A city and its landscape across time: Samarkand in the ancient Sogdiana (Uzbekistan)

Samarkand, a pivotal city along the ancient Silk Road, experienced significant urban growth and landscape transformation, particularly during the post-Hellenistic period (3rd-1st centuries BCE) and before the Arab conquest in the early 8th century CE. This study reveals that its development was intricately linked to the exploitation of its territory, with a complex irrigation system supporting extensive farming and daily-life activities in the floodplain, while rain-fed foothills served as pastures. Using GIS remote sensing and field validation, researchers reconstructed Samarkand's urban evolution, identifying key archaeological features such as anthropic mounds, canals, and burials to map land use and resource exploitation over time.

Mantellini, S. (2017). A city and its landscape across time: Samarkand in the ancient Sogdiana (Uzbekistan) [JB]. Archeologia e Calcolatori, 28(2), 333–342. https://doi.org/10.19282/ac.28.2.2017.26