On the Edge of an Empire: Kyzyltepa Project (2010-11 Seasons)

In 330 BCE, Alexander the Great marched to the east, chasing after Darius III, the last Great King of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BCE). The young Macedonian ruler wished to capture the Persian king alive, but this was not to be, as Darius found death at the hands of his own men. Enraged, Alexander pursued the conspirators into Bactria and Sogdiana, his dreams of glory turning to nightmares, as he journeyed ever deeper into Central Asia…

Central Asia once formed an indispensable part of the Achaemenid Empire, yet its history before Alexander’s arrival has remained, until now, largely unknown. On-going archaeological investigations at Kyzyltepa in southern Uzbekistan (or ancient territory of northern Bactria) are beginning to fill this lacuna. Two seasons of fieldwork have revealed the site’s morphology (monumental structures, defensive system, workshop areas), its spatial organization, and occupational history. The research sheds new light on local socio-economic practices and transformation of political landscape during the Achaemenid and early Hellenistic periods. It contributes to a larger project that focuses on the Achaemenid imperial policies and manifestation of economic and political relations between the empire and its provinces.

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