues of historical and geographical nature.","PeriodicalId":40186,"journal":{"name":"Afghanistan","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2019-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47678818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Silk Road as an image is a relatively new one for Afghanistan. It appeals to both the pre-Islamic and the perceived Islamic past, thus offering an Islamic balance to previous identities linked to Bamiyan or to the Kushans. It also appeals to a broader and more international image, one that has been taken up by many other countries. This paper traces the rise of the image of the Silk Road and its use as a metaphor for ancient trade to encompass all contacts throughout Eurasia, prehistoric, ancient and modern, but also how the image has been adopted and expanded into many other areas: politics, tourism and academia. It is argued here that the origin and popularity of the term lies in late 20th century (and increasingly 21st century) politics rather than any reality of ancient trade. Its consequent validity as a metaphor in academic discussion is questioned
{"title":"“Band Wagon and Gravy Train”: uses and abuses along the Silk Road","authors":"W. Ball","doi":"10.3366/afg.2019.0035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/afg.2019.0035","url":null,"abstract":"The Silk Road as an image is a relatively new one for Afghanistan. It appeals to both the pre-Islamic and the perceived Islamic past, thus offering an Islamic balance to previous identities linked to Bamiyan or to the Kushans. It also appeals to a broader and more international image, one that has been taken up by many other countries. This paper traces the rise of the image of the Silk Road and its use as a metaphor for ancient trade to encompass all contacts throughout Eurasia, prehistoric, ancient and modern, but also how the image has been adopted and expanded into many other areas: politics, tourism and academia. It is argued here that the origin and popularity of the term lies in late 20th century (and increasingly 21st century) politics rather than any reality of ancient trade. Its consequent validity as a metaphor in academic discussion is questioned","PeriodicalId":40186,"journal":{"name":"Afghanistan","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2019-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48243383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article provides an overview of a rare collection of manuscripts that was purchased by the National Library of Israel in recent years. These manuscripts, which belong to a larger corpus of manuscripts known as the “Afghan Genizah,” appear to have originated in central Afghanistan, possibly in the Bamiyan area, and are datable to a period of two hundred years, namely, from the early 5th/11th century to the early 7th/13th century. The overview of these texts is accompanied by an edition and translation of two Islamic acknowledgment (iqrār) deeds in New Persian, dated to the beginning of the 5th/11th century.
{"title":"What is the “Afghan Genizah”? A short guide to the collection of the Afghan Manuscripts in the National Library of Israel, with the edition of two documents","authors":"Ofir Haim","doi":"10.3366/AFG.2019.0026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/AFG.2019.0026","url":null,"abstract":"This article provides an overview of a rare collection of manuscripts that was purchased by the National Library of Israel in recent years. These manuscripts, which belong to a larger corpus of manuscripts known as the “Afghan Genizah,” appear to have originated in central Afghanistan, possibly in the Bamiyan area, and are datable to a period of two hundred years, namely, from the early 5th/11th century to the early 7th/13th century. The overview of these texts is accompanied by an edition and translation of two Islamic acknowledgment (iqrār) deeds in New Persian, dated to the beginning of the 5th/11th century.","PeriodicalId":40186,"journal":{"name":"Afghanistan","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2019-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42014426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper concerns a historically significant find of copper derivatives of Umayyad post-reform fulus from Gandhara, probably minted in the mid-eighth century under Turk Shahi sovereignty (c. 667–875). The coins share an unusual feature: two Brahmi aksharas on an Umayyad AE prototype, inversely oriented to a partially-corrupted Arabic legend. These base metal coins represent perhaps the only known caliphal imitative varieties issued by moneyers beyond the eastern limits of Umayyad and Abbasid sovereignty. They have the potential to inform our understanding of the complex relationship between political authority, confessional identity, and coin typology in late antiquity – particularly within early “Hindu”– “Muslim” contact zones. Moreover, they provide invaluable clues into the circulatory regimes of Umayyad coinage.
{"title":"Brahmi legends on Umayyad Fulus: Interrogating local minting practices and numismatic transculturation in Gandhara (ca. 750 CE)","authors":"W. Ziad","doi":"10.3366/AFG.2019.0029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/AFG.2019.0029","url":null,"abstract":"This paper concerns a historically significant find of copper derivatives of Umayyad post-reform fulus from Gandhara, probably minted in the mid-eighth century under Turk Shahi sovereignty (c. 667–875). The coins share an unusual feature: two Brahmi aksharas on an Umayyad AE prototype, inversely oriented to a partially-corrupted Arabic legend. These base metal coins represent perhaps the only known caliphal imitative varieties issued by moneyers beyond the eastern limits of Umayyad and Abbasid sovereignty. They have the potential to inform our understanding of the complex relationship between political authority, confessional identity, and coin typology in late antiquity – particularly within early “Hindu”– “Muslim” contact zones. Moreover, they provide invaluable clues into the circulatory regimes of Umayyad coinage.","PeriodicalId":40186,"journal":{"name":"Afghanistan","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2019-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42311178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Central Helmand Archaeological Study (CHAS) was a rapid archaeological reconnaissance led and undertaken by the author in 2011 to support counterinsurgency efforts on behalf of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in central Helmand Province. Due to the volatility in the region and the imperative to produce results that would have an immediate operational effect, the author had to forego conventional preparations which would have necessarily included a lengthy review and analysis of previously recorded sites in the region. The situation being as it was, the primary objective of this paper is to review the data that were collected and to determine whether the sites identified and investigated in the course of the CHAS can be linked to any previously recorded sites. To accomplish this task, a system for deciding whether the sites recorded in the CHAS match any previously recorded sites is devised and described. The second objective of this paper uses what information can be gleaned from the CHAS to increase archaeological knowledge of the central Helmand valley. Towards these ends, five sites that were recorded in the CHAS are found to have been previously unrecorded and are described. In those cases where the sites examined in the CHAS overlap with previously recorded sites, the CHAS supplements what has been known of the sites with new information on the sites' composition and chronology.
{"title":"Correlating findings from the Central Helmand Archaeological Study (CHAS) with those from previous surveys in the Central Helmand Valley, Afghanistan","authors":"Marc A. Abramiuk","doi":"10.3366/AFG.2019.0024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/AFG.2019.0024","url":null,"abstract":"The Central Helmand Archaeological Study (CHAS) was a rapid archaeological reconnaissance led and undertaken by the author in 2011 to support counterinsurgency efforts on behalf of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in central Helmand Province. Due to the volatility in the region and the imperative to produce results that would have an immediate operational effect, the author had to forego conventional preparations which would have necessarily included a lengthy review and analysis of previously recorded sites in the region. The situation being as it was, the primary objective of this paper is to review the data that were collected and to determine whether the sites identified and investigated in the course of the CHAS can be linked to any previously recorded sites. To accomplish this task, a system for deciding whether the sites recorded in the CHAS match any previously recorded sites is devised and described. The second objective of this paper uses what information can be gleaned from the CHAS to increase archaeological knowledge of the central Helmand valley. Towards these ends, five sites that were recorded in the CHAS are found to have been previously unrecorded and are described. In those cases where the sites examined in the CHAS overlap with previously recorded sites, the CHAS supplements what has been known of the sites with new information on the sites' composition and chronology.","PeriodicalId":40186,"journal":{"name":"Afghanistan","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2019-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43869175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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