Excavations at Old Kandahar in Afghanistan 1976-1978

Description

This report presents the findings of excavations carried out on the site of ancient Kandahar, Afghanistan, under the auspices of the Society for Afghan Studies (the predecessor of the Society for South Asian Studies) between 1974 and 1978. Predating the destruction of much cultural heritage material in the years following, this excavation provides an invaluable record for future historians. The volume’s main objective is to present the raw archaeological data, the stratigraphy of the various squares, trenches and sondages, and a comprehensive pottery typology. A preliminary relative chronology is suggested, through comparative study of the pottery and numismatic evidence, with the finds from the 1976-8 seasons falling mainly into the period from the late Iron Age to the early Sasanian period. A selection of terracotta figurines is also presented, and tentatively incorporated into the relative chronology.