The Kulal Tepa Archaeological Project: Introduction and preliminary report for the first season of archaeological excavation, autumn 2023 (southern Uzbekistan)

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. 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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]