Afghanistan during the Bronze Age: Trade and Cultural Contacts with the Neighboring Regions

The Later Prehistoric Period (Chalcolithic/Bronze) research in the region of modern day Afghanistan began in the early part of twentieth century but the general picture of this period in this region remained obscure until the middle of 20th century. Those early phases of researches did not have the Later Prehistoric Periods as an individual theme for the archaeological investigations; it received impetus with the discovery and excavation of Mundigak and Deh Morasi Gundai. Subsequent studies on the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age sites in Afghanistan demonstrated that the material culture unearthed from various sites here reveal remarkable similarities with those found elsewhere in South Asia, Central Asia, and Iran. These discoveries along with the geographical location of Afghanistan and its abundant resources prompted archaeologists to undertake research here to understand the development of Chalcolithic/Bronze Age Cultures here and the nature of interaction networks between the contemporary neighboring civilizations. Although these research is limited in nature, it nevertheless clearly demonstrated that the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age settlements in Afghanistan underwent fundamental socio-cultural changes and ecological adjustments; from the very small villages to much more stratified societies. In the aforesaid context, this lecture will provide a glimpse of the Bronze Age Period research in the region of modern day Afghanistan and highlight the socio-cultural contacts with the neighboring regions as well as the nature of trade.