The Kulal Tepa A chaeological P ojec : In oduc ion and
p elimina y epo o he i s season o a chaeological
exca a ion, au umn 2023 (sou he n Uzbekis an)
Lau en Mo is– Kah amon Toshaliye – Jana Ma zne o á– Elena Pa alo o–
Ján Bobik– Jakub Ha lík– Ma ěj Kmošek– Ma ej Lelo ič– Shapula Shaydullae
ABSTRACT
This epo p esen s he Kulal Tepa A chaeological P ojec o he Czech-Uzbekis ani A chaeological Expe-
di ion and p elimina y esul s o he i s season o a chaeological exca a ion in au umn, 2023. Conce ned
wi h b oade ques ions o he scope and ca alys s o economic de elopmen in no he n Bac ia unde he
Kushan Empi e, he p ojec ’s ieldwo k p og amme in es iga es he u al se lemen o Kulal Tepa and i s
mic o -oasis in he eas e n oo hills o he Kugi ang h ough a chaeological exca a ion and su ey. We discuss
he egional se ing o his wo k, pas esea ch and he opog aphy o he epa, be o e p esen ing an o e iew
o he esul s o exca a ion, and inds om his season, including om ame al de ec o su ey o he su ace.
In T ench 1 on he no hwes e n sec o o he epa, we ound poo ly p ese ed laye s a es ing o suc-
cessi e pe iods o eoccupa ion (Phase 2), pe haps la gely o he 5 h–6 h cen u ies AD in he Ea ly Medie al
pe iod. These ac i i ies occu ed on he uins o ala ge building complex p obably cons uc ed and used
in he 3 d–4 h cen u ies AD, i.e., he Kushano -Sasanian/La e An ique pe iod (Phase 3). Pa o he s uc u e
e ealed includes an inne building, co e ed passageway, and u ili y a ea wi h cooking and s o age acili ies.
The s uc u e sugges s a ela i ely eli e esiden ial con ex , and adominan poin o his si e du ing i s las
majo building phase. Finds om he exca a ion, su ace, and me al de ec o su ey include adi e se ce amic
epe oi e, and ma e ial sugges ing a ious p oduc ion ac i i ies, o he special inds, and base me al coins
da ing a leas om he 1s –4 h cen u ies AD. O e all hey sugges his o ical occupa ion o he epa p ima ily
be ween he 1s –6 h cen u ies AD; a ew may sugges an ea lie da e. The 3 d–4 h cen u ies (Kushano -Sasanian
pe iod) likely ep esen s amajo pe iod o he si e’soccupa ion. This co esponds o su ey da a om he
si e’s icini y sugges ing subs an ial de elopmen o he mic o -oasis a he same ime.
KEYWORDS
Cen al Asia; No he n Bac ia; u al a chaeology; Kushan Empi e; Kushano -Sasanian pe iod.
INTRODUCTION– THE KULAL TEPA ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT
Decades o a chaeological esea ch sugges s ha he pe iod o he Kushan Empi e’s ule in
no he n Bac ia -Tokha is an (ca. 50–230 AD) wi nessed hi he o unp eceden ed de elop-
men s in cul u al and economic domains. Besides he p oduc ion o well -known monumen s
o a , inc easing usage o coined money, and indica ions o mo e ans - egional ade ac i i y
in luxu y goods, one o he mos no able phenomena is u banisa ion. This is seen especially in
he lowland plains o he Su khan Da ya p o ince o sou he n Uzbekis an. He e, as supposed
by schola s since he 1950s and g adually suppo ed wi h mo e da a (S a iskiy 1998, 270–271),
ue ci ies eme ge, and he numbe , densi y, and su ace a ea o se lemen s inc eases, e lec -
ing he maximum de elopmen o he i iga ed a ea (Pugachenko a– R eladze 1990, 65;
S ide 2004, 326). An elabo a e se lemen pa e n hie a chy a ound la ge cen al si es also
STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2, 157–176
158 STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2
de eloped a leas in he icini y o Dal e zin epa, Khalchayan, and Janda la epa, wi h he
lowe le el o his hie a chy cons i u ed by small ag icul u al es ablishmen s (S ide 2004,
324; S ančo 2019, 370–371). As a esul , one migh conclude ha he Kushan s a e was di ec -
ly ela ed o hese de elopmen s: s ong and ela i ely cen alised (S ide 2004, 326), and
o e seeing he de elopmen o some i iga ion sys ems as s a e p ojec s (S ančo 2019, 371).
Addi ionally, ci ies a e also p oposed wi hin his hie a chy o se lemen s o ha e assumed
c i ical economic oles due o u ban c a p oduc ion, wi h u al se lemen s supplied by hem
(Li inskiy– Sedo 1983, 120; Pugachenko a– R eladze 1990, 63).
Upon close examina ion, pa s o his pic u e a e su p isingly agile. Familia p oblems
include quali y o da a: o example, hese econs uc ions depend hea ily on su ey da a
and su ace ma e ial, bu he p ecise absolu e da ing o ma e ial also om pe iods di ec ly
p eceding (Yuezhi -T ansi ional, 2nd cen u y BC–1s cen u y AD) and ollowing he Kushan
pe iod p ope (Kushano -Sasanian/La e -Kushan/La e An ique, 3 d–4 h cen u ies AD; he i s
pa o he Ea ly Medie al pe iod, 5 h–6 h cen u ies AD), he e o e impac ing he p ecision o
he his o ical a gumen s ha can be made on he basis o such ma e ial. No e, o example, he
di e gen da ings gi en by di e en schola s o ce ain po e y ypes, such as inewa e dishes
wi h inden ed ims and bu nished deco a ion, be ween he 3 d–6 h cen u ies AD, which can be
pa ly explained by di e en in e p e a ions o Kushano -Sasanian ch onology (S ančo 2013).
E iden ly, hese p ocesses also began in he Yuezhi -T ansi ional pe iod (S ide 2004,
321–322), and he supposed end o decline in he Kushano -Sasanian pe iod (Pugachenko-
a– R eladze 1990, 66) is also no well subs an ia ed (S ide 2004, 328). Fu he mo e, he
s uc u e and ope a ion o he Kushan s a e emains heo ised in schola ship only a abasic
le el, making i di icul o connec hese b oad phenomena wi h he ac ions o he s a e.
Finally, mos o ou exca a ion da a e e o he op o he se lemen hie a chy (lowland
u ban cen es) a he han he u al se lemen s ha cons i u ed i s socio -economic basis,
despi e in e es in he opic in he So ie pe iod. This led o he exca a ions o Mi zakul
Tepa and Ak Ku gan, o example, which howe e ocused on ela i ely sho - e m p ocesses
and he si es hemsel es bu no ac i i ies in hei icini y (Pidae 1978). Recen wo k also
highligh s ha some c a p oduc ion (including ce amics) also occu ed in u al se le-
men s and he e o e did no necessa ily depend on ci ies (Bolelo 2010, 28). Any s udies on
die and local subsis ence economies du ing his pe iod also emain su p isingly spa se (see,
e.g., D u echenskaya 2016).
E iden ly, new da a a e needed o be e unde s and he scope o economic de elopmen
in he Kushan pe iod expe ienced ac oss socie y, which should help in u n o in e p e he
ca alys s o hese p ocesses. As pa o he b oade esea ch p ojec a Cha les Uni e si y
‘Ru al li e in achanging wo ld: new ligh on economic de elopmen and inequali y in Cen al
Asia unde he Kushan Empi e,’1 we ini ia ed he Kulal Tepa A chaeological P ojec , a h ee-
-season ieldwo k p og amme o a chaeological exca a ion and su ey du ing 2023–2024
ope a ing unde he auspices o he Czech-Uzbekis ani A chaeological Expedi ion (di . L.
S ančo o Cha les Uni e si y and Sh. Shaydullae o Te mez S a e Uni e si y). On he side
o Cha les Uni e si y, L. Mo is is esponsible o he o e all p ojec and exca a ions, and J.
Ha lík designed and leads he su ey, collabo a ing wi h Sh. Shaydullae and K. Toshaliye
o Te mez S a e Uni e si y.
The ocus o he p ojec is Kulal (uzb. Kulol) Tepa (‘po e ’shill’), asmall u al se lemen
(80 × 100 m) loca ed adminis a i ely in he mode n She abad dis ic o he Su khan Da ya
1 PRIMUS/23/HUM/013. PI: L. Mo is. The p ojec is implemen ed a he Facul y o A s, Cha les
Uni e si y.
159L. MORRIS– K. TOSHALIYEV– J. MATZNEROVÁ– E. PARALOVO– J. BOBIK– J. HAVLÍK– M. KMOŠEK…
Fig. 1: Loca ion o Kulal Tepa in he Su khan Da ya alley, sou he n Uzbekis an, wi h egional
u ban cen es in he Kushan pe iod and si es men ioned in he ex (map by J. Ha lík, basemap
Bing).
160 STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2
p o ince, and geog aphically in he eas e n oo hills o he Kugi ang piedmon s (Fig. 1). Today,
he sou he n pa o his ange cons i u es pa o he p esen -day bo de be ween Uzbekis an
and Tu kmenis an, and in he Kushan pe iod cons i u ed he empi e’sno hwes e n on ie
be ween he egion o Bac ia -Tokha is an and sou he n Sogdiana.
Kulal Tepa and i s mic o -oasis was selec ed as an objec o esea ch o ou main ea-
sons: i s , because he si e and i s landscape seem mo e ela i ely well -p ese ed han hose
in lowland ag icul u al a eas; second, because ou knowledge o se lemen in he Kushan
and Kushano -Sasanian pe iods in oo hill en i onmen s is ela i ely low; and hi d, mos
impo an ly, he oppo uni y o bene i om and con ibu e o pas and ongoing wo k o he
Czech-Uzbekis ani A chaeological Expedi ion in his a ea, whe e esea ch has been ac i e
since 2010 and inc easing in ecen yea s. Finally, he mul ipe iod si e ep esen s an oppo -
uni y o examine de elopmen o e ime: su ace ma e ial collec ed in he pas by expedi ion
membe s sugges s i was ac i e be ween he Kushan and Kushano -Sasanian pe iods, i.e., he
1s –4 h cen u ies AD (S ančoe al. 2020, 152–155).
The p ojec b oadly aims o conduc an in ensi e and ex ensi e in es iga ion o he de elop-
men o his se lemen and i s su ounding landscape o e ime. We a e pa icula ly in e es ed
in he na u e o he se lemen and he ex en and use o i s mic o -oasis, die and p ima y p o-
duc ion, c a p oduc ion, consump ion, esou ce p ocu emen , and he use o coinage in he
a ea o e ime, as well as he ela ionships be ween he se lemen and i s e i o y wi h o he
a eas. The p ima y ieldwo k componen s a e he a chaeological exca a ion and pedes ian su -
ey. Du ing he au umn 2023 ield season (27 h o Augus o 3 d o Oc obe 2023), he exca a ion
was supe ised by L. Mo is, E. Pa alo o, and J. Ma zne o á assis ed by Nu bek Ulugnaza o
and local wo ke s, and su ey da a collec ed by J. Ha lík wi h A. Ho a and M. Hořeníno á, while
J. Bobik o e saw egis a ion and po e y d awing. Du ing he season, M. Kmošek and M. Lel-
o ič also comple ed ame al de ec o su ey and small sounding o he su ace o he epa, and
pe o med cleaning, conse a ion and composi ional (pXRF) analysis o me al inds.
Fo he sp ing and au umn 2024 ield seasons, u he da a collec ion alongside collabo-
a o s o he expedi ion is planned, including me al de ec o su eys o he epa and s udy
a ea, geophysical p ospec ion, and geological ieldwo k. Collabo a ions wi h in e na ional
colleagues a e also unde way o he s udy and a chaeome ic analysis o he po e y (G.
Puschnigg, Aus ian Academy o Sciences and M. Daghmehchi, Koç Uni e si y), a chaeobo-
anical da a (R. Spengle , Max Planck Ins i u e o Geoan h opology), and zooa chaeological
da a (K. La son, Uni e si y o Michigan) ga he ed du ing his p ojec .
This epo p esen s he p elimina y esul s o he au umn 2023 exca a ion season, while
hose o he su ey a e p esen ed sepa a ely in his issue (Ha líke al. 2024), in ended only
as ab ie o e iew o collec ed da a and i s esul s o ieldwo k in p og ess, o ull publi-
ca ion when he esea ch is comple ed. We discuss Kulal Tepa and i s se ing in mo e de ail,
and he s a e o pas esea ch in his a ea, be o e u ning o he opog aphy o he epa, he
exca a ion objec i es, and i s main esul s his season, as well as he me al de ec o su ey
o he epa and cleaning and conse a ion wo k o me al inds du ing he season, ollowed by
ab ie discussion o inds and main conclusions o he wo k.
KULAL TEPA AND ITS SETTING
Kulal Tepa is asmall, nea ly squa e mound (80 × 100 m, 0.8 ha), o ien ed NNE -SSW, ising 10 m
om he loo o a alley in he sp awling eas e n oo hills o he Kugi ang idge (Fig. 2). This
oo hill en i onmen is cha ac e ised by undula ing d y s eppe incised by i e alleys and
161L. MORRIS– K. TOSHALIYEV– J. MATZNEROVÁ– E. PARALOVO– J. BOBIK– J. HAVLÍK– M. KMOŠEK…
s eam beds (many now d y) descending om he moun ains, and asemi -a id con inen al cli-
ma e. As well e lec ed also in p oduc ion s a egies oday, his landscape p o ides dominan a -
o dances o pas o alism, some ain ed ag icul u e, and i iga ed ag icul u e wi h pe manen
se lemen in a he es ic ed a eas– ‘mic o -oases’– wi h access o pe ennial wa e sou ces.
Fig. 2: De ailed iew o he Kulal Tepa alley wi h ea u es discussed in he ex . Whi e do s ep e-
sen ku gans su eyed in 2018 (map by J. Ha lík, basemap Bing).
Kulal Tepa was e iden ly he p ime se lemen o a o me such mic o -oasis. I is loca ed in
he cen e o a la , na ow alley (ca. 800 m.a.s.l., ca. 8 km om no h -wes o sou h -eas , ca.
500 m wide) bounded by ele a ed pla eaus o i s no h and sou h. The alley eme ges om
an uppe i e e ace o he Loylagan Say, which uns oughly pa allel 2.5 km as he c ow
lies o he sou h, and whe e se lemen and ag icul u al ac i i y in he a ea is concen a ed
oday. Asmall, seasonal s eam bed uns along he no he n side o he Kulal Tepa alley, bu
he p ima y wa e sou ce was likely anow de unc a yk (channel) on he alley’ssou he n
side, connec ed o he Loylagan Say ca. 5.5 km ups eam. I s cons uc ion p e -da es he So ie
pe iod (when i was also used and e u bished), and is plausibly connec ed o he his o ical
de elopmen o he mic o -oasis (see S ančoe al. 2020, 155; Ha líke al. 2024). No ably, Ku-
lal Tepa is also loca ed in p oximi y o Da ai -Tangi, aseconda y pass in he Kugi ang ange
p o iding e en ual access o sou he n Sogdiana. The go ge begins some 15 km o he wes o
Kulal, and is eached by ollowing he Loylagan Say ups eam. The nea es egional cen e
ac i e in he An ique pe iod was Janda la Tepa in he lowlands o She abad oasis, equi ing
ajou ney o some 45 km o he sou h.

162 STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2
STATE OF RESEARCH
Rela i ely li le a chaeological a en ion has been paid o his a ea cons i u ing he Loylagan
and Kulal Tepa alleys p io o 2010. He e, a chaeological da a now indica e se lemen ac-
i i ies anging om he La e B onze Age o he p e -Mode n pe iod, p edominan ly in close
icini y o he pe ennial i e (Vilím Augus ino á 2024). In he Loylagan Say i e alley,
An ique pe iod ac i i y is ela i ely sca ce; asmall, walled hill op se lemen a Mi zali
Ku gan howe e exhibi s ma e ial oughly coe al o ha om Iskanda Tepa and Kulal Tepa
(S ančoe al. 2022a, 106–110; Baza o 2024).
Among o he si es in he Kugi ang and Baysun au oo hills, Kulal Tepa’sexis ence was doc-
umen ed ela i ely ecen ly, obse ing also i s p oximi y o wo o he si es– Loylagan bu ial
g ound and Tu a Tepa (see sho ly below)– i wi h some spa ial con usion and no sugges ed
da ing (Bobokhodzhae – Annae – Rakhmono 1990, 26–27; S e chko 2005; see com-
men s in S ančoe al. 2020, 146, 155). Since 2010, ongoing esea ch o he Czech-Uzbekis ani
Expedi ion has u he explo ed Kulal Tepa, cla i ied se e al ho spo s and aces o pas ac i i y
in i s immedia e icini y, including also he su ounding oo hills and he Loylagan Say alley.
Su ey ac i i y o he expedi ion in 2016–2017 con i ms ha a chaeological si es o he Kushan
pe iod in he piedmon s a e no ably sca ce in compa ison o he lowlands (S ančoe al. 2017,
132). As indica ed abo e, su ace po e y om he si e collec ed du ing pas ex ensi e su eys
o he expedi ion, as well as coins ound du ing he cou se o ab ie me al de ec o su ey
sugges i was ac i e du ing he Kushan and Kushano -Sasanian pe iod (1s –4 h cen u ies AD)
(S ančoe al. 2020, 152–155; c . S ančoe al. 2017, 132; publica ion o he coins in p epa a ion).
Th ee main ho spo s o ac i i y we e also sugges ed in i s immedia e icini y. Fi s , a
Iskanda Tepa, loca ed on ana ow p omon o y some 300 m o he sou h -wes . Si ua ed he e
we e he emains o an epheme al, poo ly p ese ed se lemen a es ing o ag icul u al p o-
cessing and s o age ac i i ies eme ging in he la e Hellenis ic pe iod (2nd cen u y BC), subjec
o a ial ench in 2017 and la ge exca a ions in 2018 (S ančoe al. 2017, 130–132; S ančoe al.
2020; S ančoe al. 2022b), su ounded la e by a‘T ansi ional’/ea ly Kushan pe iod ceme e y,
p esen ly unde in es iga ion since 2021 alongside o he bu ial g ounds (L.S ančo and J. Kysela,
in p og ess). Addi ional se lemen ac i i y is sugges ed by he emains o ahea ily unca ed
small epa we now call Tig man Tepa (‘mill hill’) and associa ed a e ac sca e loca ed di ec ly
o he sou hwes o Kulal Tepa, da ed by pas su ey o he La e Kushan/Kushano -Sasanian
pe iod and no ed o be coe al (S ančoe al. 2017, 132, no. 244; see now Ha líke al. 2024).
Ala ge po e y sca e da ing o he High Medie al pe iod (now called Qu baka Tepa) is also
ound on ano he p omon o y jus wes o Iskanda Tepa (S ančoe al. 2020, 145, 155, pl. 4/2).
The p ecise loca ion o he ea u e ea lie named Tu a Tepa and b oadly da ed o he Kushan
o Ea ly Medie al pe iod by Bobokhodjae e al. is no clea , and may ela e o Iskanda Tepa,
he High Medie al po e y sca e (S ančoe al. 2020, 146, 155), o e en Tig man Tepa.
Loylagan bu ial g ound, men ioned abo e, e e s o an imp ecisely loca ed s e ch o s one
ku gans o e 5 km long in he icini y o Loylagan. Se en we e exca a ed by Duke in 1973 o
e eal no g a e pi s p ope bu ash laye s in e p e ed as e idence o c ema ion bu ials, and
we e da ed on sca ce ma e ial o he Tu kic pe iod (i.e., Ea ly Medie al pe iod), 6 h–7 h cen u-
y AD (Duke 1975). Such mounds and ela ed s one ea u es (s one se ings and cai ns) ha e
since been u he documen ed h ough asu ey and some ial exca a ions led by J. Ha lík
in 2018, eco ding 104 ea u es including 75 ku gans dispe sed be ween he le bank i e
e ace o he Loylagan Say and he pla eau on he no h side o he Kulal Tepa alley (Ha -
lík– Ha líko á– S ančo 2018). Al hough he ue sepulch al ea u es o hese ‘ku gans’ is
no ye sa is ac o ily con i med, en a i e da ings om he La e An ique o Ea ly Medie al
163L. MORRIS– K. TOSHALIYEV– J. MATZNEROVÁ– E. PARALOVO– J. BOBIK– J. HAVLÍK– M. KMOŠEK…
pe iod (4 h–7 h cen u ies AD) (see wi h e e ences Ha lík– Ha líko á– S ančo 2018, 151, 157),
migh p esen an in e es ing co espondence o he la e phases o he Kulal Tepa alley occu-
pa ion. Ala ge numbe o simila ku gans (146 in o al) we e also documen ed in he saddle
connec ing Loylagan Say and Gazak i e s (Ha lík– Dědko á– Toshaliye 2023, 216–224).
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TEPA AND EXCAVATION OBJECTIVES
Two o e a ching objec i es shape his p ojec ’sexca a ion s a egy: 1) Exposing ela i ely
la ge a eas and exca a ing en i e s a ig aphic uni s when possible, in o de o p oduce mo e
comp ehensi e da a abou se lemen , p oduc ion, and consump ion ac i i ies du ing phases
o he epa’soccupa ion; 2) To ob ain some in o ma ion abou he de elopmen o he si e
o e ime. Conside ing up o 10 m o possible a chaeological laye s and p ac ical limi a ions,
mee ing bo h objec i es p esen s achallenge.
P epa a o y wo k p io o he beginning o exca a ion p o ided u he in o ma ion abou
he opog aphy and p ese a ion o he su ace o he epa, which u he guided ou exca-
a ion s a egy. This included opog aphic su ey and p oducing anew de ailed opog aphic
plan o he epa (Fig. 3), as well as emo e sensing wo k examining (among o he da ase s)
U.S. declassi ied sa elli e image y om he 1960s and 1970s. Collec ion uni s o he sys ema ic
su ace su ey co e ing he epa’ssu ace a ea we e also comple ed (see Ha líke al. 2024).
Fig. 3: Topog aphic plan o Kulal Tepa wi h ench placemen indica ed (map by J. Ha lík and L.
Mo is) and sa elli e image y o he si e in Sep embe 2023 (image y om Google Ea h, ©2024
Ai bus).
As a esul , we no iced no clea indica ions o o i ica ions p ope (i.e., walls, bas ions),
acco ding wi h he ea lie obse a ion ha he si e’sposi ion a he base o he alley is no
de ensi ely ad an ageous (S ančoe al. 2020, 153). The no hwes e n sec o o he si e is he
decisi e ea u e o i s opog aphy, measu ing ca. 40 × 40 m om he base o he epa; i con-
s i u es one o he si e’s wo highes poin s, ising 10 m abo e he plain o he no h, and is
bounded o i s sou he n and eas e n sides by linea dep essions g adually sloping upwa ds o
he cen e o he epa. E oking in o m a‘mini -ci adel’, his ea u e mos likely ep esen s he
164 STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2
ocal poin o he si e a leas du ing i s las majo building phase, and pe haps also wi nessed
he longes du a ion o occupa ion on he si e.
Al hough he p ese a ion o he su ace o he epa appea s o be good (e.g., no su i ing
mode n ins alla ions o g a es), we also no iced ce ain a eas we e subjec o ela i ely mo e
dis u bance. Chie ly, s ill isible oday and on mode n sa elli e image y a e he aces o ala ge
(dia. ca. 50 m) bu shallow dep ession in he cen e o he epa, which acco ding o HEXAGON
KH-9 1978 image y de i es om a ea u e cons uc ed jus p io o ha yea . Enqui ies wi h
local inhabi an s and he landowne could no cla i y i s na u e beyond he assump ion ha
i ela ed o ag icul u al ac i i ies on he plain (s o age, p ocessing?). In any case, i ei e a -
ed ha subs an ial mode n dis u bance o he su ace may be an icipa ed. We also obse ed
ha he eas e n slope, and o alesse ex en he sou he n slope, we e compa a i ely mo e
wind e oded, esul ing in ahigh concen a ion o isible su ace ma e ial, including co e s o
small pebbles and ac u ed s ones we la e con i med we e ubiqui ously admixed o a ying
p opo ions in o ea hen building ma e ials a he si e.
Wi h he abo e conside a ions, we elec ed o ocus ou a en ion his season on explo ing
he unc ion and na u e o occupa ion on he no hwes e n sec o o he epa. We s aked ou
asingle explo a o y ench (T ench 1) o cu ac oss he sou he n pa o i s highes ele a ion,
ollowing i s o ien a ion, and i s measu ing 20 m eas -wes and 3 m no h -sou h, wi h he
no ion ha i could be ei he expanded in a ea o con inued as as a ig aphic ench i mo e
sui able. As we encoun e ed signi ican a chi ec u al emains in he eas e n hal o he ench
wi hin he i s days o exca a ion, he ench was acco dingly ex ended wice o he no h
by 2 m, esul ing in a inal exposed su ace o 100 m2 (Figs. 4 and 5). A he conclusion o he
season, he ench was back illed o be eopened and u he ex ended in sp ing 2024. The
exca a ion esul s we e documen ed wi h pho og aphy and pho og amme y.
TRENCH 1
EVIDENCE OF THREE MAIN PHASES OF ACTIVITY WERE DOCUMENTED THIS SEASON
IN TRENCH 1
Phase 1– Recen ac i i y and ans o ma ions
Su ace laye s (SUs 1, 4, 26, and 45) we e emo ed p og essi ely om he en i e ench, yp-
ically 10–15 cm in hickness, and comp ised o ege a ion co e and mixed aeolic deposi s
wi h deb is o e oded ea hen a chi ec u e. In he second no he n ex ension o he ench,
amode n wooden s ake (SF 74) was ound in his laye (SU 45), con i ming i s ecen dis u -
bance, apoin also e lec ed in he la ge amoun o po e y om di e en pe iods documen ed
in hese laye s.
Phase 2– Reoccupa ion on uins o Phase 3 building complex
Laye s di ec ly benea h he su ace we e, as a ule, e y poo ly p ese ed, p esumably as
a esul o bo h e osion and mo e ecen ans o ma ions lea ing o he wise li le ace. In e -
p e ing he s a ig aphy hus p esen ed achallenge o be con inued in u u e seasons when
he exca a ed a ea can be expanded. None heless, wha has been exposed hus a sugges s
se e al pe iods o eoccupa ion on he uins o he building complex o Phase 3. Ma e ial
om hese laye s clea ly includes e use and appa en ly ma e ial sca enged om ea lie
165L. MORRIS– K. TOSHALIYEV– J. MATZNEROVÁ– E. PARALOVO– J. BOBIK– J. HAVLÍK– M. KMOŠEK…
An ique -pe iod ho izons, and may sugges hese eoccupa ion ac i i ies we e concen a ed
in he ea ly pa o he Ea ly Medie al pe iod, pe haps 5 h–6 h cen u ies AD.
Fi s , unca ed laye s o deb is de i ing p ima ily om des oyed ea hen mason y (SUs
2, 32, 51, 49) o e laid and su ounded he la es de ec able emnan s o ea hen a chi ec u e,
which we e again o ypically poo quali y and ba ely p ese ed, bu p esumably oughly
coe al. This included he emnan s o wo N -Smudb ick walls (SU 50 and SU 54, he la e
adjacen o he emains o asu ace wi h adispe sed emnan s o la ge pieces o cha coal,
SU 55), and an isola ed clus e o a ew b icks ep esen ing he emains o ano he wall (SU
52, 30 × 44 × 7–8 cm).
These laye s in he no he nmos ex ension o he ench we e le o be explo ed in 2024,
while wo k in he sou h showed u he aces o ac i i y mo e di ec ly on op o he e oded
uins o he ea lie building complex o Phase 3. These included hea hs (SUs 5, 34) and pos-
sibly shallow bases o pos holes (SUs 6, 7) made in o su aces o e oded ubble (SUs 8, 38, 57,
58, 38) (Fig. 6). Benea h, he uppe pa s o he eas e nmos exposed walls o Phase 3 (SUs 12
and 71) a e pa icula ly dis u bed and illed wi h so deposi s wi h inds (e.g., a o a y que n
agmen , SF 34) sugges ing also eoccupa ion (SUs 10, 28).
Fig. 4: Final ex en o exca a ion in T ench 1 (composi e pho og amme y by M. Balbi, anno a i-
ons by L. Mo is).
Fig. 5: Sou h sec ion o T ench 1 (pho og amme y -based d awing by J. Ma zne o á).
172 STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2
Small agmen s o a hick, colou less glass objec , p obably a essel, was ound in ubble
abo e he hea h a ea (SF 38), no able o he ela i e a i y o glass essels in Cen al Asia in
he An ique pe iod. Asingle e aco a igu ine agmen depic ing an animal’shead (SF 90)
was ound in ubble in oom 1 (SU 21) (Fig. 12).
Eigh coins we e documen ed wi hin he bounds o T ench 01, being p ima ily su ace
inds ela ing o acciden al losses and e ealed h ough pos -deposi ional p ocesses (SFs 3, 8,
22, 25, 37, 43, 60, 61). The me al de ec o su ey o he epa p oduced an addi ional 39 u he
coins. All a e o a ious base me al composi ions and mo e o less co oded and di icul o
iden i y beyond issue . Ap elimina y app aisal sugges s issues anging om he second hal
o he 1s cen u y AD h ough a leas he 4 h cen u y AD. These include, o example, Heliocles
imi a ions (SF 88), ‘So e Megas’ issues (SF 57), issues o he ‘G ea Kushans’ (SF 65), imi a ions
(e.g., o Kanishka II) min ed du ing he Kushano -Sasanian pe iod (SF 115), and issues o he
ea ly Kida i e pe iod (SF 99).
Fig. 11: Selec ed po e y om Kulal Tepa; om su ace su ey, KT23_B14_02 (d awings by J. Bobik).

173L. MORRIS– K. TOSHALIYEV– J. MATZNEROVÁ– E. PARALOVO– J. BOBIK– J. HAVLÍK– M. KMOŠEK…
CONSERVATION AND ANALYSIS OF METAL FINDS
Du ing he au umn season, a ield conse a ion labo a o y was se up in o de o ea and
documen me al inds o u he analysis. The labo a o y se up and ea men p ocedu es
la gely ollowed hose desc ibed o wo k on he ma e ial om he Da band a ea su ey in
2019 (S ančoe al. 2022, 111–113). This p ocess included pho og aphy be o e cleaning, cleaning
o a e ac s (p ima ily mechanical wi h a ious ools including sandblas ing and o a y ools,
wi h indi idual p ocedu es applied acco ding o a e ac ma e ial), applica ion o su ace
p o ec ion ma e ials acco ding o ma e ial (e.g., ac ylic lacque , p ese a i e wax, anna e),
and inal documen a ion (pho og aphy, weighing and dimension measu emen s). Elemen al
composi ional analysis o he su aces o hese inds was also pe o med wi h apo able X - ay
luo escence (pXRF) spec ome e Del a P o essional. The esul s o his analysis will be pub-
lished sepa a ely when he analysis o he p ojec ’sma e ial om 2023 and 2024 is concluded.
In conjunc ion wi h composi ional da a o me al inds om he expedi ion’spas ieldwo k
ac i i ies, his da ase will con ibu e o ou unde s anding o changes in me allu gical p ac-
ice and echnologies, including in coinage p oduc ion.
Fig. 12: Selec ed small inds (pho os by J. Ma zne o á, A. Ho a).
174 STUDIA HERCYNIA XXVIII/2
CONCLUSION
This epo has p esen ed he Kulal Tepa A chaeological P ojec o he Czech-Uzbekis ani
A chaeological Expedi ion and he p elimina y esul s o he i s season o a chaeological
exca a ion a Kulal Tepa in au umn 2023. We ocused on he ele a ed no hwes e n sec o
o he epa, whe e we laid T ench 1. He e, unde su ace laye s indica ing ecen subs an ial
ans o ma ions (Phase 1), we ound somewha poo ly p ese ed e idence o successi e
pe iods o eoccupa ion ac i i ies (Phase 2), which pe haps occu ed p ima ily in he 5 h–6 h
cen u ies AD o he Ea ly Medie al pe iod. These ac i i ies ook place on he ela i ely well-
-p ese ed uins o ala ge building complex ha appea s o ha e been cons uc ed and used
wi hin he 3
d
–4
h
cen u ies AD, i.e., he Kushano -Sasanian/La e An ique pe iod (Phase 3). The
exposed ea u es o his building included pa o an inne building, co e ed passageway, and
u ili y a ea wi h cooking and s o age acili ies, and one oom ea u ed modes deco a ion.
This building appea s o ep esen he lowe s o ey o a he eli e esiden ial p emises, and is
opog aphically ela ed o he no hwes e n ele a ed sec o o he epa, meaning ha i held
adominan place on he si e du ing wha appea s o be i s las majo building phase. The indi-
ca ions o majo ans o ma ion o he si e du ing he 3 d–4 h cen u ies a e in good acco dance
wi h da a ob ained du ing he i s season o he su ey componen o he p ojec in au umn
2023 (Ha líke al. 2024). These da a a es o subs an ial de elopmen o he mic o -oasis a
he same ime ( ep esen ed by acon inuous a e ac sca e o ca. 80 ha), including adense
sca e o ma e ial on aco e Kulal Tepa– Tig man Tepa zone o ca. 4 ha, which may sugges
he exis ence o in ensi e, coe al se lemen ac i i y he e connec ed di ec ly wi h he epa.
Finds om he exca a ion and su ace collec ion (including ame al de ec o su ey) a es
o ala ge and di e se ce amic epe oi e, a ious p oduc ion ac i i ies a he si e and/o i s
icini y – pe haps some me al p oduc ion, g ain p ocessing, ib e p ocessing, and ex ile p o-
duc ion– and access o and use o some o namen s, special con aine s, e aco a igu ines, and
coined money (47, a leas da ing om he 1s –4 h cen u ies AD). The ma e ial o e all sugges s
ha he his o ical occupa ion o he epa ell p ima ily be ween he 1s –6 h cen u ies AD, bu
a ew scan inds (like he wo ish pla e im agmen s picked up on he epa’ssu ace) may
sugges asligh ly ea lie ounda ion. This o e all co esponds well wi h he su ey da a and
pas collec ed ma e ial (Ha líke al. 2024), which sugges ha he alley had been s eadily
occupied in he An ique and Ea ly Medie al pe iods, wi h peaks o mo e in ensi e ac i i y.
Speci ically, a e he sho -li ed 2nd cen u y BC se lemen o Iskanda Tepa was abandoned,
and abu ial g ound ook i s place, he eme gence o he se lemen a Kulal Tepa and he de-
elopmen o he mic o -oasis seem o ollow he same ajec o y: s eady ac i i y, subs an ial
de elopmen wi hin he 3 d–4 h cen u ies AD, and adecline in he Ea ly Medie al pe iod.
These conclusions, howe e , a e p elimina y and will be de eloped h ough he ongoing
s udy o ma e ial and ieldwo k planned in 2024. This wo k will ce ainly u he explo e
he main building complex o Phase 3, he use o o he a eas, and he si e’sde elopmen o e
ime, as well as he na u e o he co e Kulal Tepa– Tig man Tepa zone and ac i i ies in he
mic o -oasis and su ounding pla eaus.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This wo k was suppo ed by he p ojec PRIMUS/23/HUM/013 implemen ed a he Facul y o
A s, Cha les Uni e si y.
175L. MORRIS– K. TOSHALIYEV– J. MATZNEROVÁ– E. PARALOVO– J. BOBIK– J. HAVLÍK– M. KMOŠEK…
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Lau en Mo is
Jana Ma zne o á
Elena Pa alo o
Ján Bobik
Jakub Ha lík
Ma ěj Kmošek
Ma ej Lelo ič
Ins i u e o Classical a chaeology
Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y
Cele ná 20, CZ 11642
lau en.mo is@ .cuni.cz
j.ma zne o [email protected]
elena.pa alo [email protected]
[email protected]
jakub.ha lik@ .cuni.cz
ma [email protected]
ma ej.lelo [email protected]
Shapula Shaydullae
Kah amon Toshaliye
Te mez S a e Uni e si y
42, Fayzulla Khojae
Te mez, Uzbekis an, 190100
[email p o ec ed]
[email p o ec ed]