Chronological Study of the Early Iron Age Archaeological Cultures in the Surkhan-Sherabad Valley

The Surkhan-Sherabad Valley, located in southern Uzbekistan, served as a crucial corridor for population movements and cultural exchanges between the East and West, as well as the North and South. Since 1954, archaeologists such as Masson, Askarov, and Lhuillie have conducted excavations and chronological research on a series of Early Iron Age sites in Central Asia, including Yaz-tepa, Kuchuktepa, and Koktepa. Through archaeological stratigraphy, typological analysis of pottery and bronze artifacts, and radiocarbon dating, scholars have established a chronological framework for the Early Iron Age archaeological cultures in Central Asia. This paper reviews previous studies and incorporates new data obtained during the 2023 archaeological survey of the Surkhan-Sherabad Valley by the China-Uzbekistan Surkhan Joint Archaeological Team, along with updated radiocarbon dating results. Based on this, the chronology of the Early Iron Age archaeological cultures in the Surkhan-Sherabad Valley has been revised: Kuchuk I-II 1400–1000 BCE; Kuchuk III 1000–800 BCE. This study traces settlement development in Surkhan-Sherabad Valley from Kuchuk I-IV. Kuchuk I-II saw sites like Kuchuktepa and Bandikhan I emerge. Kuchuk III saw an expansion with new fortified settlements. In Kuchuk IV defensive features intensified, and the cultural center shifted northward, reflecting the dynamic development of Surkhan-Sherabad Valley.

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