Remote sensing and study of topographic maps : A preparatory phase of intensive surface survey in the middle Surkhan Darya basin (southern Uzbekistan)
Abstract
Despite its strategic location on the North-South axis of Northern Bactria, middle Surkhan Darya basin escaped archaeologists' bigger attention so far, and evidence on the past settlement is limited almost completely on the results of soviet period extensive prospections (60'-70' of 20th century) and several small scale excavations in the area. The poster presents methods of combined study of soviet military maps and archaeological remote sensing, which precedes the intended intensive surface survey in the hinterland of polycultural site of Khaytabad Tepa.
Combination of systematic remote sensing and surface survey is so far employed rather rarely in Central Asia. The poster evaluates potential of such an approach in the study of Central Asian cultural landscape.