ALEXANDER - BACTRIA FORTRESSES

[fionajackson]

Hello,

I am currently carrying out some research on Alexander and his time in Bactria. I have been asked to map and identify as many fortresses/citadels that Alexander founded/took claim of during his time in the area as possible. I was hoping to find some advice on how best to do this! Does anyone know if research has been carried out into this? If it is attainable anywhere? I currently have a few sites already; Emish Tepe, Balkh, Andkho, Zadyan, Zariasper, Ai Khanoum and Takhti Sangin - I'm looking to find as many as possible, and join the dots as it were. Any advice on how best to research for this, or if anyone have some information on this, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Fiona.

[agesilaos]

the only book that comes to mind is Frank L Holt 'Thundering Zeus : the making ofHellenistic Bactria' 1999 and 1993's 'Alexander the Great and Bactria', WW Tarn produced 'The Greeks in Bactria and India' at the turn of the century and is quite outdated, Naharain 'The Indo-Greeks' falls between the two being a 50's or 60's tome. Hope that is of some help.

[marcus]

There's also "Cities of Alexander the Great" by P.M. Fraser. It is only really concerned with examining the cities established by Alexander, but is the only study I know of to evaluate them.

I don't think any of Holt's books will help much, but I agree with Agesilaos that they might provide some information.

If I'm honest, I don't think you'll be able to establish much beyond the positive identifications of the major cities. Certainly there are few, if any records of the smaller, military forts, etc. (most of which would have been re-fortifications of earlier strongholds, anyway). Without being on the ground, with dating techniques, and about 25 years in which to traverse the entire country (and I'm only being slightly facetious!), it's something of a thankless task.

Good luck, though!

ATB

[chris_taylor]

Hello,

I am currently carrying out some research on Alexander and his time in Bactria. I have been asked to map and identify as many fortresses/citadels that Alexander founded/took claim of during his time in the area as possible.
Fiona.

Wow ... fortresses & citadels? That sounds like your sponsor is trying to drill down to the nitty gritty of Alexander's actual route.

Some years ago, I was working in Almaty, Kazakhstan where I was introduced to a local professor of archeology. She was thrilled that I was interested in her work on the Silk Road and took me to see an ancient site. It was an amazing experience, but I was taken aback how much of the local knowledge is inaccessible to us because of the language barrier. She couldn't speak English, so all her work is published in Russian & Kazakh.

Yours is a research project and to tap that knowlegde, I'd go the research route: get a subscription for Jstor, search the archeological journals for experts who have first-hand knowledge of the area. Email them. Ask for English speaking contacts in the archeology departmants at the Universities in Samarkand, Khoujand, Bukhara. Then contact them to ask whether their departments have published papers on the subject in Russian or the local languages. Get copies and run them through the Google translator to see whether they contain information that may be useful (it works remarkably well for screening texts).

HTH, and do let us know!

Chris.