Abstract

Stepping beyond the debate over whether post-Soviet equals to post-colonial, one can observe strong traces of influence of Soviet period tendencies in the practice of archaeology in Central Asia. From institutional hierarchies to methods of archaeological investigation and heritage management, the developments in a macro level over the last decade or so can be interpreted, depending on the overarching political discourse in respective independent state in the region, as perpetuation of, or a reaction to a Soviet period practice of research and education. Interestingly, the cases of reaction that manifest themselves in structural changes and substantial alterations of approach very often result in predictable challenges that are very familiar from the context of ‘decolonisation’ elsewhere. Through discussions of funding, publications and ethics, this paper will attempt to relate trends in the region to the concept of Decolonising Archaeology and suggest possible ways forward.

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