Divergent Paths, Shared Histories: Examining Archaeological Trends from the Caucasus to Mongolia

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Divergent Paths, Shared Histories: Examining Archaeological Trends from the Caucasus to Mongolia" at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Two decades ago, archaeologists conducting research in the sphere of influence of the former Soviet Union faced similar challenges and were often united(ish) in their approaches to the region. More recently, as we have faced a variety of natural, social, and historical environments, our paths have seemingly diverged. This session concentrates on current research from the archaeology of the Caucasus and Mongolia, two opposite sides of the region often defined as Eurasia. These research areas, while historically linked in many ways, are also very distinct. In this session, we compare and contrast current research from the Caucasus and Mongolia, highlighting the ongoing similarities and differences in an effort to understand a broader vision of archaeological research in Eurasia. Papers in this session will present new data and ask in which ways our various theories and data can inform research taking place on the steppe, broadly exploring if Eurasian archaeology is still a meaningful designation