NATIONAL CENTER OF ARCHEOLOGY
Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Landscape archeology laboratory

     

   

In accordance with Resolution No. 792 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated September 21, 2019, "On the Fundamental Improvement of Archaeological Research," the National Center for Archaeology was established. Under this resolution, at the end of 2019, the first "Landscape Archaeology" laboratory in Uzbekistan was founded, equipped with modern instruments.

Landscape archaeology is one of the main archaeological disciplines that integrates archaeological, historical-geographical, social-geographical, paleoecological, anthropological, and toponymic research. Various approaches are planned for implementation in our laboratory.

The first approach involves mapping archaeological features across vast territories and identifying patterns of their distribution in the past and present.
The second approach interprets how ancient communities socially used their environment and perceived their surroundings, making the application of phenomenology particularly relevant.

The primary significance of landscape archaeology is that it offers archaeologists an alternative approach, shifting the focus from isolated archaeological sites to the broader scales of human society's way of life.

Archaeological Methods Used in Landscape Archaeology

• Satellite and aerial imagery
• Surface surveys
• Topographic modeling
• Stratigraphic excavations
• Geomorphological studies
• Subsurface exploration technologies (ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry)

Partially driven by new technologies (GIS, remote sensing, geophysical surveys), landscape archaeological research has enabled broad regional investigations and the detection of elements such as ancient roads and agricultural fields that are not easily visible through traditional methods.

Laboratory Objectives

The laboratory aims to reconstruct human behavior by studying all ancient biofacts, ecofacts, and geofacts, in contrast to the traditional analysis of artifacts found in archaeological excavations.

Key Tasks of the Laboratory

• Conduct laboratory analysis of ancient inorganic materials recovered during excavations.
• Restore the relationship between nature and humans by studying ecofacts and geofacts.
• Map archaeological sites over vast areas and determine patterns of their past and present distribution.
• Interpret how ancient communities socially used their environment.
• Conduct large-scale regional research using satellite and aerial imagery, surface surveys, topographic modeling, stratigraphic excavations, geomorphological studies, and subsurface exploration technologies.
• Identify elements that are not easily detectable through traditional research methods, such as ancient roads and agricultural fields.
• Train scientific personnel in landscape archaeology.
• Establish scientific collaborations with institutes of the Natural Sciences Department of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, universities, and foreign research centers.

Currently, efforts are underway to organize the laboratory, including compiling a list of equipment and instruments, developing cost estimates for their procurement, and recruiting and training scientific staff and laboratory technicians to utilize these tools in their research.

Laboratory Documents

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1. Laboratory Charter
2. Laboratory Roadmap
3. Laboratory Program for 2020–2024
4. Laboratory Staff Report