Kyrgyz archaeo blog

A brief history of Archaeology in Southern Kyrgyzstan

A brief history of Archaeology in Southern Kyrgyzstan

Turkestan times Contrary to the prevailing opinion that archeology developed in Central Asia during the Soviet Empire, the first researchers (more ethnographic than archaeological) visited the eastern part of the Ferghana basin and southern Kyrgyzstan already at the end of the 19th century. At its end, the Ferghan basin became the subject of interest ofRead more about A brief history of Archaeology in Southern Kyrgyzstan[…]

Photos by Stephen Graham – Kyrgyzstan before the Great War

Photos by Stephen Graham – Kyrgyzstan before the Great War

Stephen Graham was a British journalist and traveler writing for “The Times” and “Country life” spending his early adult years in Central Asia (“Turkestan”). From the bunch of works he published before and during the Great War three are most interesting from my point of view: A Vagabond in the Caucasus (1911), , Undiscovered RussiaRead more about Photos by Stephen Graham – Kyrgyzstan before the Great War[…]

Some reflections on colonialism – the case of Kyrgyzstan.

Some reflections on colonialism – the case of Kyrgyzstan.

In his famous book “Modern Times: A History of the World from the 1920s to the 1980s“, Paul Johnson made some interesting reflections on colonialism and the “white man’s burden”. He argues that a simple and cheap interpretation of colonialism as a tool for vacuuming resources from underdeveloped landscapes does not reflect reality – in many cases colonies were more prestigious and some colonies were even the target of large-scale infrastructure investments – such as railways in India, Congo roads, ports in Malaysia etc… Read more about Some reflections on colonialism – the case of Kyrgyzstan.