Zemaryalai Tarzi: "Recent Excavations at Bamiyan – 2002–2012"

Abstract:

The excavations of Professor Tarzi enable us on the one hand to underline the importance of the artistic school of Bamiyan, and on the other hand to offer a new chronology that has been the object of many researches, since 1922. During the last decades, thanks to the analysis with Carbon 14 undertaken by German and Japanese teams, we were able to date the Bamiyan Buddhas to the VI-VII century A.D. However, in the light of recent excavations spearheaded by Professor Tarzi (2002-2012) of ancient Buddhist monasteries of Bamiyan, until now unknown, new and exciting discoveries have been made. Thanks to archaeological observations and analysis with Carbon 14 we are able to date the beginning of monastic life as early as the III century A.D. Professor Tarzi will present the result of his research at Bamiyan.

Note: This lecture will be given in French and translated into English by Nadia Tarzi

Speaker's Bio:

Zemaryalai Tarzi (Professor Emeritus, Strasbourg University and President, Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology)

Zemaryalai Tarzi, Professor Emeritus at Strasbourg University, is currently President of the Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology (APAA), the Director of the DIRI/APAA Mes Aynak Mission, Director for the French Excavations at Bamiyan, and a member of the UMR 7044 at the CNRS (MICHA-Strasbourg). Born in Kabul in 1939, Professor Tarzi has devoted his life to the protection and preservation of the archaeological heritage of Afghanistan, working as former Director for the Archaeology and Conservation of Historical Monuments of Afghanistan, as well as the former Director General for the Archaeology Institute of Afghanistan. He is the author of three theses and hundreds of articles and books.

Born in Strasbourg, France, Nadia Tarzi has been living in California since 1988. Inspired by the work and dedication of her father, world-renowned Afghan archaeologist, Professor Zemaryalai Tarzi, in 2003, she founded the Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology, a U.S based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the archaeological heritage of Afghanistan through educational and scientific programs, training, scientific research, publications and academic platforms. Tarzi is a ceramic artist, interpreter and translator and the mother of two talented teenagers.

This event is co-sponsored by the Silk Road Foundation