Frontier Dynamics in the Eastern Eurasian Steppe: Examining the Unique Characteristics of Long Wall Construction and Associated Defensive Features through Archaeological Geophysics

Author(s): Bryan Hanks; Gideon Shelach-Lavi; William Honeychurch; Chunag Amartuvshin; Marc Berman

Year: 2023

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Beyond “Barbarians”: Dimensions of Military Organization at the Bleeding Edge of the Premodern State" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The eastern Eurasian steppe region was a dynamic area of contact between Chinese dynasties and pastoral nomadic communities occupying the steppe ecological zone. Between the tenth and twelfth centuries AD the situation was even more complex as the people of nomadic or seminomadic origins established dynasties that ruled over Northern China and parts of Mongolia. Recent international field research has sought to better document and understand the characteristics of long wall construction and associated clustered structures within the region and to address how and why such monumental works were created. These studies have included the use of high-resolution satellite imagery, systematic drone mapping, GIS analysis, and targeted excavation of both the wall and associated structures. This paper details the results of geophysical surveys recently undertaken as part of this research and how such approaches can assist in better understanding structured responses to frontier dynamics and the creation of monumental landscapes that mediate the flow of human and animal populations. Alternative models of military organization related to the eastern steppe frontier zone will be presented. This case study provides a unique comparative perspective on early state expansion and the landscapes of conflict and political power they often generated.

Cite this Record

Frontier Dynamics in the Eastern Eurasian Steppe: Examining the Unique Characteristics of Long Wall Construction and Associated Defensive Features through Archaeological Geophysics. Bryan Hanks, Gideon Shelach-Lavi, William Honeychurch, Chunag Amartuvshin, Marc Berman. Presented at The 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2023 ( tDAR id: 473038)

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Keywords

General
Pastoralism • Remote Sensing/Geophysics

Geographic Keywords
Asia: East Asia

Spatial Coverage

min long: 70.4; min lat: 17.141 ; max long: 146.514; max lat: 53.956 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37092.0