Archaeological and archaeometric characterisation of ceramics from Central Asia. Production, distribution and technology, a sub-project within the coordinated project Assessing Ancient Complex Societies from Central Asia through ceramics. Between nomadic and sedentary traditions from the Bronze Age to Islam (CERAC)
Supervision: Verónica Martínez Ferreras, Universitat de Barcelona (Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.)
Funding: Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), R&D&I research projects PID2020-114096GB-C21 (2021-2025) and PID2024-157190NB-C21 (2025-2028)
Abstract:
This project investigates archaeological ceramics and pottery production centres across various sites in ancient Bactria and other peripherical regions in Central Asia, with the aim of advancing knowledge about the diverse cultures inhabiting this area from the Bronze Age to the Islamic period, examining the links with Mediterranean cultures. Building on research conducted by the team since 2006, the research has resulted in the study of various pottery workshops in northern Bactria and Sogdiana, and the creation of a unique archaeological and archaeometric database in the region and worldwide, comprising data from approximately 1,100 ceramics from more than twenty sites in Central Asia, primarily in Uzbekistan. These ceramics are attributed to cultures and periods including the Bronze Age BMAC and Andronovo, the Iron Age Yaz culture, major empires of Antiquity (Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Seleucid, Kushan, Sassanian, and Islamic), as well as nomadic steppe peoples (Saka, Yuezhi, Sarmatians, and Huns). The multidisciplinary methodological approach applied integrates archaeological data, geophysical surveys, morphological studies, archaeometric analyses of ceramic pastes and surface coatings using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, palaeomagnetic and radiocarbon dating, and computer simulation. The main objectives are:
1) to identify previously unknown or uncertain ceramic production areas in Bactria by locating kilns and workshops through geomagnetic survey and to simulate kiln function and efficiency using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models.
2) to develop chrono-typological serialisations of ceramics—currently lacking—by formally and stylistically categorising all functional categories, which will standardise inventory, classification, dating, and inter-site comparison processes.
3) to implement archaeometric characterisation of ceramics to identify provenance, assess technological manufacturing patterns (raw material selection and processing, modelling, finishing, decoration, and firing techniques), and to provide insights into production processes (craft organization and specialisation, raw material availability, operational chains), use and function (thermal and mechanical properties, performance characteristics), and distribution (trade and exchange) within their chronological, environmental, economic, political, and socio-cultural contexts.
4) to contribute to the absolute dating of ceramics and pottery workshops in Central Asia by expanding the current dataset of radiocarbon (14C) dates and applying palaeomagnetism (implementing the secular variation curve for Central Asia over the past 4,000 years, significant for both geophysics and archaeology as a dating technique).
Integrating and analysing these datasets will advance understanding of the historical-cultural entities that inhabited Central Asia from the Bronze Age through the Islamic period, shedding light on their cultural traditions, interactions, continuity, transformation, or collapse in response to shifting political, economic, social, and cultural scenarios that occurred in this territory during the period considered.
Some references:
Pottery production and distribution in ancient Bactria
Bestetti, M.M., Martínez Ferreras, V., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., 2025. Multidisciplinary approach to the study of tableware and common wares from Early Medieval Tokharistan. Heritage, 8: 65, https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020065.
Bestetti, M.M., Martínez Ferreras, V., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Jiménez Salvador, J.L. 2022. Early Medieval coarse wares from northern Bactria-Tokharistan. Archaeological and archaeometric characterization, Archaeological Research in Asia, 31: 100386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100386
Fusaro, A., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Ariño Gil, E., Uribe Agudo, P., Angás, J., Pidaev, S.R. 2022. Islamic ancient Termez: An active and long-established ceramic manufacturing centre along the silk road. Archaeological Research in Asia, 31: 100375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100375.
Luneau, E.; Martínez Ferreras, V., Abdykanova, A., Tabaldiev, K., Motuzaite Matuzeviciute, G. 2022. Assessing variability in the Andronovo ceramic production of northern Kyrgyzstan in the light of social complexity, economy and mobility. Eurasia Antiqua, 24: 25–55. ISSN: 0949-0434.
Luneau, E., Martínez Ferreras, V., Boroffka, N., Sverchkov, L., 2022. Archaeometric investigations of the Molali pottery complex (Bronze Age, Uzbekistan): New data on technology and exchanges at the end of the Oxus Civilization, Archaeological Research in Asia, 31: 100392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100392.
Stančo, L., Martínez Ferreras, V., Kysela, J. 2022. Pottery of the steppe piedmonts of the Bactro-Sogdian borderlands: The case of Iskandar Tepa (mid-end – 1st c. BC), Archaeological Research in Asia, 31: 100373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100373.
Luneau, E., Martínez Ferreras, V., Abdykanovad, A., Tabaldiev, K., Motuzaite Matuzeviciute, G., 2020. The first combined archaeological and archaeometric analyses on Bronze Age pottery from Kyrgyzstan (Uch Kurbu site), Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 31: 102302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102302.
Martínez Ferreras, V., Fusaro, A., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Ariño-Gil, E., Pidaev, S.R., Angourakis, A. 2020. The Islamic ancient Termez through the lens of ceramics: A New Archaeological and Archaeometric Study, Iran. J. British Institute of Persian Studies, 58(2): 250–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2019.1572430.
Molera, J., Martínez Ferreras, V., Fusaro, A., Gurt Esparraguera, Gaudenzia, M., Pidaev, S.R., Pradell, T. 2020. Islamic glazed wares from ancient Termez (southern Uzbekistan). Raw materials and techniques. Journal of Archaeological Sciences Reports, 29: 102169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102169.
Fusaro, A., Martínez Ferreras, V., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Angourakis, A., Pidaev, S.R., Baratova, L. 2019. Islamic pottery from ancient Termez (Uzbekistan): new archaeological and archaeometric data, Archéosciences, 43(2): 249–264. https://doi.org/10.4000/archeosciences.7077.
Martínez Ferreras, V., Angourakis, A., Hein, A., Aulinas Juncà, M., Garcia-Vallés, M., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Ariño-Gil, E., Sánchez del Corral, A., Pidaev, S.R. 2019. Assessing cultural patterns in ancient Termez (Uzbekistan) through the pottery: from the Hellenistic tradition to the nomadic influences, Geoarchaeology, 34: 540–564. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21714.
Martínez, V., Angourakis, A., Hein, A., Gurt, J.M., Sverchkov, L.M., Sánchez del Corral, A. 2018. Pottery in Hellenistic tradition from ancient Bactria: The Kurganzol fortress (Uzbekistan, Central Asia). Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 21: 1044–1054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.11.049.
Martínez Ferreras, V., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Hein, A., Pidaev, S.R., Rtveladze, E.V., Bolelov, S.B. 2016. Tableware in the Hellenistic tradition from the city of Kampyr Tepe in ancient Bactria (Uzbekistan). Archaeometry, 58(5): 736–764. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12199.
Tsantini, E., Martínez Ferreras, V., Ariño Gil, E., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M.; Pidaev, S.R. 2016. Pottery production in the Buddhist communities in Central Asia: The Kushan-Sassanian pottery workshop of Kara Tepe (Termez, Uzbekistan). Archaeometry, 58(1): 35–56; https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12161.
Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Ariño Gil, E., Martínez Ferreras, V., Pidaev, S.R. 2015. The Buddhist occupation of Tchingiz Tepe (Termez, Uzbekistan) in the Kushan period through the ceramic contexts. Archaeological Research in Asia 3, 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2015.04.003.
Martínez Ferreras, V., Ariño Gil, E., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Pidaev, S.R. 2014. The enclosure of Tchingiz Tepe (ancient Termez, Uzbekistan) during the Kushan and Kushan-Sassanian periods. Archaeological stratigraphy and 14C dating analyses. Iranica Antiqua, 49: 413–474. https://doi.org/10.2143/IA.49.0.3009247.
Central Asia palaeomagnetism
Bonilla-Alba, R., Gómez-Paccard, M., Pavón-Carrasco, F. J., Chauvin, A., Beamud, E., Martínez-Ferreras, V., Gurt-Esparraguera, J. M., Luneau, E., Osete, M. L. 2025. Geophysical insights from the first geomagnetic field absolute intensity curve for central Asia (2200 BCE–2000 CE), and implications for archaeomagnetic dating. Scientific Reports, 15: 39381. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-23570-2.
Bonilla-Alba, R., Gómez-Paccard, M., Pavón-Carrasco, F.J., Campuzano, S.A., Beamud, E., Martínez Ferreras, V., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Ariño-Gil, E., Martín-Hernández, F., Osete, M.L. 2024. First full‐vector archeomagnetic data from Central Asia (3 BCE to 15 CE centuries): Evidence for a large non-dipole field contribution around. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 129. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB027910.
Bonilla-Alba, R., Gómez-Paccard, M., Pavón-Carrasco, F.J., del Río, J., Beamud, E., Martínez-Ferreras, V., Gurt-Esparraguera, J.M., Ariño-Gil, E., Palencia-Ortas, A., Martín-Hernández, F., Chauvin, F.A., Osete, M.L. 2021. Rapid Intensity Decrease During the Second Half of the First Millennium BCE in Central Asia and Global Implications. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126(10). https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB022011.
Paleoenvironmental analysis and remote sensing
Piqué Huerta, R.; Gurt Esparraguera, J.M.; Martínez Ferreras, V.; Ariño Gil, E.; Portero, R.; Uribe Agudo, P., 2024. Firewood exploitation in the Amu Darya valley of Uzbekistan from ca. 300 BCE to ca. 1400 CE. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 60: 104837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104837
Ariño Gil, E., Uribe Agudo, P., Angás, J., Piqué, R., Portero, R., Martínez Ferreras, V., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M. 2023. Adaptive dynamics of settlement models in the urban land-scape of Termez (Uzbekistan), from c. 300 BCE to c. 1400 CE. Land, 12(8): 1550. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081550.
Portero, R., Ariño Gil, E., Elorza, M., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Martínez Ferreras, V., 2022. Zooarchaeology of ancient Termez (Uzbekistan): from the Greco-Bactrian period to Islamic times, Archaeological Research in Asia, 31: 100384.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100384.
Portero, R., Fusaro, A., Piqué, R., Gurt Esparraguera, J.M., Elorza, M., Gabriel, S., Pidaev, S.R. 2021. The Environment in the Islamic City of Termez (Uzbekistan): Zooarchaeology and Anthracology of a 9th-century tannūr, Journal of Islamic Archaeology, 8(1): 18827. https://doi.org/10.1558/jia.18827.
