From Late Antiquity to Early Medieval Sogdiana: A Glimpse from Ming-tepa
Résumé
This article presents preliminary findings from recent excavations at Mingtepa, located approximately 20 km north-east of Samarkand. Despite its strategic position, likely controlling key routes into Sogdiana from the north-east and east, and its significant size, Ming-tepa remained largely unstudied until recent years. Initial results suggest that the site was abandoned in the late 8th century, most probably in the aftermath of the Arab–Muslim conquests. This article focuses on material culture and organic remains as key evidence for understanding how one of the political and cultural hubs of Central Asia was altered by one of the largest-scale population turnovers and political upheavals to occur in early historical times.