Agriculture in the Karakum: an archaeobotanical analysis from Togolok 1, southern Turkmenistan (ca. 2300–1700 B.C.)

Southern Central Asia witnessed widespread expansion in urbanism and exchange, between roughly 2200 and 1500 B.C., fostering a new cultural florescence, sometimes referred to as the Greater Khorasan Civilization. Decades of detailed archeological investigation have focused on the development of urban settlements, political systems, and inter-regional exchange within and across the broader region, but little is known about the agricultural systems that supported these cultural changes. In this paper, we present the archaeobotanical results of material recovered from Togolok 1, a proto-urban settlement along the Murghab River alluvial fan located in southeastern Turkmenistan. This macrobotanical assemblage dates to the late 3rdIntroduction Environmental setting Archeological context Materials and methods - Sampling and flotation - Archaeobotanical analysis - Radiocarbon dating Results Discussion - Domesticated grains - Legumes - Fruits and nuts - Seeds of wild herbaceous plants, wood charcoal, and dung - Integrating archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological evidence - Wider regional context Conclusio