Italian-Uzbek Archaeological Project ‘Samarcanda e il Suo Territorio’
University of Bologna, via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna (BO), Italy.
The Project, operational since 2001 and led by Ph.D. Simone Mantellini, has the principal objective of the diachronic settlement study of the Samarkand oasis with reference to the interaction between sedentary agricultural population and pastoral communities. The surveys are conducted as follows:
1) regional scale: geoarchaeological survey of the sites and the ancient irrigation system;
2) local scale: stratigraphic excavation of strategic sites. Other activities: materials, GIS and cartographic workshop; training for local staff; promotion of archaeological tourism and sustainable development.