From Tamerlane's tableware to everyday pottery: Daily life in the outskirts of Samarkand (13th–15th centuries)

Despite the importance of the Ilkhanid and Timurid periods in Central Asia, the related pottery productions, especially unglazed and glazed earthenware, are among the least studied and understood. This paper presents recent discoveries from the site of Kafir Kala relating to a historical phase previously unknown at the site, namely the Ilkhanid and early Timurid periods (13th–15th centuries), and to the pottery productions circulating at the site during this time. The long-term investigations conducted by the Italian–Uzbek Archaeological Project -UIAP on the citadel of Kafir Kala have revealed an important pre-Islamic administrative centre. After the Arab conquest of 712 CE, the citadel was converted to a residential function and remained in use until its abandonment in the 12th century CE. Recent investigations in the southern shahristan and the necropolis, together with a reassessment of the material recovered from the excavation of the northern towers, have made it possible to extend the occupational phase of Kafir Kala into the 15th century CE. The corpus comprises unglazed productions for about 95%. Glazed earthenware vessels are mainly medium-low-quality products, with a handful of higher-quality stonepaste specimens. The overall simplicity of the wares and the finding of restored or reused items suggest a modest lifestyle, possibly reflecting the rural nature of this settlement. Nonetheless, the evidence of local pottery production and the analysis of unglazed vessels point to a still active manufacture with interesting patterns: the variety of new forms and decorations coexisted with a revival of ancient features.