Afghan Sistan in the Bronze Age

Knowledge of the Bronze Age in eastern Iran and Afghanistan is substantial, including the well-studied sites of Shahr-i Sohkta, Nad-i Ali, and Mundigak. But a key component, the settlement pattern along the Helmand River—the major conduit that links those sites as well as being a pathway between West, South, and Central Asia-- is almost unknown.The Helmand Sistan Project, co-sponsored by the Afghan Institute of Archaeology and the American Smithsonian Institution, was the first long-term attempt to systematic survey and excavate in the lower Helmand Valley. In the field in the 1970s, its findings are only now being analyzed and published. This presentation will describe the Bronze Agesites identified by the Project along the Helmand River and how they reshape our existing knowledge of this region.The interaction between cultural, hydrological, and climatological forces will be highlighted, as well as the difficulty in dentifying and understanding Bronze Age settlement in this area. The result will be a more complete understanding of this region and its role linking the major cultural areas on all sides.