Syllabus
Main topics: 01 Where we are and how we start? Geography and early protohistory of Central Asia 02 Between India and Mesopotamia: Central Asia in the Bronze Age 03 Down and up: Iron Age of southern Central Asia, Yaz culture and rise of Achaemenids 04 Altai matters: Scythians of Eurasian steppe belt 05 Where a wild goat rules: Rock Art of Central Asia 06 Alexander's campaign and its consequences 07 Hellenism in Central Asia: Seleucids, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, archaeology and art 08 Far beyond a desert: Ancient Khorasmia 09 Archaeology and Art of the Kushan Empire I 10 Archaeology and Art of the Kushan Empire II 11 Gandharan art: Hellenistic influences in Central Asia and beyond 12 Long-distance trade routes: why not to speak about Silk Road? 13 The work of the Czech-Uzbek expedition in Northern Bactria, news in the Bactrian archaeology
Annotation
The main objective of the course is to acquaint students with prehistoric and early historical cultures and civilizations of Central Asia, with an emphasis on the wider context and relationship of the region to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The course starts with an introduction to the geographic characteristics of the area. Next, the lecture program focuses on individual periods and their specifics with brief introduction to Palaeolithic and
Neolithic developments, and more detailed presentation of the Bronze and Iron Age cultures (Gonur, BMAC, Yaz), including rock art (petroglyphs).
The main attention will be then paid to the analysis of the Greek-Macedonian intervention into the development of
Central Asia caused by Alexander the Great campaign. Hellenistic and Kushan period will be dealt with both from historical and archaeological perspective, putting emphasis on material culture, art, architecture and numismatics.
The course consists of lectures only. Students willing to debate selected problems of archaeology of Central Asia are welcome to take a part in the related seminar that will be organized simultaneously.