Beyond the Bamiyan Buddhas: Archaeology and History in the Modern and Ancient Persianate World

This conference took place in November 2012 and since a couple of months a number of Vimeo video's have been published which make it possible to feel the grasp of what was said during those two half days in Los Angeles

UCLA Asia institute: Beyond the Bamiyan Buddhas: Archaeology and History in the Modern and Ancient Persianate World

The destruction of the giant Buddha statues at Bamiyan in March 2001 briefly brought the world’s attention to the rich pre-Islamic heritage of Afghanistan. 
Appalling as it was, the tragedy at Bamiyan has overshadowed the larger stories that surround the Buddhas, both in terms of the longer history of archaeological excavation in Afghanistan and the plurality of ancient cultures that flourished in the region. 
Bringing together archaeologists and historians, these two half-day conferences at UCLA and UC Irvine explore two related issues. 

First, what archaeological, art historical and philological research can tell us about the evolution and interaction of societies and religious groups in the ancient and late antique Persianate world. 

And secondly, what roles have domestic and international politics had to play in the sponsorship or reception of historical and archaeological research on pre-Islamic Afghanistan. 

By addressing these questions, the conferences aim to understand the larger issues that surrounded both the creation and the destruction of the great Buddhas of Bamiyan.

Day 1 of a two-day program at UCLA and UC Irvine, showcasing the cutting-edge of international research on Afghanistan’s archaeology and history

Thursday, November 08, 2012
1:00 PM - 5:45 PM
UCLA History Conference Room
6275 Bunche Hall

Schedule:

1:00               Welcome and Introduction

Nile Green, UCLA

1:25-2:15     Keynote Lecture

Llewelyn Morgan, Brasenose College, Oxford

“Oxus: Bamiyan, Afghanistan & the World”

2:30-3:45     Panel I: The Politics of Afghan Archaeology

             Chair: Robert Brown, UCLA

Annick Fenet, Université Paris-10

“The Archaeology in the Reign of Amanullah, or the Difficult Birth of a National Heritage

Ali Mousavi, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

“Archaeology and political rivalries 1920-1940: From Afghanistan to Iran”

4:00-5:15     Panel II: Buddhist Pasts in Muslim Presents

Chair: Robert Buswell, UCLA

Alka Patel, Associate Professor, Department of Art History, UC Irvine
"Afghanistan’s Palimpsest Landscape: Buddhism and Islam in Material Culture"

Phillipe Marquis, Director, Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA),  Kabul

"Archaeology in Danger: How to Deal with Archaeology in the Post-Conflict Context of Today's Afghanistan?"

5:15-5:45     Discussant – Monica Smith, UCLA

Day 2 two-day program at UCLA and UC Irvine, showcasing the cutting-edge of international research on Afghanistan’s archaeology and history

Schedule:

1:30-1:45     Organizer welcome

Touraj Daryaee, UCI 

1:45-2:30     Keynote Lecture

Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Society, Washington D.C.

“The Bronze Age of Afghanistan”

2:45-4:00     Panel I: Mapping the Archaeology and Boundaries of Afghanistan

Chair: Nushin Arbabzadah, UCLA

Phillipe Marquis, DAFA, Kabul

"2002-2012 Ten Years of Archaeological Activities in Afghanistan: A Travel through Cultures"

Llewelyn Morgan, Brasenose College, Oxford

             “Hindu Kush: Boundary & Point of Encounter”

4:15-5:30     Panel II: The Kushano-Bactrian World

Chair: Haleh Emrani, UC Irvine

Touraj Daryaee, UC Irvine

"King Huvishka, Yima and the Bird: Observations on a Paradisaic State"

Jennifer Rose, Claremont Graduate University

"Above the Bamiyan Buddhas: Mithra Rides in Judgment"

Alka Patel, UC Irvine

"Afghanistan's Palimpsest Landscape: Buddhism and Islam in Material Culture"

5:00-5:30     Discussant – Kevin van Bladel, USC