Imperial Archaeology and Archaeological Empires: the Soviet Khorezm Archaeological Expedition

Abstract

The article discusses the history of the Khorezm archaeological-ethnographic expedition from its inception (1937) to the closing work (1997) after the dissolution of the USSR. Three stages in the history of the expedition are marked out: prewar (1937-1941); postwar (1945-1970s), which was the most prolific, large scale, and successful stage of work; and closing (1980s-1997), throughout which projects and work were cut and terminated, in the wake of USSR’s breakdown. The author examines the phenomenon of Khorezm expedition from the viewpoint of the contemporary generation of archaeologists, paying close attention to the figure of S.P. Tolstov, a distinguished scholar and organizer who initiated the Khorezm expedition.