The Archaeology of Afghanistan from the Earliest Times to the Timurid Period

474 Pages·1978·67.37 MB·English

by  F. R. Allchin and Norman Hammond

The Archaeology o f Afghanistan
from earliest times
to the Timurid period
Edited by
F. R. Allchin and Norman Hammond
of
Faculty Oriental Studies,
University of Cambridge, England
Douglass College, Rutgers Unir ersitr-,
l
Keri- Jersel., U.S .A .
i
ACADEMIC PRESS
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Contributors
01' 01'
F. K. Allchin Fac.ulc~. Orienrul Srudirs, Ilnil.ersir,l. ('ornbriJ,qc, Carnhrr J'qe. Enylor~d
S. R. Ho\rlb\. Dcporrmenr o/'Gco,qrrlI~l!l~, Ur~i~.cpr.sionf. ' Rcadrny, Il'hitckniyhrs, Reudrng, bn,qlanJ
I<. S. I)a\.ics Dcparrm~~nor/ 'Anrl~ropolo~qB~9~.n, .llaw.r ('~llc~~Brc\..r l .lto~r.r,P cr~n.~~~l~0~5.a1n ra,
N. Han~mond Doug1as.s C'ollc~qe. R1rtgcr.s Ilni~.cr.sir~A~'c,~ rj. Crser. 08903, 05.4
I). W. Mac I)o\~.;lll Uni~.crsir~C.'o llc.,ge, Durhanl, 1~1~~lar~tl
J. G. Shafti~l- Oepartmrnr of' .inthropolocql~.c ast Il'estern Reser~,cl lnr~~er,sC~'~lcl~~~. elar~Odh,r n
44 106, lJS.4
M. Tad(lci Isrituro Unil.rr.ritrlrio Oricntal~,.8 0134 Muplcs. Ira!~
K. FiscI1c.r I-'or.s~~l~on~sstfciIilrc Orientalisc-11c E;ur~st~qe.s(-/]I(-hUrcn. i~,cr.sitat Bonn, Ilr~r~.ersirurs
Hut~pte~q~.h;i~fIili'ces, r/liigcl, Gcrnwny
Preface
In producing this book we owe thanks to many, and apologies to a few,. Our thanks arc clue to
all those scholars, and their publishers, who have frcclv allowcd us to use illustrations: thcv
are listed below, but should anv due acknowlcdgcment have been inadv~rt~ntolvm itted \vc
shall include it in thc next printing of this book. We thank cspcciallv Joscphinc. Po\vcll for
providing not only permission but her own excellent prints, and Lcn Morle~fo r making man!.
of the other prints for us. The maps in Chapter 1 were redrawn from the ackno~~.ledgcd
sources by Michael Walton, and many of the line illustrations \\.ere also reciraivn bv staff
artists at Academic Press, where Jane Duncan dcalt with all problems with \velcomc sanitv.
We would also like to acknowledge the help and encouragement given bv Louis and Nancv
Dupree, for ivhich we are specially grateful; also Dr G. Djclani Davarv for his kindness in
allowing consultation of his unpublished list of pre-Islamic inscriptions of Afghanistan; Dr M.
A. Hoffman; Dr. Peter Jackson for undertaking the historical preambles to Chapter 6 and 7;
Javed Husain for preparing the index and Dr Peter Squirc for advising us on questions of
Russian transliterations.
As editors we o\ve our authors an apology for insisting that a culture-historical rather than a
processual approach should be employed. Neither of us is opposed to the latter, but in
presenting for the first time a synthesis of a region's archaeologv \ve felt that maximum
attention should be given to the presentation of basic information. Had thc book been of
limitless length \i-e should have included \vith pleasure a processual discussion in each
chapter: as it \vas, we were forced to cut heavilv the length of sornt, chapters.
Acknowledgements
Every attcmpt has been made to obtain permission and ackno\l-ledge thc use of illustrations: if
there has been anv inadvertent omission the editors offer their apologies; and \\.ill rcctifv the
omission in the next printing. Thev \+.ish to thank the follo\i.ing for permission to use
materials for the figures listed:
H. Bcrcns, Figs 7.9, 7.10; R. Biscione, Figs 3.54-55; British Museunl London, Figs 7.29,
7.31 ; J-M. Casal, Figs 3.5-3.40; Dilkgation archiologique franqaise cn Afghanistan, Figs
5.24-5.27, 5.2S31, 5.40, 5.41, 5.43;L. Dupree,Figs 1.9, 1.10, 1.12, 1.13;2.2,2.3,
2.14-17; 3.4, 3.50; W. A. Fairservis, Figs 3.52-53; Editor, .!jjhun Studies, Fig. 5.32; B.
Glatzer, Fiqs 6.3638; W. Hcl-bcrg, Figs 6.2G22; J. Humlum, Figs 1.3-5, 1.7; India Office
. . .
Vlll PREFACE
Library, Fig. 7.17; M. Klinkott, Fig. 7.5; M. Lalande Figs 7.1, 7.2; J. Powell, Figs 6.7,
6 . ~ 1 46,. 1619, 6.23-27, 6.32, 6.40, 6.41, 7.3, 7.22, 7.24, 7.25, 7.27, 7.32; Kyoto
University, Fig. 5.60; Royal Asiatic Society, London Fig. 7.30; V. I. Sarianidi, Fig. 3.56; D.
Schlurnberger, Figs 4.25, 5.35; V. Thewalt, Figs 6.3, 6.4, 7.1 5; R. Wardak, Fig. 3.51; D.
Whitehouse, Fig. 4.34.
Other illustrations are provided by the authors and editors.
Raymond Allchin
Norman Hammond
Contents
Preface
List of illustrations .
Introduction
NORMAN HAMMOND and RAYMOND ALLCHIN .
1
The Geographical Background
SOPHIA R. BOWLBY .
Climate and climatic change .
Natural resources for subsistence
The high mountains .
The mountains and foothills
The plains and lowlands .
The Amu-darva and Helmand-Seistan valleys .
The deserts .
Present patterns of subsistence .
Agriculture .
Nomads
Opportunities for trade .
Summary
2
The Palaeolithic
RICHARD S. DAVIES .
Brief history of palaeolithic research in Afghanistan
Initial occupation of Afsghanista~TheL ower Palaeolithic .
Middle Palaeolithic .
Sites .
Carbon- 14 determinations .
Discussion
The Latc Palaeolithic .
Sites .
Carbon- 14 determinations .
Kara Kamar 111
X CONTENTS
Thc. Epi-Palacolithic
Sunilnary
Kcccnt finds .
3
The Later Prehistoric Periods
JIM G. SHAFFER .
Introduction .
Dc\.elopment of domesticates .
The "Goat Cult" Neolithic .
The sedentary agriculturists .
Development of stratified society
.
Ghar-i-Mar
Southern Afghanistan .
Mundigak .
Said Qala Tepc
Deh Morasi Ghundai.
The Hclmand Seistan sites .
External rclationships .
Mundigak: Periods 1-11 .
Mundigak: Period 111.
Mundigak: Period IV
Mundigak: Period V .
Northern Afghanistan .
Akchanian sites
External relationships .
Later Afghan prehistory: a reflection .
4
The Early Historic Period: Achaemenids and Creeks
D. W. MAC DOWALL and M. TADDEl .
Historical background .
The Achaemenid Empire .
Alcxantler the Great and his successors
The Graeco-Ractrians
Yueh-chi and Saka invaders
The Indo-Parthians .
kpigraphy .
The Achacmcnids .
Inscriptions of Mauryan date .
Discojerics at Ai Khanum .
Early Kharoshthi inscriptions .
Numismatics . . 201
The Achac*mcnitls . . 201
Changcs tluc. to Alexander . . 203
Mauryan and Graeco-Bactrian Coinage . . 204
Yuch-chi, Sakas and Indo-Parthians . . 212
Scttlemcnt, material culturc, architecture and art. . 214
The Grcck City of Ai Khanum . . 218
5
The Pre-Muslim Period
D. W. MAC DOWALL and M. TADDEI . . 233
Historical background . . 233
The Kushans . . 233
Thc Later Kushans and Kushano-Sasanians . . 234
The Hephthalites . . 234
The Progress of Islam . . 234
Turki and Hindu Shahis . . 235
Epigraphy . . 235
The Surkh Kotal inscriptions . . 235
.
The inscription at Dasht-i-Nawar 238
Other Kharoshthi inscriptions . . 240
Later inscriptions . . 241
Numismatics . . 245
The Kushan coinages. . 245
Sasanian influences . . 248
Problem of Shahi coinagc . . 253
Settlement, material culture, architecturc and art. . 255
6
From the Rise of Islam to the Mongol Invasion
K. FISCHER .
Historical background .
The Tahirids and Saffarids .
Thc Ghaznavids
Thc Ghorids .
The Khwarizm-shahs
Thc barly muslin^ period .
Ahbasid, Ghazna\,id and Ghorid epochs
Major monuments .
Summary of Ghaznavid art .
Thc Ghorids .
xii CONTENTS
7
From the Mongols to the Mughals
K. FISCHER .
Historical background .
Later Islamic sites: Scistan
Herat .
Chazni .
Mazar-i Sharif .
Timurid works of art .
Summary of Timurid art .
Architecture .
Sculpture .
8
Conclusion
RAYMOND ALLCHIN and NORMAN HAMMOND .
Bibliography .
Index .
List of Illustrations
Introduction
1. The Great Buddhas of Hamivan .
Chapter 1
1.1. The location of Afghanistan within turasia .
1.2. Afghanistan: relief and drainage, sho\t.ing major rivers .
1.3. Annual rainfall .
1.4. January isotherms .
1.5. July isotherms .
1.6. Physiographic regions of Afghanistan .
1.7. Natural vegetation .
1.8. Bioclimatic zones .
1.9. Major cultivated areas
1.10 Principal tvpes of agricultural irrigation
I. I 1. Four levels of canals above the Ghorband ri\.er, near Charikar .
1.12. Seasonal movements of nomads .
1.13 Nomads near Kabul .
1.14. The ancient route through the Hindu Kush from Barnijpan to Kabul .
Chapter 2
2.1. Locations of Palaeolithic sites in Afghanistan .
2.2. Middle Palaeolithic in~plements( Dari-i-Kur) .
2.3. Middle Palaeolithic implements (Dara-i-Kur) . .
2.4. Kara Kamar .
2.5. Implements (Kara Kamar le\,cl 11, Late Palaeolithic).
2.6. Implements (Kara Kamar le\.el 111, Upper Paleolithic) .
2.7. In~plements( Kara Kamar, le\.el Ill, Upper Palaeolithic) .
2.8. Implements (Kara Kamar, levt.1 111, Uppcr Palaeolithic) .
2.9. Plan of Aq Kupruk she\\-ing the location of the archaeological sites .
2.10. Vie\!- of Aq Kupruk from the Wcst .
2.1 1. The Shelter of Aq Kupruk I1 .
2.12. Flint nodules ~n situ nc,ar Aq Kupruk .
2.1 3. Implrments (Aq Kupruk, Epi-Palaeolithic) .
2.14. In~plements( Aq Kupruk, Epi-Palacolithic) .