Abstract:The history of the civilizations of the oases of Bukhara and Qaraqöl (south-eastern Uzbekistan) since the Neolithic in relation to environmental changes is studied by the French/Uzbekistan Archaeological Mission in Bukhara 1 following pioneering Russian studies 2 . Using a methodology tested in Afghanistan, the geoarchaeological side of the program focused on the drawing of a regional geomorphological map then on the identification, mapping and dating of the paleochannels of the river Zerafshan. We established the chronology of several generations of fluvial channels in relation to archaeological settlements of different eras (Early Neolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Islamic period) and with optically stimulated luminescence dating of alluvial deposits. Based on preliminary results of these OSL dates we propose and discuss a regional environmental reconstruction. We hypothesize that the main cause of avulsion could be catastrophic floods generated by collapse of natural dams in the upper part of the Zerafshan River.

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This article attempts a long-term perspective on cities and water from Late Antiquity to the early Islamic centuries (until ca. 1000 CE). It focuses on the question of how cities and their agricultural hinterland were supplied with water. The topography of the site, its geomorphological features, are shown to influence both the setup and subsequent history of the cities. The article uses two sets of examples, one chosen from the Iranian plateau where qanāt irrigation predominates, and the other one from Persianate Central Asia (Transoxiana), where water is derived from larger and medium-sized rivers. The type of irrigation influences the ways in which the city grows, and more generally, the layout of the city is also determined by the water supply. Cities tend to grow towards the source of water, and it can also be observed that in many cases, the political and administrative centre is located where the best water is available. One of the major questions is whether imperial will was behind the construction of irrigation systems or whether local players such as landlords were the decisive factor.The article combines archaeological research and the study of textual sources but is mostly based on recent archaeological fieldwork.