PHJ № 4 (44) 2024 – E. B. Barinova. THE ROLE OF RUSSIAN AND SOVIET ORIENTAL STUDIES IN THE FORMATION OF CENTRAL ASIAN ARCHEOLOGY

E. B. Barinova. The role of Russian and Soviet oriental studies in the formation of Central Asian
archeology // Petersburg historical journal, no. 4, 2024, pp. 216–226.

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to delineate the intricate and protracted process of archaeological
investigation into ancient Central Asia by Russian and Soviet scholars up until the early 1930s. This will enable the identification of the distinctive characteristics of the formation of Central Asian archaeology. The material for analysis was derived from the findings of archaeological research conducted by various expeditions in Central Asia. In selecting research methods, the objective was to define the archaeology of Central Asia as a field of inquiry pertaining to material objects that, in conjunction with other data, can shed light on the history and way of life in ancient societies. In addition to the descriptive element, the primary methodological technique employed in the study of the archaeological investigation of ancient Central Asia by Russian and
Soviet scholars was the analysis of individual developments pertaining to the socio-economic and cultural history of the region. The period preceding the 1930s can be regarded as the inception of Central Asian archaeology. This was marked by the establishment of state committees for the study of ancient cultures (including the history of Central Asia) and the formation of independent union republics in the region. These developments stimulated the growth of the national economy and culture, while the organisation of republican departments of Sredazkomstaris played a pivotal role in the registration and protection of ancient monuments, marking the first instance of a research organisation in the Central Asian republics. The findings of the research conducted by Russian and Soviet scholars into the ancient history of Central Asia during the 1920s can be regarded as the genesis of a new academic field: the archaeology of Central Asia.

Key words: Central Asia, archeology, Tsuardel, Turkomstaris, Sredazkomstaris, Museum of Oriental Cultures, State Academy of the History of Material Culture.

Author:

Barinova, Elena Borisovna — PhD in History, Associate Professor, senior researcher, head of
the Ethnographic Research and Education Center at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia).
E-mail: BarinovaElena@rambler.ru

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