Resistance at the Edge of Empires: The Archaeology and History of the Bannu basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200

by C.A. Petrie, P Magee

From 1985 to 2001, the collaborative research initiative known as the Bannu Archaeological Project conducted archaeological explorations and excavations in the Bannu region, in what was then the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan, now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This Project involves scholars from the Pakistan Heritage Society, the British Museum, the Institute of Archaeology (UCL), Bryn Mawr College and the University of Cambridge.

This is the third in a series of volumes that present the final reports of the exploration and excavations carried out by the Bannu Archaeological Project. This volume presents the first synthesis of the archaeology of the historic periods in the Bannu region, spanning the period when the first large scale empires expanded to the borders of South Asia up until the arrival of Islam in the subcontinent at the end of the first and beginning of the second millennium BC. The Bannu region provides specific insight into early imperialism in South Asia, as throughout this protracted period, it was able to maintain a distinctive regional identity in the face of recurring phases of imperial expansion and integration.

Table of Contents

1. At the edge of the Bannu basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200
2. Environment and settlement in the Bannu basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200
3. Historical context of the Bannu basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200
4. Empire and resistance in the borderlands from 1000 BC to AD 1200
5. The Bannu Archaeological Project excavations at Akra and Ter Kala Dheri
6. Ceramics from raw materials and fabrics
7. Ceramics of the first millennium BC from Akra
8. Ceramics of the first and early second millennium AD from Akra
9. Small finds from Akra
10. Chronology of Akra and Ter Kala Dheri
11. Resistance at the edge of the Bannu basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200
Index

536 pages, Hardcover

Published December 28, 2020

Reviews

[Nyr-Sigtar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resistance at the Edge of Empires: The Archaeology and History of the Bannu Basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200 is a groundbreaking and deeply researched study that positions the Bannu basin as a crucial but neglected frontier zone between South, Central, and Western Asia. Petrie's long-term archaeological project has transformed our understanding of this region, and the volume presents a wealth of new evidence - from the monumental site of Akra with its distinctive Bannu black-on-red ware to the fascinating assemblage of "Akra Devi" figurines that speak to the region's enduring religious traditions. The historical narrative is equally compelling, tracing the basin's fortunes from the Achaemenid empire through the Ghaznavid period and arguing for a model of hegemonic control and everyday resistance that challenges the simplistic narratives of imperial domination and cultural collapse. The ceramic analysis is a particular highlight, demonstrating how the production and use of locally distinctive pottery served as a form of hidden transcript, a quiet assertion of local identity in the face of successive empires. The volume, however, is dense and occasionally repetitive, and the sheer weight of ceramic data can overwhelm the broader narrative. The treatment of the medieval period, while valuable, feels somewhat rushed compared to the earlier sections. Still, for specialists in South Asian archaeology and historical studies of empire, this is an essential and thought-provoking contribution.