Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Aug 26

Learn more about the INASIA project on its website: inasia.uw.edu.pl

There:
- a list of palaeolithic sites in Central Asia,
- project publications,
- communication & dissemination activities,
- bios of the project team,
- all project related news in the form of blog entries.

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 21

To get to Pleistocene layers,we always need to go through the Holocene ones. Would be a pity not to use such an opportunity. Within the project we also study the Holocene traces of human occupation in Central Asia caves.

#Archaeology #ERC #HumanHistory #CentralAsia #CaveArchaeology #Fieldwork

2

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 18

To find new sites we use three approaches.
One of them is searching through published speleological and archaeological reports. It’s not an easy task to geolocalize caves based on very general descriptions. It can be a lot of fun though.

1

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 16

Another approach to discover new cave sites is analyzing social media, blogs, vlogs, and photo galleries shared by local hikers. These often feature undocumented caves. If we can geolocate the photo — sometimes a challenge — we pack our gear and investigate on site.
#ERC_research #ERC #HorizonEurope

5

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 14

And here the day comes one needs to close the trench. Let's hope we find the spot intact the next season.

Kiik Kamar- we will definitely keep on coming back here!

#erc #horizoneurope #universityofwarsaw #uniwersytetwarszawski #archeology

5

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 9

When you uncover new archaeological horizons with bones, combustion structures and MP blades the only thing you can do is… dance!

#ERCResearch #HorizonEU #ERC #Archaeology #Uzbekistan #HumanHistory #InterdisciplinaryResearch #Fieldwork

2 11

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 8

The crucial element in cave archaeology is wet sieving and flotation of sediments. Check our story of each and every bucket of sediment excavated in the cave. Down the rope, on the donkeys, then by a UAZ car, through the sieves up to the lab for sorting.

video by @hermano
music by RoyaltyFreeMusic

2

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jul 2

We’ve conducted a raw material survey walking along riverbeds and searching for suitable knapping raw material. Guess what can happen when the only available raw material is quarzite? And all the surriounding rocks are made of quarzite and granite. Analyses of these will be a great challenge.

#erc

1

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 30

Visited Sipantash - one of Uzbekistan’s rare painted rock art sites. ~800 stencils, geometrics, animals, solar signs under stunning stone formations. Once sacred: rituals, sacrifices, even a fertility slide for pregnant women. Ancient magic meets wild geology. What a place!

5

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 27

Each bag of sediment gets an inventory no. and is slid down a rope. Two donkeys carry bags further to the UAZ car. The car brings them to the wet-sieving and flotation station.

This is the very first fieldwork in UZBK with a complete wet sieving of excavated sediments - c. 50-100 bags of 10-12/day.

6

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 25

INASIA_ERC project led by
@malgorzatakot.bsky.social

June 2025 expedition - The Kiik Kamar cave excavations in Uzbekistan

videos by @hermano
music by FreeGroove via Pixabay
#ERC #archeology #research #HorizonEurope

3

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 24

The Kiik Kamar (Uzbekistan) excavations

#ERC #archeology #research #HorizonEurope

2 7

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 24

We've started the excavations.
The topmost layers consist of thick fumier. We're openning bigger suface in order to avoid contamination of recent charcoals in Pleistocene sediments.

#ERC #archeology #research #HorizonEurope

4

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 18

This season we excavate Kiik Kamar Cava in south-eastern Uzbekistan.
It is circa 100sqm single chamber cave with a big triangular entrance heading west.

photos by @hermano

#erc #ExcellentScience #HorizonEurope #ArcheologicalResearch

1 2

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 17

Fieldwork - Day 3
Basecamp

Due to unbelievable hospitality of Uzbek people in Kashkadarya our team had the oportunity to set up a basecamp in a nice private garden. A little bit more work and the basecamp with a mobile lab is ready.

video by @hermano
#expedition #ERC #archeology #excavations

1 4

Reposted by INASIA_ERC

Zandra Fagernäs @zandraselina.bsky.social · Jun 17

For the last couple of weeks, I've had the honor to join an excavation in Uzbekistan with @malgorzatakot.bsky.social through her @inasia-erc.bsky.social project. Two weeks full of joy. So many wonderful adventures, friendships and memories for life gained!

Me walking our donkey friend, who we called Appa, to transport sediment bags downhill. I miss him already, such a sweet donkey!

Somehow, Sebastian, the documentary maker who joined us, managed to take a very nice photo of me looking happy. Or maybe it's just that excavating makes me this happy all the time?

1 2 10

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 16

To find new sites we use three approaches:
1. We interview local people.
Shepherds, beekeepers, hunters, forest officers.
They know the mountains better than anyone else and their hospitability and kindness towards our research team is absolutely remarkable.

#erc #horizoneurope #archeology

4

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 11

INASIA #ERC supporting the local community
We put special emphasis on involving locals in the project.
A family-friendly approach means anyone can work with us & join fieldwork with their family, e.g. our cook Gulya is here with her daugter. A month in the mountains with no family separation.

1 4

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 6

ERC_INASIA aims at understanding the origin of local blade industries similar to IUP but dated there to MIS4.

To find more, check: doi.org/10.1080/01977261.2024.2319429

#erc #research #innovative_research #HorizonEurope

2

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 6

It's always good to have a rope with you!

The magnificent plan of reaching the cave in 1 day with 4 cars failed miserably as one of our UAZes broke down.

Luckily, we managed to find a good car mechanic, and a few hours later, we were finally good to go to the Zaravshan Range to reach the cave.

3

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 5

We're kicking off the 2025 INASIA fieldwork season!
🛠️ From 04/06, we set off to excavate the newly discovered Middle Palaeolithic cave site with confirmed preservation of charcoals and bones.
22 team members incl. scientists, students & volunteers.
Wish us luck at Kiik Kamar! #INASIA

1 4

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · Jun 5

ERC_INASIA is the first high-mountain archaeological project in Uzbekistan. For the very first time, our research team will reach unstudied caves in order to collect data for multiproxy analyses.

#HorizonEU #EUResearch #ERC

2 7

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · May 9

Huge congratulations!

1

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · May 9

INASIA_ERC is five years of intensive survey and fieldwork in mountain caves in remote areas of Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay.

@malgorzatakot.bsky.social
#inasia_erc #ERC #UniversityofWarsaw #Uzbekistan #HorizonEU #EUResearch

4

INASIA_ERC @inasia-erc.bsky.social · May 9

Thank you!

1 1