KARAKALPAK-AU S TRALIAN EXCAVATION S IN ANC IENT CHORASMIA, 2001-2005: INTERIM REPORT ON THE FORTIFICATIONS OF KAZAKL'I-YAIKAN AND REGIONAL SURVEY By A.Y.G. Betts,a V.N. Yagodin,u S.W. Helms,u G. Khozhaniyazov,b S. Amirovb and M. Negus-Clearyu aUniversity of Sydney, bUzbek Academy of Sciences Abstract This article presents the interim results of the Karakalpak-Australian excavations for the years 20012005 atlhe site of Kazakl'i-yatkan in north-western Uzbekistan. Data is presented on the construction and absolute chrono- logy ofthe fortifications and an architectural survey of contemporary standing monuments in the region. KazakJ'i- yatkan was a major site in the delta of the Amu-dar'ya and was possibly at one time a regional capital. A series of C14 dates has shown that the site was established around the late third century BC and abandoned probably at some time in the second century AD. The regularity of the fortifications suggests a planned layout, but their efficacy was seriously hampered by inefficient design. The site suffered a major siege in the fust century BC, but subsequently recovered and the fortifications were repaired. The identity ofthe attackers is as yet undetermined. KeWords Khorezm; fortifi cations; military architecture; chronology; regional survey I.INTRODUCTION The Karakalpak-Australian Archaeological Expedition has been engaged in its excavation and exploration programme.in the Tash-k'irman oasis since 1995. This second interim report gives a preliminary account of the findings in the years from 2001 to 2005.t The aim of the research progrumme is to follow on from the work of the Khorezrn (Chorasmian) Archaeological Expedi- tion founded by S.P. Tolstov in the 1930s to reconstruct the history of an historical land unique within Central Asia, one that lay at the very edges of the ancient set- tled world and the existence of which was reliant for most of its history on relations with the nomads of the Eurasian steppes (Fig. 1). Work has been focused on two sites: Tash-k'irman-Iepe, a regional religious com- plex centred around a fire temple; andKazakl'i-yatkan (Akcha-khan-kales i), a large fortifi ed enclosure that may have been a regional capital from the late first millen- I For the first interim report see Helms el a/. 2001. While every attempt at consistency has been made with regard to transliteration, there may be some discrepancies between the contributions ofthe various authors. IranXLYll2009,33-55 O 2009 The British Institute ofPersian Studies nium BC into the early "Kushan" period.z The histori- cal background concerning ancient Chorasmia has been discussed in previous reports.3 This report presents data on the construction and absolute chronology of the for- tifications at Kazakl'i-yatkan and architectural survey of contemporary standing monuments in the region. II. KAZAKL'I-YATKAN (AKCHA-KHAN-KALESD Kazakl'i-yatkan consists of a Lower and an Upper Enclosure, covering an area of up to 56-ha (Fig. 2). Following on the work of previous seasons, excava- tions from 2001 to 2004 continued to concentrate on the eastern fortifications of the Upper Enclosure and the conjunction of the Upper and Lower Enclosures at the centre of the north side of the site. Based on the existing ceramic based chronology for Choras- mia, Kazakl'i-yatkan could have been founded in the fourth century BC. However, this has not yet been confirmed by C14 analysis which so far gives a general indication of a foundation date in the late third to early second centuries BC. See Table I and 11.4. Chronologtbelow. Helms and Yagodrn 1997;Helms et al.200l;2002.