The International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS) is a globally-oriented research institution dedicated to advancing multidisciplinary scholarship on the Central Asian region, with particular emphasis on its cultural heritage, archaeology, history and social dynamics. It fosters international cooperation among academic organisations, governmental bodies and heritage agencies in order to document and safeguard the diverse legacies of Central Asia. Through publication, teaching, and collaborative projects, IICAS contributes both to scholarly discourse and to practical policy frameworks that support sustainable development and heritage preservation in the region.
PARTNERS
The project’s partners played a crucial role in the fieldwork, offering local access, expertise, and support that significantly enhanced the research.
UIAP
Uzbek-Italian Archaeological project
Since 2001, the Italian-Uzbek Archaeological Project “Samarkand and Its Territory” has been investigating the Middle Zeravshan Valley through a multi-scalar and multi-temporal approach. The main objective of the project is the diachronic study of settlement dynamics and landscape transformations, with particular attention to long-term socio-environmental interactions and topics such as water management, sedentary agriculture, mobile pastoralism, and funerary practices. In addition to regional investigation and systematic excavations at Kafir Kala and other major sites, the mission engages in public-outreach activities—including guided tours at the Kafir Kala site and educational initiatives with schools and local communities—to foster heritage awareness and collaborative preservation. Through sustained partnership with Uzbek institutions and international scholars, the project leverages its base in historic Samarkand as a hub for scholarly exchange and cross-cultural dialogue.
National Archaeological Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan
The National Archaeological Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the principal institution for archaeological research in Uzbekistan, dedicated to the investigation, conservation and interpretation of the region’s material and cultural heritage. It undertakes multidisciplinary programmes—from bio-archaeology and landscape archaeology to Silk Road studies—and engages in collaborative international expeditions and publication of scientific outcomes. Since its establishment in 2019, it has developed a robust research capacity, published key journals and forged partnerships with global scholarly institutions. Among its editorial activities, noteworthy is the regular publication of the journal O‘zbekiston Moddiy Madaniyati Tarixi ("The History of Material Culture of Uzbekistan").
Samarkand Institute of Archaeology
Samarkand Institute of Archaeology is a state research institution founded in 1970 in Samarkand. Historically linked to the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, the Institute has been recently reorganised under the Agency for Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Since its establishment, it has coordinated excavations and surveys at many of Uzbekistan’s most important archaeological sites, includin Afrasyab/ancient Samarkanf. Today it stands as one of Uzbekistan’s leading centres for archaeological research, hosting international collaborations and publishing scientific results that are central to the study of Central Asian from Prehistory to Modern Age. It regularly publishes several journals, including O‘zbekiston Arxeologiyasi ("Archaeology of Uzbekistan").