£3.495m award to further documentation and preservation of Central Asian heritage

Since 2018, the UCL Institute of Archaeology-based Central Asian Archaeological Landscapes (CAAL) project has been working with local partners in Central Asia to document and disseminate knowledge of the archaeological heritage of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Led by Tim Williams, with Co-Investigator, Gai Jorayev, CAAL is now a partnership of more than 20 institutions in six countries and represents a shared space for archaeologists, architects, conservation professionals, and others with an interest in the archaeological heritage of Central Asia.

An initial five-year project was funded by a £2.89 million grant from Arcadia. Now, Arcadia has awarded an additional £3.495 million to enable the continuation of the work until 2028.

There is a vast quantity of archaeological heritage across the six countries, stretching from the Caspian to western China. This ranges from major sites, such as ancient megacities (like Merv, Samarkand, or Turfan), significant religious monuments, and major ancient burial complexes, to smaller sites such as caravanserai and mountain forts, extensive landscapes of irrigation systems, and remote nomadic camp sites.

Much of this heritage is at risk from issues such as urban expansion, changing agricultural practices, and the climate crisis. The CAAL project prioritises sites and landscapes that are ‘at-risk’ or that have not been previously well documented.

According to Tim: 

“Thanks to Arcadia, we now have a platform for a sustainable future for Central Asian archaeological heritage. Their funding will ensure that the multidisciplinary team can continue to document and promote the awareness, protection, and research of the cultural antiquities of this vast region."

Read more

• UCL Giving News
• Central Asian Archaeological Landscapes (CAAL): explore the CAAL project website for details of fieldwork features, outputs and access to the online database
• Arcadia: Arcadia is a charitable foundation that works to protect nature, preserve cultural heritage and promote open access to knowledge. Since 2002, Arcadia has awarded more than $1 billion to organisations around the world