Barda in the Transition Stage from Late Antiquity to Islamic Archaeology: Historical and Archaeological Review

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The city of Barda was especially notable due to its political and economic position in the Caucasus in the Middle Ages. In addition to being the capital of the Albanian state, it was the center of the local administration of the Sassanid Empire and later of the Arab Caliphate. Middle Ages sources inform about Barda, calling it the mother of Arran and comparing it with the central cities of Iraq and Iran. The analysis of historical sources, as well as archaeological materials, prove that there was a large urban center here. Research carried out by the Oxford University Nizami center in 2015–2018 revealed interesting results. Construction remains, glazed and unglazed ceramics, metal, glass and bone decorations, and household items have been unearthed. Artifacts study allows us to remark new ideas about the Middle Ages Barda. Thus, the city of Barda, formed in Late Antiquity, transitioned to Islamic culture after the Arab invasion, and as a result, retained the traces of the two civilizations. The study of Barda allows us to follow the transitional phase and see the changes that occurred in architecture, ceramics, etc. Using absolute dating methods enables us to shape accurate ideas related to the topic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36098.0