Table Of ContentThe Oasis of Bukhara
Volume 2
Arts and Archaeology of the
Islamic World
Edited by
Margaret Graves (Indiana University)
Marcus Milwright (University of Victoria)
Mariam Rosser-Owen (Victoria and Albert Museum)
volume 17
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/aaiw
The Oasis of Bukhara
Volume 2: An Archaeological, Sociological and Historical Study
By
Rocco Rante
Florian Schwarz
Luigi Tronca
LEIDEN | BOSTON
The video impressions referred to in this book are freely available
online at http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19152869
Cover illustration: Settlement distribution and social connections in the oasis of Bukhara © R. Rante 2021
A Joint Excavation Program (mafoub) by
The Louvre Museum The Excavation Committee of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Laurence des Cars, President-Director Nicholas Grimal, President
Department of Islamic Art of the Louvre Museum The ArScAn (UMR 7041, CNRS)
Yannick Lintz, Director François Villeneuve, Director
The Academy of Sciences of Tashkent Corinne Debaine-Francfort, Director Team Asie Centrale, CNRS
Behzod Sadykovich Yuldashev, President-Director Institut für Iranistik der Österreichischen Akademie der
The Archaeological Institute of Samarkand Wissenschaften
Farkhod Maksudov, Director Florian Schwarz, Director
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022010652
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ISSN 2213-3844
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Contents
Preface vii
List of Figures viii
Introduction 1
Rocco Rante and Luigi Tronca
1 An Archaeological Pluridisciplinary Study 1
2 A Few Considerations regarding the Digital Humanities Approach 2
1 Archaeological Pluridisciplinary Activities 6
Rocco Rante and Luigi Tronca
1 Morphology of Cities 10
1.1 The Tripartite Sites 11
1.2 The Bipartite Sites 13
2 Paleodemographic Data within the Oasis 16
3 Chronology of the Oasis of Bukhara 17
3.1 Phase 1 18
3.2 Phase 2 19
3.3 Phase 3 22
3.4 Phase 4 24
3.5 Phase 5 26
3.6 Phase 6 27
4 Archaeo-Sociological Interactions: Network Analysis within the Oasis
of Bukhara 28
4.1 The Theoretical Background 28
4.2 The Methodological Background 30
4.3 Methods 33
4.4 Bipartite Sites and Tripartite Sites in Their Territorial Layout:
Some Case Examples 33
4.5 Connections between Tripartite and Bipartite Sites 35
4.6 Connections between Tripartite Sites through Main Roads 49
4.7 Connections between Tripartite Sites through Watercourses 55
2 Land behind Bukhara
Materials for a Landscape History of the Bukhara Oasis in the Long
First Millennium 60
Florian Schwarz
1 Preliminary Remarks 60
2 Historical Framework 62
2.1 Bukhara and Sogdiana: The Emergence of a Historical Landscape
in Antiquity 62
2.2 The Achaemenid and Early Post-Achaemenid Record (Late 6th to
3rd Century BCE) 62
2.3 The Earliest Chinese Evidence (2nd Century BCE to 1st Century CE) 64
2.4 A Sasanian Presence in Bukhara? 66
Excursus: Niumi/Numijkat/Nokmitan/Namit/Bukhara 69
2.5 Rising above the Horizon of the Written Record 72
2.6 Post-Han Chinese Sources: 5th to 7th Century 73
vi Contents
2.7 From Sogdic to Early Islamic 75
2.7.1 Elements of the Internal Structures of the Oasis 75
2.7.2 Tārīkh-i Bukhārā 77
2.7.3 Excursus: The Campaigns of Qutayba b. Muslim 80
2.7.4 Early Samanid Transformations 82
2.8 The Early Islamic Record Up to around 1200 CE 83
2.8.1 10th-Century Geographers 84
2.8.2 The Schematic Representation of the Districts and Main Irrigation
Arteries in the Classical Islamic Sources 84
2.8.3 Districts and Towns according to 10th-Century Geographical
Texts 87
2.8.4 The Oasis in al-Samʿānī’s Kitāb al-Ansāb 89
2.9 Mongol-Period Transformations 92
2.10 The Main Rivers and Administrative Districts in the Oasis 92
2.10.1 Rūdh-i Bukhārā/Daryā-yi Kūhak/Ḥarām Kām/Daryā-yi Qarākūl
(Lower Zarafshan) 92
2.10.2 Sluices, Bridges and Fords on the Zarafshan 93
2.10.3 Main Administrative Districts 96
3 Gazetteer of Toponyms and Settlements 101
3.1 Afshāna and Kharmītan 101
3.2 Bānab/Bānāb 103
3.3 Chargh (Shargh) and Iskijkat 104
3.4 Kakhishtuvan 108
3.5 Khāma 109
3.6 Khujādā 110
3.7 Khunbūn (West) 112
3.8 Khubūn (East) = Kārak /Kārīk- ʿAlaviyān 114
3.9 Kumijkat 115
3.10 Mughkān 120
3.11 Parkad/Barkad 122
3.12 Pinjan 125
3.13 Rāzmāz 126
3.14 Rāmish 127
3.15 Sivanj/Savinj 128
3.16 Tārāb 132
3.17 Ṭavāvīs 134
3.18 Vābkand 136
3.19 Vardāna 137
3.20 Varka 141
3.21 Zandana/Zandani 142
Conclusion 145
Bibliography 147
Index 157
Preface
This second volume devoted to the Bukhara excavations luminous critical analysis of the historical contributions
carried out by the Louvre Museum since 2009 is a contin- from the pre-Achaemenid period to the Mongols, perceiv-
uation of volume 1, which was published in 2019. It bears ing major historical phenomena in the simple evolution
witness to an innovative and broad approach to archae- of toponyms. The quality of this philological and histori-
ology in this oasis along the caravan routes between cal approach and work is evident in the completeness of
China, India and Iran. From the very beginning, Rocco this index.
Rante inscribed the research program MAFOUB (French Luigi Tronca’s sociological study that is applied to the
Archaeological Mission in Uzbekistan) in a broad ter- archaeology of the oasis territory is equally innovative.
ritorial vision, integrating the whole oasis. It thus devel- This method creates models of social interaction patterns
ops a global analysis of the territory and its evolution, using geomorphological studies. Through this theoretical
which starts with a thorough study of the landscapes and analysis, he deduces exciting perspectives on the central
its morphologies. It also maps the human occupations and secondary cities: the coherence of the locations of
in small or large urban sites that evolved over time. The cities such as Romitan or other centres of power in the
sequence considered is long, searching for data from pre- delta between the main rivers of Zerafshan in the south
history to the Islamic period, sometimes including the and Khitfar in the north. He also poses hypotheses on the
time of Genghis Khan. necessary stages of the caravans in their rhythm of travel,
This original study continues in this volume, with the which also determined the development of urban sites
exciting collaborations of a historian (Dr Florian Schwarz) between the major centres.
and a sociologist (Dr Luigi Tronca). The historical study I am convinced that this work will become a reference
of the toponyms of the oasis testifies to the considerable tool for understanding the historical and topographical
work that has gone into analysing the ancient sources of evolution of the Bukhara Oasis.
the geographers through the precious document of the
Tārīkh-i Bukhārā. It allows Florian Schwarz to produce a Yannick Lintz
Figures
1 Satellite image of the oasis’ geographical context 25 Simple graph of tripartite sites obtained by the bipartite
(© World_Imagery 2020) 7 sites-by-tripartite sites matrix (© L. Tronca 2020) 47
2 Satellite image of the Bukhara Oasis (© World_Imagery 26 View of sites on SRTM map (© R. Rante 2020) 47
2020) 8 27 Simple graph of tripartite sites: distance of 0–36
3 The Bukhara Oasis with all settlements and watercourses kilometres (© L. Tronca 2020) 50
(© World_Imagery 2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 9 28 Simple graph of tripartite sites: distance of 0–50
4 The Bukhara Oasis with all settlements identified kilometres (© L. Tronca 2020) 50
as tripartite, bipartite and unique tepe/single tepe 29 Map showing visible mentioned sites 54
(© World_Imagery 2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 11 30 Map showing natural canals and tripartite sites 55
5 3D topography of Paykend (© Rilievi srl; R. Rante 31 Two-mode network of watercourses (blue squares) and
2018) 12 tripartite sites (red circles) (© L. Tronca 2020) 56
6 Map with tripartite sites (© World_Imagery 2020; Rilievi 32 Simple graph of watercourses obtained by the tripartite
srl; R. Rante) 13 sites-by-watercourses matrix (© L. Tronca 2020) 57
7 Topography of site 0250 (© Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 14 33 Simple graph of tripartite sites obtained by the tripartite
8 Satellite view of Uch Kulakh (© Google Earth 2013) 15 sites-by-watercourses matrix (© L. Tronca 2020) 57
9 The tripartite site and its administrative neighbours: 34 Markets/Fairs in al-Bīrūnī and Tārīkh-i Bukhārā
bipartite sites and unique tepe (© World_Imagery 2020; (© F. Schwarz 2020) 77
R. Rante) 18 35 Al-Narshakhī’s settlement layers: overview (© F. Schwarz
10 Settlement distribution in Phase 1 (© World_Imagery 2020) 79
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 19 36 Al-Narshakhī’s settlement layers: oasis (© F. Schwarz
11 Map with tripartite and bipartite sites, 1893 Map 2020) 80
watercourses (© World_Imagery 2020; R. Rante) 20 37 Qutayba’s campaigns (© F. Schwarz 2020) 81
12 Settlement distribution in Phase 2 (© World_Imagery 38 Schematic map of rivers after Iṣṭakhrī (© F. Schwarz
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 21 2020) 87
13 Map with tripartite and bipartite sites (© World_Imagery 39 Schematic map after al-Samʿānī (© F. Schwarz 2020) 91
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 21 40 Zarafshan with bridges (© F. Schwarz 2020) 94
14 Settlement distribution in Phase 3 (© World_Imagery 41 Districts (© F. Schwarz 2020) 95
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 22 42 Map showing toponyms of gazetteer
15 3D reconstruction of Ramitan in Phase 3 (© Lauren (© F. Schwarz 2020) 100
Sanchez; R. Rante 2018) 23 43 Digital Terrain Model of site 330 (Afshana?) © Rilievi srl,
16 The site of Paykend in Phase 3 (© Rilievi srl; R. Rante 2020 102
R. Rante) 24 44 Digital Terrain Model of Banab (site 0567) © Rilievi srl,
17 Settlement distribution in Phase 4 (© World_Imagery R. Rante 2020 103
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 25 45 Digital Terrain Model of Khama (site 0012) © Rilievi srl,
18 3D reconstruction of Ramitan in Phase 4 (© Lauren R. Rante 2020 109
Sanchez; R. Rante) 26 46 Digital Terrain Model of Khujada (site 0149) © Rilievi srl,
19 Settlement distribution in Phase 5 (© World_Imagery R. Rante 2020 111
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 27 47 Digital Terrain Model of Khunbun (site 0040) © Rilievi
20 Settlement distribution in Phase 6 (© World_Imagery srl, R. Rante 2020 112
2020; Rilievi srl; R. Rante) 28 48 Map showing the location of Bamijkath
21 Map showing the mentioned sites and their social (© F. Schwarz 2020) 117
network (© R. Rante 2020) 34 49 Map showing Kumijkath (“Bamijkath”) and its settlement
22 Two-mode network of tripartite (blue squares) and environment (© R. Rante 2020) 118
bipartite (red circles) sites (© L. Tronca 2020) 36 50 Satellite view of Mughkan (site 271?)
23 Simple graph of bipartite sites obtained by the bipartite (© World_Imagery 2020) 121
sites-by-tripartite sites matrix (© L. Tronca 2020) 39 51 Map showing the western tūmāns of the oasis
24 View of sites on SRTM map (© R. Rante 2020) 44 (© F. Schwarz 2020) 122
Figures ix
52 Digital Terrain Model of Parkad/Barkad (site 0944) 56 Digital Terrain Model of Sivanj/Savinj (site 0231) © Rilievi
© Rilievi srl, R. Rante 2020 123 srl, R. Rante 2020 129
53 Properties around Parkad/Barkad mentioned in the 57 Digital Terrain Model of Tarab (site 0043) © Rilievi srl,
vaqfiyyas CGA 323.1429 (1299 CE) and 1297 (1569 CE or R. Rante 2020 132
earlier) (© F. Schwarz 2020) 125 58 Digital Terrain Model of Vardana (site 0084) © Rilievi srl,
54 Digital Terrain Model of Pinjan (site 0275) © Rilievi srl, R. Rante 2020 138
R. Rante 2020 126 59 Digital Terrain Model of Varka (site 0644) © Rilievi srl,
55 Digital Terrain Model of Ramish tepe (site 0059) R. Rante 2020 142
© Rilievi srl, R. Rante 2020 127 60 Digital Terrain Model of Zandana/Zandani (site 0083)
© Rilievi srl, R. Rante 2020 143
