25 Sep

Atilla Vatansever Posted in archaeology No comments

A New Partnership Beneath the Sacred Mountain of Sulaiman-Too

The beginning of September brought one of the most important developments of the year for CARS. In Osh, we signed a cooperation agreement with the Sulaiman-Too National Historical and Archaeological Museum Complex. This marks the beginning of a new stage of joint work in southern Kyrgyzstan and opens the way for long-term cooperation in theRead more about A New Partnership Beneath the Sacred Mountain of Sulaiman-Too[…]

08 Aug

Atilla Vatansever Posted in archaeology No comments

Written in the Soil: New Research on Prehistoric Agriculture at Ravat

A new research article entitled “Written in the soil: Record of prehistoric subsistence agriculture in semi-arid foothills of Tien Shan, SW Kyrgyzstan” has been published in the prestigious international journal CATENA. The article was written by Atilla Vatansever, Lenka Lisá, Martin Janovský, Abdinabi Kadyrov, Jakub Trubač, Jozef Chajbullin Koštial, Libor Petr, Aleš Bajer, Ivo Světlík,Read more about Written in the Soil: New Research on Prehistoric Agriculture at Ravat[…]

03 Aug

Lenka Lisá Posted in archaeology No comments

Review: Used, Reused, Broken, and Dumped: Ceramic Assemblages in Archaeological Context in the Bukhara Oasis

The archaeology of Central Asia has traditionally relied on ceramics as one of its principal chronological tools. Bruno and Puschnigg’s recent paper, Used, reused, broken, and dumped: Ceramics assemblages in archaeological context in the Bukhara Oasis – ScienceDirect however, moves beyond typology and chronology to explore a far more dynamic perspective: the biography of ceramicsRead more about Review: Used, Reused, Broken, and Dumped: Ceramic Assemblages in Archaeological Context in the Bukhara Oasis[…]

26 Jul

Lenka Lisá Posted in archaeology No comments

Review of Archaeobotanical investigations at high-elevation sites of the Pamir Mountains and Fergana foothills (Boxleitner et al., iScience 2026)

The study by Boxleitner et al. titled as Archaeobotanical investigations at high-elevation sites of the Pamir Mountains and fergana foothills: iScience presents an important contribution to our understanding of prehistoric subsistence strategies and the spread of cultivated plants across Central Asia. The combination of archaeobotanical analyses, direct AMS radiocarbon dating of plant remains and theRead more about Review of Archaeobotanical investigations at high-elevation sites of the Pamir Mountains and Fergana foothills (Boxleitner et al., iScience 2026)[…]

04 May

Jozef Chajbullin Koštial Posted in archaeology No comments

Sydyk Smadiyarov: Osh – history hidden in the streets. New book about local history.

“Osh is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. It is as old as ancient Rome.” These are the words with which Sydyk Smadiyarov, professor of history and archaeology at Osh State University, introduces his new book about this city that defines the history and culture of southern Kyrgyzstan. Today we will look atRead more about Sydyk Smadiyarov: Osh – history hidden in the streets. New book about local history.[…]

18 Feb

Lenka Lisá Posted in archaeology No comments

A Cattle Watering Place as a Source of Knowledge About the Past

We got a short overview from Petr Kočár, the main author of recently published paper in Archaeological and Antrhopological Sciences Researchers from several Czech academic institutions investigated a unique archaeological feature on the southeastern edge of the Fergana Valley in Kyrgyzstan, at the site of AkDzhar. The focus of their research was the fill ofRead more about A Cattle Watering Place as a Source of Knowledge About the Past[…]

10 Feb

Atilla Vatansever Posted in archaeology One comment

Indelible Traces in the Landscape: The Phenomenon of Kurgans in Kyrgyzstan

When driving through the high-mountain valleys of the Tian Shan or gazing at the horizons of Lake Issyk-Kul, you cannot miss them – Kurgans. These burial mounds, which have shaped the face of the Kyrgyz landscape for millennia, are not merely silent hills of earth and stone. They are fascinating open-air archives, concealing stories ofRead more about Indelible Traces in the Landscape: The Phenomenon of Kurgans in Kyrgyzstan[…]

07 Feb

Atilla Vatansever Posted in archaeology No comments

Designing the Foothills: Prehistoric Irrigation, Fields, and Rural Settlementat Ravat, South-western Kyrgyzstan

A new research article entitled “Designing the Foothills: Prehistoric Irrigation, Fields, and Rural Settlement at Ravat, South-western Kyrgyzstan” has just been published in the prestigious journal IANSA (Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica – Natural Sciences in Archaeology). The article is authored by Atilla Vatansever, Lenka Lisá, Jozef Chajbullin Koštial, Libor Petr, Aleš Bajer, Kadicha Iskandarovna Tashbaeva, and AlsuRead more about Designing the Foothills: Prehistoric Irrigation, Fields, and Rural Settlementat Ravat, South-western Kyrgyzstan[…]

21 Jan

Atilla Vatansever Posted in archaeology No comments

Where Fire Once Burned Beneath the Mountains

The latest issue of Lidé a Země (1/2026) features a new popular-science article entitled “Starověké železářství a zaniklá krajina v horách Střední Asie: tam, kde plál oheň pod horami (Ancient Iron Production and a Vanished Landscape in the Mountains of Central Asia: Where Fire Once Burned Beneath the Mountains), authored by Atilla Vatansever and LenkaRead more about Where Fire Once Burned Beneath the Mountains[…]

30 Nov

Atilla Vatansever Posted in archaeology No comments

Winds of the Steppe, Walls of the Oasis: Czech and Foreign Researchers Present New Discoveries from Central Asia

The third annual scholarly colloquium Winds of the Steppe, Walls of the Oasis: Contributions to the Archaeology and History of Central Asia (Vítr stepí, hradby oáz. Příspěvky k archeologii a historii Střední Asie) took place on 20 November 2025 at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. The traditional meeting, organised by the Institute of ClassicalRead more about Winds of the Steppe, Walls of the Oasis: Czech and Foreign Researchers Present New Discoveries from Central Asia[…]