1. Documentation of Archaeological Sites and Monuments in Herat Province, Afghanistan

Regional Survey in Herat Province

Location

Herat is Afghanistan´s western-most province. It covers 55,00 skm and has ca 2,5 Mio inhabitants (2004). It shares borders with Iran und Turkmenistan.

Background

Regional survey with a standardized documentation of all sites discovered, including the preparation of maps and plans, and the compilation of a site catalogue. Data processing is done with AutoCAD, AutoCAD MAP, CAD Overlay, MS Access, MS Excel and Manifold.

The systematics of field work are determined by a couple of factors, including topographical particularities. Mounds are exceptional, most sites are flat and hardly visible, particularly in the heavily cultivated oasis of Herat, in the gravel zone of the piedmont, or on the top of mountains. The ground survey has to be adjusted to the law and order situation, accessibility, and extensive mine fields. Information provided by local informants is a very valuable source.

For orientation, Russian maps with a scale of 1:50,000 are used. Along with 1:300,000 maps, they are available in digital form from AIMS, Kabul. They are geo-referenced and vectorised so that GPS tracks and routes can be entered directly.

All sites visited are recorded on a pro forma with data on location, position, environment, formal criteria such as type, architectural features, finds, and preservation, accompanied by a sketch and photographs. Selected sites are mapped by GPS (extension) or in detail by hand measurements. Dating is based on architectural features, epigraphy, and finds, mostly pottery. This is difficult in the absence of glazed wares are since comparative collections, in particular for pre-Islamic sites, are not available. The data are entered into the database which also includes previously published information.

In addition to thematic maps, a site catalogue with a detailed building typology and graphic information on all aspects is in preparation.

History

The Province of Herat is ever since one of the economically and culturally important regions in Afghanistan. The surge it took during Islamic times, and particularly in the Timurid period, is reflected by the many sites and monuments, which until today mark the character of the city. However, due to the lack of archaeological research little is known about the settlement history and patterns during earlier periods. Allegedly, the city was destroyed and newly founded by Alexander the Great, but archaeological evidence elsewhere and favourable living conditions make it likely that its history is much older, dating back to at least the Bronze Age of the later 3rd millennium BC.

Objectives

The project is designed as a regional survey targeted at documenting archaeological sites and monuments from the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods. It aims at reconstructing the regional settlement history, considering changes of the environment caused by human beings or natural factors, and at investigating its participation in political and cultural networks.
The survey data directly contribute to the National Site Catalogue established by the Ministry of Information and Culture. The project further provides an opportunity for training Afghan colleagues in this particular field of research, especially the standardized documentation of sites, photography, hand measurements, and the use of computers for information storage and processing.

The need to go ahead now with the documentation of archaeological sites and monuments is underscored by the present growth of Herat and other settlements that presents a visible threat to the monuments. At the same time, the scope of illegal excavations increases dramatically, causing serious damage and destruction to archaeological sites. Their documentation is thus an important contribution to the preservation of the cultural heritage of Afghanistan.

History of Research

The chapter on the history of research and cultural development during pre-Timurid times cannot be written yet. The French archaeologists Le Berre and Gardin assembled an archaeological collection in 1952 that was lost during the civil war, their notes remained unpublished. The sites discovered by Kruglikova and Sarianidi (1976) are not really published, while Pugachenkova (1968) focussed on Islamic monuments in the vicinity of Herat. Outside the town, no larger archaeological surveys and excavations were conducted so far, and the work done focussed on monuments (Herat Bastan, in Dari; Samizay 1981).

Recent Activities

The survey, which took place from 2004 to 2006 covered districts located to the west, north, northeast and southwest of Herat. Other areas had to be left out for political reasons.

Methodology

Regional survey with a standardized documentation of all sites discovered, including the preparation of maps and plans, and the compilation of a site catalogue. Data processing is done with AutoCAD, AutoCAD MAP, CAD Overlay, MS Access, MS Excel and Manifold.
The systematics of field work are determined by a couple of factors, including topographical particularities. Mounds are exceptional, most sites are flat and hardly visible, particularly in the heavily cultivated oasis of Herat, in the gravel zone of the piedmont, or on the top of mountains. The ground survey has to be adjusted to the law and order situation, accessibility, and extensive mine fields. Information provided by local informants is a very valuable source.

For orientation, Russian maps with a scale of 1:50,000 are used. Along with 1:300,000 maps, they are available in digital form from AIMS, Kabul. They are geo-referenced and vectorised so that GPS tracks and routes can be entered directly.

All sites visited are recorded on a pro forma with data on location, position, environment, formal criteria such as type, architectural features, finds, and preservation, accompanied by a sketch and photographs. Selected sites are mapped by GPS (extension) or in detail by hand measurements. Dating is based on architectural features, epigraphy, and finds, mostly pottery. This is difficult in the absence of glazed wares are since comparative collections, in particular for pre-Islamic sites, are not available. The data are entered into the database which also includes previously published information.
In addition to thematic maps, a site catalogue with a detailed building typology and graphic information on all aspects is in preparation.

Results

While in the Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan (W. Ball 1982), 43 sites and monuments are listed for Herat Province, the new data base now comprises nearly 400 entries. The oldest site (Gu 04) belongs to the Bactrian Margiana Cultural Complex that dates back to around 2000 BC; it is the south-westernmost place discovered so far. At least eight sites date to the Historic Period, ranging between 500 BC to 600 AD. The Islamic sites belong to two major periods, the 10/11th and the 12/13th cent AD. They include small sites, large urban settlements, fortifications, and isolated monuments. The predominance of Timurid buildings in the literature mirrors a biased research that focussed on certain types of monuments in and near Herat. This distribution pattern has now to be corrected.

Cooperation / Cooperation partners

Ministry of Information and Culture, Department of Monuments and Sites, Herat
Kabul, National Institute of Archaeology in Afghanistan

Foerderung: German Foreign Office

Bibliography

Ball, W. 1982. Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan. Asie Centrale, I/II, Paris.

Kruglikova, I. T., Sarianidi, V. I. et al. 1976. Drevnyaya Baktrija, Materialy Sovetsko-Afanskoj ekspedicii 1969-1973, I. Moscow.

Pugachenkova, G. A. 1968. Les monuments peu connus d l'architecture médiévale de l'Afghanistan. Afghanistan XXI 1: 17-52.

U. Franke (Hrsg.), 2008 National Museum Herat - Areia Antiqua Through Time (Berlin).