The Settlement Pattern in Central Asia during the Early Iron Age

Abstract

Around 1500 BCE, a major cultural, economic and ideological shift occurred in southern Central Asia, leading to the disappearance of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC) and to the emergence of the Iron Age. One of its most impressive consequences was a radical transformation of the settlement pattern, with settlements fragmenting, small villages replacing large proto-urban sites and spreading to new areas. Due to the history of research in southern Central Asia, only a few Iron Age settlements have been excavated, but three ongoing digs are shedding new light on this period: those at Dzharkutan and Burgut Kurgan, both in Uzbekistan, and at Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan. Based on these examples, this paper aims to characterise the Early Iron Age settlement pattern, and to improve our understanding of this transformation, especially in relation to the stratigraphy and the evolution of the economy.