THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATIGRAPHIC STUDIES IN CENTRAL ASIA DURING THE 1940s–1960s

Abstract

This article examines the development of research on the Stone Age history of Central Asia between 1940 and 1969 from the perspectives of historiography and archaeological methodology. Particular attention is paid to the institutionalization of Paleolithic and Mesolithic studies, the expansion of scientific institutions and archaeological expeditions, and the application of stratigraphic methods in archaeological fieldwork. The study addresses the typological classification of stone tools, the identification of cultural layer sequences, the examination of archaeological finds within their geological contexts, and the establishment of relative chronologies for prehistoric sites. It also considers the significance of emerging scholarly traditions and interdisciplinary approaches in the investigation of Central Asia's prehistoric past. The article aims to provide a historiographical assessment of the transition from predominantly descriptive studies of individual archaeological finds to systematic research based on stratigraphic investigation and comparative analysis.