Topoi 17 (2011) p. 229-276 1. This paper has benefitted significantly from discussions with a number of colleagues including Elizabeth Baker Brite, Alison Betts, Henri-Paul Francfort, Frantz Grenet, Leslee Michelsen, Margaret Miller, Michelle Negus Cleary and Ted Robinson. 2. The local name of the site is Kazakly-yatkan (or Kazakl’i-yatkan). However, the official name of the site, and the name under which it is listed in the national monuments records of Uzbekistan, is Akchakhan-kala. 3. The Karakalpak-Australian Expedition to Khorezm is directed by V. N. Yagodin and A. Betts. The project has received substantial support from the Australian Research Council as well as National Geographic and the generosity of many volunteers. Carbon 14 analyses were largely funded by support from ANSTO. 4. For discussion of Khorezm as a frontier or contact zone see most recently Francfort
2005.
Comple x connections : figurative art from Akcha khan -kala and the problematic question of relations between Khorezm and Parthia 1
The question of contact between Khorezm and Parthia has been the focus of only limited scholarly discussion, not least because of the sporadic nature of the evidence to explore the relationship ; a review of the relevant literature finds scant mention of ties between the two regions, and no thorough study of the subject. Recent finds from the monumental site of Akchakhan-kala (Kazaklyyatkan)
2 prompt a re-appraisal of these relations and provide an opportunity to explore some new perspectives on the complex topic of Near Eastern and Central Asian historical relations. Focusing on material from the Karakalpak-Australian excavations at Akchakhan-kala 3, this article explores the current state of evidence for relations between Khorezm and Parthia. Evidence for a link between these two geographically and historically contiguous regions to date is fragmentary, yet wide ranging, and inevitably raises questions about inter-cultural contact in a frontier zone 4. Understanding the nature of the relationship between these two regions is
